Virkkala de Vocht Architects

Virkkala de Vocht Architects was established in January 2016 in Helsinki with the vision to design buildings and urban spaces that honour and integrate ecological and social sustainability. Our methodology blends thoughtful design with a finely-attuned sensitivity to the environment.

Co-founders Inari Virkkala and Sofia de Vocht have worked on various architecture projects in Finland and abroad for the past 15 years. Virkkala de Vocht Architects are a member of the Uusi Kaupunki Architecture Collective.

Updates

Inari is currently working as a project manager for social housing projects.

Sofia is currently working as a planner at the City of Helsinki Urban Environment Division.

Check out our contribution for the Expo2100-exhibition at the Museum of Finnish Architecture.

About Us

Sofia de Vocht. Photo © Anna Autio.

Sofia de Vocht
MSc Architect
sofia@virkkaladevocht.fi
+358 50 375 9103

Sofia de Vocht (b.1983) has been practicing architecture for with leading firms in Finland and Dublin, Ireland. She has been a team-member in many awarded projects at Harris-Kjisik architects, one of Finland's leading urban planning and design practices.

De Vocht specializes in the very small and very large in her practice. She is currently looking into utilizing strategic design as a tool in urban planning. This was a highlight in her work with Finnish shrinking cities and she contributed to the Guidelines for High Rise Building for the city of Espoo. This expertise has led her to be invited to teach urban design at Aalto University School of Architecture.

She utilizes her detailed knowledge on ecological wooden buildings within various summer house designs for private clients, including the widely published Hiekkasaari Summer House, completed in 2012, and is available for commissions.

2013
Väinö Vähäkallio Travel Grant for a talented young architect

2013
Lecturer at the Annual Seminar for Cultural Landscape organized by the Finnish Environment Institute

2012
Shared winner of the open international architectural competition for Finnoo Harbour in Espoo, together with Trevor Harris and team at Harris-Kjisik architects

2012
Artek prize for an outstanding Master thesis

2011
Best graduating MA thesis of 2010 from the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities

Inari Virkkala. Photo © Anna Autio.

Inari Virkkala
MSc Architect SAFA
inari@virkkaladevocht.fi
+358 40 574 1926

Inari Virkkala (b.1984) is passionate about the social impacts of the built environment. She is one of the founding members of Uusi Kaupunki Kollektiivi Oy, an architecture collective with more than 80 architect members in Finland and Norway.

She has worked for leading architecture offices including B&M and Kimmo Lylykangas Architects in Finland and Architecture for Humanity and raumlaborberlin in San Francisco and Germany. Together with working group Komitu Architects (Aaltonen-Hovila-Kassi-Koivisto-Suomi-Virkkala) she designed and realised Kouk Khleang Youth Center in Cambodia, an ecological training center that provides educational opportunities for urban youth in Phnom Penh.


2015
Energy Globe Award for KKYC with Komitu Architects

2014
Architecture Sans Frontières International, Member of the board

2014
Re-Thinking the Future Awards for KKYC with Komitu Architects

2014
Yhdyskuntasuunnittelun Ruusu -Award for Uusi Kaupunki Collective

2014
South of North Seminar included in La Biennale di Venezia 2014

2013
Antti Nurmesniemi Research Grant from Asko Foundation

2012
Oskari Vilamo Foundation Prize for thesis

2012
City of Helsinki Prize for Master’s thesis

Clients & Collaborators

Architecture Sans Frontières International, Archinfo, La Biennale di Venezia, Helsinki Design Week, Hukkatila Oy, City of Kangasala, Kone Centennial Foundation, Komitu Architects, Museum of Finnish Architecture, Mushrooming Ry, Petri Herrala Architecture, South of North, Uusi Kaupunki Kollektiivi Oy, NGO Ukumbi