"Idealism is not naivety, but belief in one's own ability to change the world and a willingness to work for it."
You Tell Me Collective
You Tell Me is a collective of architecture students whose goal is to promote a change of mindset in the field of construction. The biggest challenges of our time are climate change, over-consumption of natural resources and mass extinctions. We find that meeting these challenges is easier together than alone. The collective was created as a platform for sharing information and solutions so that we could design a more sustainable built environment. Information sharing and peer learning takes place through the collective communication channels and regular meetings.
Sustainable development
In the field of architecture, there is a need for a fundamental change in thinking. In addition to ecological sustainability, the change in thinking involves attitudes towards the economy, ethics, and social justice. The purpose of the collective is to encourage critical thinking that challenges current practices and strives for a more sustainable way of operating in the industry.
Peer learning
The field of architecture is vast, and no one can be an expert in everything. Perhaps it is more important to know what we do not yet know and to be able to turn to the right sources, experts, and collaborators. Through peer learning, students can complete their university education and find peer support for practicing architecture in the Anthropocene era. Finding tools for the great challenges of our time is also easier together than alone.
Evening schools
The main goal of the collective is to bring students, architects and others interested in the field together to share information and find ways to achieve a more sustainable built environment.
In the spring of 2020, the team set out to find a new way of thinking through peer learning. The collective began to organize regular gatherings, evening schools. Evening schools are open events where both students and various experts can share information and discuss fascinating topics at any given time. Evening schools have covered topics from post-humanism and economics to architectural ethics.
Activism
The You Tell Me collective is also a platform through which students and young architects can influence the development of their field. For our generation, change is essential. The same practices cannot be continued. The team is constantly looking for a more sustainable way to work in the field of architecture and seeks to influence and take a stand on important issues. Activism is carried out through events, information sharing and other means of influence. The biggest project of the collective so far is the “Buildings we live in ” - campaign, which aims to share information about the environmental impact on the built environment.
Internationality
The field of Finnish architecture is small. Expertise and professionalism can be found in Finland, but perhaps not the same diversity of views as in bigger countries. We need new voices in the field of Finnish architecture.
The You Tell Me team encourages international cooperation and the exchange of ideas. It would be great to see Finnish architects working internationally, and Finnish architecture could also accommodate international voices. The collective implements international cooperation, e.g. with the European Architecture Student Assembly of the Trans-European Network of Architecture Students.
