We aim to create architecture that reflects the value of our clients' projects and their significance to society. We strive to show how the projects we are involved in contribute to wealth and well-being, strengthen sustainable development, advance technology and promote culture.

We are a third-generation independent architectural firm. For more than 70 years, the most essential feature of our practice has been to personalise our service for each client to suit their project and the circumstances affecting it. The client sets the objectives and provides the resources within which we work to the best advantage of the project. Read more about our history here.

We provide architectural design, principal design, and building information model coordination services for new construction and renovation projects. We have extensive experience working in multidisciplinary consortia.

Our key personnel turnover is low, and our owners are actively involved in the design of projects.

We mainly work as industrial and infrastructure architects, particularly in the fields of energy production and distribution and the circular economy. We have been working with our longest-standing clients since the 1960s and 1970s. As an independent practice, we are deeply committed to the success of our projects.

We are accustomed to the complexity of industrial projects, integrating construction and processes into a single functional entity.

Our portfolio focuses on exceptionally demanding industrial projects where high-quality architecture enables a functional symbiosis of process and construction and successful permitting and implementation.

We are also experienced architects for more standard design and construction. These projects are characterised by fast turnaround times, quality levels precisely defined by the client and cost-effectiveness.

As a sign of our close and successful cooperation with our clients, our work has been awarded 12 international and national design prizes. Our projects have been published worldwide, and we have appeared in significant forums such as the 15th Alvar Aalto Symposium on the Future of Industry.

Our work community values professionalism, social awareness, tact and collaboration. Our culture is based on shared, collaborative professionalism, trust and a safe working environment.

Each project is unique, and we can use and demonstrate our creativity to achieve its goals. However, an architect's work also involves routines, which we balance with celebrating our professional achievements and personal milestones in the daily life of our office.

Outside of work, we also do things together, such as annual architecture trips to other parts of Europe. Working, learning and relaxing together has been part of our company culture for decades.

ERKKO VIRKKUNEN ARCHITECTS

Erkko Virkkunen founded the architectural practice bearing his name in 1954. It initially operated from his home in Ruskeasuo, Helsinki. The firm grew, and over the course of 30 years, it carried out a wide variety of projects, ranging from industrial, public, and ecclesiastical buildings to private homes. 

Erkko Virkkunen's architecture combines rational and clear form with a refined finish. Among his most famous works is the Haukilahti Water Tower in Espoo, which uniquely links the water supply infrastructure to the popular panoramic restaurant at the top. The tower's bold structure, recognisable silhouette and controlled architecture make it a powerful modernist landmark.

VIRKKUNEN & CO ARCHITECTS

Erkko Virkkunen passed away in 1986, and his son Risto Virkkunen continued the business under a new name with Seppo Lehto, Pirjo Kovanen and Anneli Nissinen as his partners.

The energy industry became the company's most important sector, and the firm's core competence developed into process and construction integration. The Vuosaari power plants A and B of Helsingin Energia (now Helen Ltd) are good examples of the industrial architecture produced by the firm. The firm was also involved in major power plant export projects in Europe.

The current owners, Tuomas Kivinen and Nina Rusanen, joined the company as interns at this stage. The firm's strong client-oriented attitude, always on the side of the project and the client, was an important lesson for both.

VIRKKUNEN & CO ARCHITECTS LTD

After the other partners retired, Virkkunen & Co Architects Ltd was established in 2012 with Tuomas Kivinen and Nina Rusanen as new partners in addition to Risto Virkkunen. 

During this period, with society's ever-expanding urban development, the placement of new infrastructure in prominent locations and close contact with the public became more common in the energy industry, requiring a new level of industrial architecture. 

From the outset, the company planned a generational change, which took place when Risto Virkkunen retired at the end of 2021.

KIVINEN RUSANEN ARCHITECTS LTD

We renamed our office after the current owners in line with our firm's history and industry tradition.

The most important lesson from our history is our constant adaptation to the prevailing circumstances, which has enabled the firm to provide the right kind of service to its clients for over 70 years. We aim to continue to be relevant and good partners for our clients.