ACCESS TO VIIMA & AALTO DF SPACES

Viima is the designated name for the premises housing the Aalto Design Factory, located at Puumiehenkuja 5a. The building’s main entrance is accessible from 07:45 to 1800. During these hours, anyone is free to enter and explore the public areas on the first floor, along with major event spaces including DF’s The Stage, The Hub, Studio, and StartUp Sauna’s Garage. The DF Labs, home to a majority of DF’s prototyping facilities, also welcomes visitors from 0800-1600.

Outside these hours, Aalto staff members can gain entry using their access card or key fob. On weekends and during night hours, a security code is needed in addition to card or tag access at the door.

The Design Factory’s staff offices are situated on the first floor, on the right side of the lobby.

Students requiring building access beyond regular hours, or teachers wishing to secure access for their students, should consult the specific guidelines provided below.

USER SPECIFIC INFO

STUDENTS

Two distinct access categories are provided: general and prototyping

GENERAL ACCESS

As a student, you don’t have automatic access to Viima outside of working hours. To gain this access, you need to complete the “General Access – Viima” course, which you can find on MyCourses. The course takes less than an hour, and you should gain access fairly quickly afterward.

Note: During summer and winter holidays, this access will not work as we aim to minimize the use of the space!

General Access - Viima course

PROTOTYPING ACCESS

Prototyping access now includes entry into the DF Labs area (with some exceptions). Students who successfully complete the “MEC-E3900 – Prototyping Tools at the Design Factory” course are granted this access level.

The course features an online segment accessible via MyCourses and a weekly in-person session, capped at 20 students each. As a student, you can enroll via Sisu and will earn 1 study credit upon completion.

Please note that to complete the course, you must also have completed the General Access – Viima course.

MEC-E3900 Course (SISU)

MEC-E3900 Course (MyCourses)

TEACHERS

You are a teacher and want to have access for your students?

GENERAL ACCESS

Teachers and other Aalto staff members automatically have access to the building’s general areas.

If your students only wish to use the building’s office facilities, they are welcome to do so. During workdays, the building and most reservable spaces are available through the Aalto Space app, accessible via students’ mobile devices. For students who need access to the building outside of office hours and on weekends, they can complete the “General Access – Viima” course, which is specifically designed for this purpose.

General Access - Viima course

PROTOTYPING ACCESS

If your students need to use the prototyping spaces within the DF Labs area, they are welcome to do so. However, DF Labs is only open during workdays from 08:00 to 16:00. To access these spaces outside of these hours, students must complete two courses, which is the only way to obtain Prototyping access.

Prototyping access now includes entry into the DF Labs area (with some exceptions). Students who complete the “MEC-E3900 – Prototyping Tools at the Design Factory” course will gain this access level. The course includes an online segment accessible via MyCourses and a weekly in-person session, limited to 20 students per session. Students can enroll through Sisu and will earn 1 study credit upon completion.

Additionally, students must complete the General Access – Viima course. This course does not earn credits, is entirely online, and enrollment is through MyCourses.

MEC-E3900 Course (SISU)

MEC-E3900 Course (MyCourses)

POINTS TO CONSIDER

Short term & office hours

If your students require only short-term access to the shop within regular business hours, they may not need general access. Just walk in!

Only few students

Should a limited number of your students seek access to the DF Labs, consider advising them to enroll in the “Prototyping tools” course at their convenience.

Heavy use

For classes that heavily utilize DF Labs, we recommend reaching out to our staff member, George Atanassov, to arrange extra contact teaching sessions, facilitating a quicker completion of the course for your students.

AALTO STAFF

You are Aalto Staff and want access to the building?

GENERAL ACCESS

As a Aalto Staff member your access should work just fine in the whole Viima building. However you will not be able to enter to our prototyping areas aka. DF Labs when they are closed. DF Labs are open during the workdays from 0800 to 1600. You are welcome to come in.

PROTOTYPING ACCESS

To gain access to the DF Labs outside of regular working hours, we kindly ask you to complete both the “MEC-E3900 – Prototyping Tools at the Design Factory” course and the “General Access – Viima” course. This requirement extends to Aalto Design Factory staff as well.

Prototyping access now allows entry into the DF Labs area (with certain exceptions). Staff members who successfully complete the MEC-E3900 course will be granted this access level. The course offers an online segment accessible via MyCourses and a weekly in-person session, with a limit of 20 participants per session.

The General Access – Viima course is entirely online and can be completed swiftly through MyCourses.

If you are unable to attend a session, please contact the individuals listed at the bottom of the page, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

General Access - Viima course

MEC-E3900 Course