This project was done in collaboration with
Catholic University students and Travis Price
Architects. The Kalevala Kehto, also known
as the Shamen’s Haven, is a one-room
think-tank made of curved solid wood planks
for a base resembling the hull of a ship,
and a stainless steel roof that hovers over
the hull with glass in-between separating
both materials. The inspiration for the design
came from the Kalevala, Finland’s epic story
in poetry compiled of folklore and mythology.
The students charretted on the project at
the Finnish Embassy in Washington DC.
Each student wrote a poem based on their
take on the Kalevala and translated it into a
sculpture. Common threads were established
based on models presented, and teams
were established to turn the sculptures into
architecture. Once a design and model was
established, the semester was spent working
on construction documents and funding for
the project began. In August of 2010, the
students traveled to Finland and constructed
the Kalevala Kehto with the help of local
contractors and builders on Seurasaari
Island.