Purpose and activities
The purpose of the UKI Architects Foundation is to promote architecture, art, culture and education, along with research and development in the same fields. The foundation operates especially for the benefit of northern Finland, and supports activities that strengthen the region’s cultural and professional vitality.
The foundation preserves the legacy of Professor Uki Heikkinen and UKI Architects as part of the continuity of Finnish architecture.
The foundation fulfils its purpose by distributing grants and subsidies to students, researchers, artists, and other professionals in the field. Support can be granted for studies, research, projects and initiatives that increase expertise and develop the built environment, art sector, or cultural activities. The foundation may also fulfil its purpose through other appropriate measures, such as organising or supporting industry events and collaborative projects.
The foundation’s operations are based on long-term and responsible asset management. In accordance with the foundation’s rules, assets are invested in a “secure and income-generating manner” in order to safeguard future grant activities.
Through its activities, the UKI Architects Foundation seeks to enable the emergence of new expertise, to support cultural and architectural creatives, and to strengthen the educational and cultural conditions in the northern Finland region. Each year and in accordance with its rules, the foundation transparently awards grants based on criteria outlined in the call for applications.
The foundation was established on 14th May 2025, and it will award its first subsidies in 2026.
— Matti Heikkinen
Chair of the Board, Counsellor of Construction
Chair of the Board, Counsellor of Construction
The UKI Architects Foundation was born from Mikko Matti Heikkinen’s desire to continue the long and distinguished story of Uki Heikkinen and northern Finnish architecture. Rooted in the Heikkinen family’s values, Uki’s legacy, and decades of collaboration, the foundation carries them forward for future generations.
A story of family and values, northern building traditions, and the continuity of architecture
The idea behind the foundation arose from long discussions between Matti and Mikko Heikkinen about continuity and the need to recognise and acknowledge Uki Heikkinen’s legacy. As the work carried out over the decades has been strong and ambitious, it would have been wrong for the story to come to an abrupt end.
A foundation provides a sound and official way to offer financial support to selected causes and actors. Establishing the UKI Architects Foundation is also a way to keep Uki’s legacy alive, even if the company or its ownership were to change in the future. Matti and Mikko are keen to emphasise that Oulu and northern Finland as a whole form an essential part of this story.
“Our work is visible, and it is part of many other people’s history as well. Successes achieved through collaboration between multiple actors create opportunities to make good decisions. For example, we want to help ensure that the University of Oulu thrives and that the Department of Architecture remains here.”
For Matti and Mikko Heikkinen, establishing the foundation is not a financial undertaking but a value-based choice, rooted in the principles that have shaped the Heikkinen family’s life over a long period of time.
“We want to show that it is also possible to operate in this way. We want to pass good forward,” Mikko says.
By supporting architecture, art and education, the foundation seeks to enable tangible support and contribute to a better tomorrow.
“Architecture is one of our callings in life. We understand the significance of architectural work, and through the foundation we can promote and communicate all the good that is created within the profession. We want to strengthen understanding of the importance of architecture’s role in society,” Mikko concludes.
