Membership
SIO membership
To become an SIO member, you must be a member of Ornamo. SIO members are interior architects and furniture designers who are graduates of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Institute of Design at Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences Savonia University of Applied Sciences or Novia University of Applied Sciensis. The professional designation of SIO members is Interior Architect SIO.
A student membership is changed to a candidate membership once the member has notified us of his/her graduation. The candidate membership continues for 2-3 years after which You can apply for a full membership. Graduates from oversees universities can apply for a membership with a portfolio.
When you apply for an SIO membership based on a degree from a university of applied sciences or a university abroad, you need to include a CV and a portfolio (PDF) to support your application and send it separately to office@sio.fi.
The title Interior Architect SIO is reserved for full members only.
Membership fees 2024
Full member €265 (Ornamo €195+SIO €70)
Candidate member €255 (Ornamo €195+SIO €70)
Student member €35 (Ornamo €25+SIO €10).
Membership fees are deductible under expenses for the production of income in your tax return.
SIO membership requires Ornamo membership
Application procedure
Ornamo’s membership applications are handled throughout the year, so you can first apply for Ornamo membership and after that for SIO. The candidate membership period can be completed only as a SIO candidate member. SIO’s applications are dealt with approximately four times a year. Fill the membership application form on Ornamo’s website and send your CV and portfolio to SIO at office(at)sio.fi.
The deadlines for 2024 applications are by
9. Feb 2024
1. May 2024
1. Sept 2024
20. Nov 2024
Please note that you can be a candidate member a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 3 years after which you must apply for a full membership with a portfolio. Student and candidate members do not need to refill the membership form.
Member benefits
In addition to professional services, member benefits include the SIO calendar, electronic newsletter, every other week, and Ornamo magazine (once a year). The Ornamo membership card entitles you to discounts in several shops, museums and for various magazine subscriptions. Ornamo’s member benefits. SIO members receive annual subscriptions for ECIA’s AIT magazine and Valo-magazine. SIO members’ interior architecture firms can subscribe to the ProInterior magazine reduced prize to their business address. Changes of address and subscriptions must be made directly with the magazine office. The German AIT magazine’s addresses are updated three times a year by SIO office.
Unemployment security
SIO members, i.e. interior architects and students who live in Finland and are in employment, can prepare for unemployment by joining the KOKO unemployment fund (previously known as IAET unemployment fund) via Ornamo. You can join the unemployment fund by emailing Ornamo’s KOKO representative Outi Liusvaara at office(at)ornamo.fi. The email must include your name, address, telephone number, personal identity code and place of employment.
Ornamo ry/Outi Liusvaara
Annankatu 16 B
00120 Helsinki
Finlad
office(at)ornamo.fi
Further information on KOKO is available at
www.kokokassa.fi
SIO’s entrepreneur members can insure themselves in case of unemployment by joining the Unemployment Fund for Entrepreneurs and the Self-Employed SYT at
www.syt.fi
Members can also join the Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland TEK!
Ornamo-TEK dual membership
Apply for a membership
Full member
Full membership is available for people who have:
a completed a degree equivalent to an MA in a Finnish university approved by the organisation
b completed a degree equivalent to a BA in a Finnish university approved by the organisation
and worked in the sector for at least two years after graduation
c worked as an interior architect with exceptional merits for at least ten years and demonstrated their professional competence.
Candidate member
A candidate membership is available for people who have completed a degree in the sector abroad or have graduated with a BA from a Finnish university approved by the organisation. A candidate membership lasts a maximum of 3 years. After 2 years, s candidate member can apply for full membership.
The application must include a CV and a portfolio of work after graduation sent to office@sio.fi.
Oversees graduates: include also a copy of your diploma and a summary of your diploma work.
Student member
A student membership is available for those who study interior architecture majoring is spatial design and/or furniture design in a university approved by the organisation. A student membership can last a maximum of 6 years. A student member must apply for candidate or full membership after graduating or leave the organisation.
Approved universities
Aalto University
Approved universities of applied sciences
Lahti University of Applied Sciences (LAMK), Institute of Design; Metropolia University of Applied Sciences; South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK); Savonia University of Applied Sciences or Novia University of Applied Sciensis.
Pensioner member
People who have been members of SIO for more than 30 years and are aged 65 or over can apply for a pensioner membership which relieves them from membership fees. Pensioner members have the same rights and benefits as full members, but Ornamo magazine has a voluntary subscription fee of €20/year.
Ornamo is the umbrella organisation for SIO members offering basic services
Ornamo provides e.g.
• Legal advice
• Training and seminar organisation (e.g. IPR, industrial property and contract seminars)
• Contract and employment services
• Ornamo’s salary and remuneration monitoring
• KOKO unemployment security services
• Supervision of membership criteria, monitoring and influencing the education in the sector
• Promoting competition activities
SIO’s benefits for SIO members alone
M.A.D / Archicad discounts for SIO members
Cadpool, all training -20% for SIO members
The AIT magazine is sent automatically to all SIO members;
addresses are updated once a year.
ProInterior magazine reduction
Members are responsible for placing the order.
SIO’s e-mail newsletter, professional information once a month for SIO members.
Queries?