Open House Tallinn Volunteers Hannele Känd and Laura Ustav Visited Open House Dublin in Mid-October. Here are their impressions of the event and their thoughts on why it’s worth participating as a volunteer.
Why did you decide to volunteer for Open House abroad?
Laura: Since I’ve been a guide in Estonia for two years, and I love traveling and discovering the world, I decided to apply as a volunteer abroad. Every project I’ve participated in has broadened my horizons, expanded my international network, and opened new doors for the future.
Hannele: I’ve had previous international volunteer experience, all of which has been very rewarding. It had been a long time since my last experience, so when the opportunity came up, there was no question that I would apply. The timing of Open House in Ireland worked best for me, and Dublin is an exciting place to discover through an architecture festival. The festival in Ireland’s capital was fantastic! The city itself is vibrant and full of buildings with long and complex histories, which at first glance may not seem that special, but definitely are. That’s the beauty of Open House—the stories shared by guides and experts make design and architecture layered and intriguing even for the average person.
What were your impressions, and what building(s) did you volunteer at?
Hannele: I assisted at two buildings, both functional spaces. The first was the Covanta Waste-to-Energy Plant located on Dublin Bay, where sorted local waste is converted into energy, providing electricity to nearly 100,000 households! The building itself resembles a massive seashell, with all processes securely enclosed inside (the only visible output is steam and safe emissions through the chimney). During the tour, we saw the control room and a massive waste storage area holding tens of thousands of tons of waste.
On the second day, I worked at Busáras, a bus terminal in the city center built in the 1950s, which also houses the city’s social services office in one wing. For locals, the building has long been seen as something unpleasant and ugly, but its construction story, the goals behind it, and the innovative design solutions were groundbreaking at the time. The tours were led by an architect who is a true fan of the building and has even written a book about it. His facts, thoughtful historical perspectives, and highlighting of the building’s significance were excellent, making it my favorite of the festival! By the way, Busáras was the first building to use a roof solution that was later implemented in the famous Sydney Opera House.
I also had the chance to visit a few other buildings and attend city tours—my focus was more on exploring outdoor tours, as my own tours in Kopli also focus on urban spaces and history. Overall, Dublin’s Open House program includes many outdoor tours. A fun twist, which didn’t overly disrupt the festival, was Storm Ashley, which hit Ireland during the event—fortunately, it wasn’t as strong as predicted. My much-anticipated canal tour was canceled, but it was nice to find myself in a similar situation as at Tallinn’s Open House in 2023, standing on the roof of a tall building, with the wild wind swirling around (the only difference being that it was cloudy in Tallinn, and sunny in Dublin).
Laura: On the first day, I volunteered at a home on Geraldine Street with very impressive and unique architecture. I’ve never seen such a special home before and was truly amazed. On the second day, I was also at Busáras, which is a modernist building with a very distinct appearance.
Why do you recommend volunteering at Open House Tallinn? How has it impacted your life?
Laura: I highly recommend volunteering both in Estonia and abroad because it’s a truly special experience. It gives you courage and confidence, especially when you lead your own tours, and you also gain new information and get to visit places that are not normally accessible. And, of course, I have to mention the new friends and connections!
Hannele: Volunteering adds excitement to life and opens doors in ways that you may not even realize until later. It enriches your life and gives you the opportunity to share your passion with like-minded people. Thank you to the Open House Europe network for this opportunity!
Open House Tallinn is part of the Open House Europe cooperation project, co-funded by the European Union.
