Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer known as the "Father of Modernism" in Scandinavia. Some key aspects of his work and philosophy included: - He helped develop Nordic modernism and was influenced by Finnish forests and lakes, employing bioclimatic solutions. - He believed in "humanistic modernism" and that aesthetics and functionality should be accessible to all. - His designs often combined old and new materials and drew from various architectural influences while refusing to strictly follow the tenets of the International Style of Modernism. - He is considered one of the earliest modernists who didn't completely fit the mainstream narrative, and practiced an "