2013

VUC Syd Haderslev / Denmark
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VUC Syd

The new education center for VUC Syd creates a setting for a future-oriented, flexible and digital educational environment.

Inspired by its unique location on Haderslev's waterfront the new education center has been designed as an atrium building, with a 360° view of the town and the harbour. The education center's terraces are a key element in its expression. In a movement, which starts right down at ground level and ends up on the building's top floor, the terraces twine around the house, uniting indoors and outdoors in a single gesture.
 
But the education center is not only about making a distinctive mark on Haderslev's waterfront. It also provides the setting for a future-oriented, flexible and digital educational environment by combining expertise with modern information technology and innovative teaching methods. So the education center has no permanent classrooms. Instead, it has been designed as an open, digital educational environment, united by the atrium and the staggered staircase at the heart of the building.
 
To create a manageable educational environment the floors have been divided into subject areas. The first floor is dedicated to science subjects, the second floor to cultural subjects and the third floor to modern languages. Thus the education center challenges the traditional notion of a school built up on the basis of permanent classrooms, in favour of a more flexible model in relation both to distribution of space and the flow of the students. VUC Syd's GODS principles have resulted in an unconventional and far more vibrant educational environment, in which group areas, presentation spaces, dialogue cubicles and quiet zones allow for more diverse approaches to education.
 
Modern IT has been given high priority in the design and layout of this education center. For example, every student is issued with his/her own iPad or MacBook, while a total of 165 digital screens have been integrated as a natural component of the educational environment. Contact to the town and the waterfront has also been given high priority. This finds expression in the public ground floor, which encompasses the public space into the education center and includes a culture café and lecture theatre, which provides space for larger-scale and group events.

“Multi-dimensional and visually impressive, the project provides an updated model for the perfect integration of the learning environment and the public space.” Dutton Hauhart / The international architecture magazine A10
Torstvedt School Larvik / Norway
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Torstvedt School

Torstvedt School is designed to be a diverse educational centre and one of the largest children's schools in Norway.

Torstvedt School is located in beautiful, scenic surroundings at the foot of the mountain at Larvik in Norway. The school houses four parallel classes from 1st form to 7th form, distributed in a composition of square buildings, which radiate from a central, communal square in the direction of a green activity landscape. In addition to the regular classes, the school also houses a kindergarten, a family centre and a multi-purpose hall. Indeed, the school was intended and designed to be a diverse educational and cultural centre, which exudes learning, activity and cultural experiences.
 
The school provides the framework for a stimulating and innovative learning environment, where the composition of square buildings opens up the school to the activity landscape in the south. Meanwhile, the multi-purpose hall has a more compact expression, facing the mountain in the north. The interaction between the staggered buildings invests the school with an evocative atmosphere, because the many passages between the buildings create space for informal social encounters and provide a variety of views across the common room out to the activity landscape.
 
The common room is located at the heart of the school and serves on an everyday basis as an informal space, providing room for community, contemplation and cultural experiences, and uniting the schools together as a social and functional entity. This means that the common room serves as a multifunctional space, in which the stairways create a wealth of niches and plateaus, around which the life of the school takes place. Each of the seven different school years has a floor to itself in the three square building volumes.

Vestre Fjordpark Aalborg / Denmark
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Vestre Fjordpark

The multi-functional building is designed as a vibrant and diverse hub for the many activities taking place in Vestre Fjordpark.

The multi-functional building is located at Vestre Fjordpark in Aalborg, Denmark, and houses both club and changing room facilities. To enhance the qualities of Fjordpark the building was designed as an elongated volume, which is located orthogonally on the fjord: partly to create shelter and sun traps, and partly to create a view of the fjord along the whole length of the building.
 
The building sits on a sturdy, white concrete base, which makes one think of of Aalborg's biggest commercial legend, Aalborg Portland, and thus roots the building in the place and its history. In contrast to the heavy base, the large window façades create a light, transparent expression, while the roof with its undulating wooden deck wraps around the building and stands out as an artificial landscape in the surrounding area.
 
This means that the roof brings the architecture to life by inviting visitors to interact with the architecture in new and surprising ways. For example, it is possible to climb the building and move about on the roof to enjoy the view of the water and the landscape.

Kungälv Hospital Kungälv / Sweden
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Kungälv Hospital

The expansion and renovation of Kungälv Hospital includes a new main entrance and connecting building, along with new outpatient facilities and ward buildings.

The basic vision of the project is to perpetuate the hospital's existing qualities, while creating a new, future-proof hospital, in which the patient is at the centre. This vision is reflected, for example, in the diverse heights and lengths of the new ward buildings, which create an elegant interplay with the existing hospital building. This both preserves and develops the character of the hospital. Together with the ward buildings, angled grouping enhances the hospital's relationship to its setting and scenic surroundings.
 
In parallel with the hospital's present connecting building, the project also includes a new connecting building, which provides efficient flow and easily negotiable routes for staff, patients and relatives. The new connecting building is also designed to meet patient and family needs in terms of both privacy and social contact.
 
This interaction between privacy and social contact is one of the project's main priorities. The aim is to offer patients and relatives varying degrees of social interaction: ranging from single-bed wards and secluded alcoves to open corridors and common dining rooms. The project also facilitates a wide range of activities in the green courtyard and the new lobby, where it is possible to organise exhibitions or other events. 
 
The new main entrance helps both to enhance the hospital's character and to provide a warm welcome for visitors and patients. The openness and choice of materials of the main entrance also create cohesion between the arrival area, the connecting building and the new ward buildings. This finds particular expression in the façades, on which perforated steel plates and a varied lattice structure create different degrees of transparency and variable natural light in the course of the day.

"The diverse heights and lengths of the new ward buildings create a convincing interplay with the existing hospital." The jury report / Region Västra Götaland
Horsens State School Horsens / Denmark
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Horsens State School

The expansion of Horsens State School includes a new science building that oozes of science and provides synergy between the science subjects.

The new science building is based on a clear concept that interacts with Horsens State School’s historic main building and marks the original gardens. Based on the geometries of the building complex the science building preserves the symmetries of the existing building complex. The science building thus reflects the context, which is enhanced by the curved carvings that open the science building towards the main building and the scenic gardens.
 
In order to fulfil Horsens State School’s vision the science building is organised in two floors by which the building provides the best possible synergy between the subjects and maximum outdoor space for the scenic gardens. The science building is thus designed as a compact volume with a double high common room which opens the building on the outside and on the inside. A staircase is integrated as a sculptural element at the centre of the common room. The staircase is visible from the entrance and is designed as a vital place in the building, which in this way will ooze of life, learning and science.
  
The openness is also reflected in the exterior of the building. Towards south the building extends towards the scenic gardens while towards north it opens towards the main building. In addition, its simple and tight brick architecture reflects the main building. The choice of yellow bricks expresses the same honesty and simplicity as the functionalistic main building. However, at the same time the brick façade gives the science building a distinctive character as the curved carving on the arrival facade challenges the traditional use and expressions in terms of brick architecture.

"The proposal represents the most clear, architectural icon value. The proposal expresses a clear identity: This is where science live." The jury report / Horsens State School
Musholm Bay Holiday Resort Korsør / Denmark
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Musholm Bay Holiday Resort

The expansion of Musholm Bay Holiday Resort sets new standards for accessible architecture.

Musholm Bay Holiday Resort is located at the beautiful Danish coastline and pushes the potential of accessible architecture. In fact, it is recognized as one of the world's most accessible holiday resorts for people with disabilities.
 
The expansion of the holiday resort is divided into two sections in the form of a new multi-purpose sports hall and a number of new holiday flats. The multi-purpose sports hall is located at the heart of the resort, while the flats are located in the periphery.
 
The activities spread in ever-widening circles from the sports hall to the flats by which the expansion provides a dynamic and fully accessible layout for the future holiday resort. The layout not only pushes the potential of accessible architecture. It also offers panoramic view of the bay and the scenic surroundings from the sports hall and the flats.
 
The multi-purpose sports hall includes an activity ramp which provides visitors, whether they are disabled or not, the opportunity to challenge themselves physically. The activity ramp offers a wide range of platforms and activity spots, including a climbing wall for wheelchair users.
 
Based on the sports hall’s many activities, the expansion fortifies Musholm Bay Holiday Resort as a place that sets new standards for accessible architecture and invites people with disabilities to play, participate and create new friendships.
 
In this way, the expansion not only carries on the resort’s architectural quality and atmosphere. The expansion also raises the bar for accessible architecture by providing all visitors the opportunity to enjoy an active and physically challenging holiday.
 
Thus, the expansion sets new standards for how accessible architecture can be implemented into architecture and how architecture can be infused with a distinctive sensuality in order to create a comfortable and engaging environment.

Nunatakken Herlufmagle / Denmark
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Nunatakken

Nunatakken is not only designed to be Denmark's largest scouting and outdoor activity centre, it is also Denmark's very first major "stand-alone" building.

The 1,700 m2 Nunatakken was designed to be the largest scouting and outdoor activity centre in Denmark. Active outdoor life is the focal point of Nunatakken, which was designed as a passive construction and Denmark's first major stand-alone building. So this scouting and outdoor activity centre pushes the boundaries of sustainable building, not only by covering its own energy consumption, but also by recycling waste and filtering rainwater and effluent on a local level. It is, therefore, a locally anchored construction, which relies entirely on itself and does not encumber the environment or the grid.
 
To emphasise the centre's proximity to nature it is shaped like a rock, which rises out of the ground and escalates into a 15-metre-high climbing wall. This distinctive rock's natural stone surface encourages children, young people and adults to climb or abseil. "Nunatakken" is a Greenlandic word for a cliff top, which pokes up through the top of a glacier. The name is a direct reference to the shape of the centre and the landscape around Herlufmagle, which displays clear traces of the last ice age. 
 
Based on a close study of its requirements, the centre's functions have been sub-divided into five. Incorporated into the basic shape, this division creates an expressive star formation, which forms a natural part of the landscape and refers to the scout's five areas of development: physical, social, intellectual, spiritual and emotional. So the star formation is a strong architectural statement and, as an iconographic image, represents a dissemination of the very values it represents.

Mushroom Bruså / Denmark
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Mushroom

The Mushroom conveys the essence of wooden architecture by being designed as a simple yet compelling retreat in the deep forests of Denmark.

The Mushroom combines floor and ceiling into a single architectural concept, in which all functions are arranged around, and integrated into the core of the retreat. In this way, it conveys the essence of wooden architecture.
 
Glass walls with sliding window sections discreetly shield the retreat's open space, so that the wooden architecture merges naturally with the surroundings, and indoors and outdoors become one, atmospheric spatiality. If required, white curtains can screen the space, either fully or partially.
 
Inspired by the location and its scenic qualities, the floor, ceiling and interior have been constructed out of pine planks. The close proximity to the countryside is also reflected in the very heart of the wooden retreat, where the toilet and bathroom are clad with natural stone. The central "super furniture", which constitutes the core, contains built-in storage space, beds, lofts, kitchen work surface, dining table and a fireplace.
 
The design philosophy behind Mushroom is to strip wooden architecture down to its essence so that you need just the right amount of shapes and functions to convey what you need to convey.

The Philosopher Odense / Denmark
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The Philosopher

The idea at the heart of the proposal is to rethink the art building and its outdoor areas, in order to create a cultural centre in the heart of Odense.

The art building the Philosopher is located at the edge of Odense's largest recreational space, Munke Mose and Odense River. The distinctive location is visible from the road and, while bordering on the green parkland, the building is still in close proximity to many of the city's other cultural activities. So the Philosopher enjoys a strategic position midway between the city centre and Munke Mose. Looked at in the light of the city's existing cultural activities, there is every indication that a rich cultural life will develop between Odense city centre and Odense River.
 
The proposal is based on enhancing the building's potential by establishing a new "art route" in Odense, on which people can explore the city's many cultural and artistic offerings. The art route can be a signature, a guide or small signposts in the city, which will help strengthen Odense's existing cultural life. The Philosopher will become an attractive point on this route, a place to encounter art in a countryside setting, which will unite indoors and outdoors in a single, powerful architectural concept.

"The proposal is one of the more sensitive and empathetic projects in terms of the existing building. It also seems very plausible in terms of the strategic choices it makes in relation to the facility’s budget." The jury report / Odense Municipality
Link
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Link

Link is a new piece of urban furniture which can be linked together to form an array of different formations that encourages social activity and interaction in public space.

One piece of furniture, several pieces of furniture, several functions. The idea arose from a desire for differentiation. The possibility of giving users the chance to choose for themselves. Link thus be used according to needs and wishes, creating individually adapted formations which encourage formal and informal interaction.
 
Although Link is compatible with a variety of urban environments, it is particularly suitable for outdoor recreational areas at universities, schools, care centres and housing estate. Actually, Link was originally designed for two education institutions in Southern Jutland in Denmark, where the clients wished to create inspiring new surroundings for teaching, both inside and outside.
 
Link is made of hot-dip galvanised steel and FSC-certified oil-treated mahogany which is weather-resistant and patinates beautifully. 
 

2012

The City Centre School Aarhus / Denmark
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The City Centre School

The City Centre School was conceived and designed as a diverse environment for children and young people, and works in close collaboration with local associations and providers of leisure activities.

The vision at the heart of the City Centre School (Midtbyskolen) is to bring together kindergarten and school, leisure and after-school activities in one single gesture. The design is like an “age-wheel”, in which individual clusters radiate out towards the activity landscape. Pupils start at ground level then, as they grow, move up through the building. By way of support for this concept, the school is united by a large common room, which opens up the building and provides a setting for a strong school community. 
 
 In the common room a main staircase rises in a floating spiral movement up through the building. As a learning tool on several levels, the staircase unites the building into a single learning environment, in which natural daylight penetrates right into the common room from the floor-to-ceiling windows along the façade and from the large, round skylight. The interplay between the horizontal and vertical movement of the common room creates a wide range of links and movement options, and a wealth of niches and observation posts in the large common room. 
 
Contact with the surroundings and exposure to the outdoor areas are high priorities in the school’s design. The close contact with the environment is reflected in the green terraced landscape, which opens the school to its surroundings by enhancing the relationship between indoors and outdoors. This provides excellent recreational options during playtime and makes it possible to include the outdoor space in teaching. In a dynamic flow, starting right down at ground level and ending up on the school’s top floor, the outdoor space winds around the building and unites the green outdoor areas into one eventful whole.

Brick
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Brick

BRICK is a flexible and functional foam furniture that can be joined into colorful formations and fits beautifully into any outdoor space.

In connection with our involvement in the construction of two Danish education centres, we have developed a new foam furniture titled BRICK. As the name indicates, BRICK consists of a simple, strong unit which can be joined into colorful and cohesive seating furniture.

The furniture has a hidden connection system which makes it possible to establish formations fulfilling the specific demands and wishes. It is easy to build the units together and create customized formations that encourage informal stay.

BRICK is made ​​of flexible and environmentally friendly polyurethane foam and has been added a strong polyurethane coating. Among other things, this technique is used by the offshore industry for fenders, buoys or the like, where the load and environment are extreme.

Svaneparken Birkerød / Denmark
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Svaneparken

With respect to its unique history, Svaneparken has been transformed into a modern day-care centre, where specially designed fixtures create a colorful and playful environment.

Svaneparken was built in 1920 as a hospital and housed until the 1980s an asylum for mentally ill patients. After an extensive renovation and rebuilding the old hospital has been transformed into a modern day-care centre with five integrated day-care centres.
 
The exterior has been renovated with respect to the building's history, while the interior has been redesigned in the desire to create an exciting environment and a strong sense of community among the five day-care centres. A two-storey communal room is situated at the heart of the building, and by implementing glass panels in varying sizes and shapes the room creates visual contact between the day-care centres and allows the 250 children to play and form friendships between the day-care centres.
 
All the fixtures are specially designed based on the building structure and the latest research in pedagogy. The specially designed fixtures challenge the traditional approach to the design of day-care centres, as the fixtures merge with the building and create a colorful and playful landscape of niches, plateaus, caves and sliding furniture, where only the children's imagination sets the limits .
 
The playful environment extends to the outdoor areas, which provide the setting for a wide range of activities. The design of the park shows respect for the historical qualities and scenic surroundings, and just like the interior, the park is built around a common zone with the possibility of joint activities, e.g. an orchard or an amphitheater. The common zone is surrounded by five separate gardens which form a private zone for each of the five day-care centres and allow the children to retreat and find peace of mind, whether they play inside or outside.

Acute Care Centre Viborg / Denmark
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  • Gode udsigtsforhold
  • Solens gang i løbet af dagen
  • Grønne gårdhaver
  • Rationelt flow
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Acute Care Centre

The new acute care centre at Viborg Hospital in Denmark expresses a holistic approach to hospital architecture where functional and sensuous solutions are mutually reinforcing.

Based on a sophisticated organization and further development of the clinical structure, the vision behind the new acute care centre is to create a holistic hospital construction, where functional and sensuous solutions are combined into a whole. Thus the goal is to create an efficient and flexible hospital with a human presence and strong architectural statement.
 
In order to create an efficient workflow for the staff and a secure flow of patients, the acute care centre is divided into two tracks: a public track containing each department’s reception and waiting areas, as well as a screened department track providing the framework for the departments on each floor. In this way, the transportation of lying patients is screened from the public zone, which not only provides an effective workflow for the staff, but also secure and respectful environment for the patients.
 
The new acute care centre is six storeys and is placed right next to the existing hospital. Building wings stretch towards the landscape to the east to take advantage of the views of the city, the lake and the green open spaces. Inspired by the unique location on the range of hills in the heart of the city, the interaction with context as a recurring theme in the design of the new acute care centre which offers patients, relatives and personell a captivating view of the surroundings from each floor of the building.
 
The close relation to the surroundings is reflected in the many terraces, roof gardens and courtyards that provide direct access and visibility to the green, recreational outdoor spaces on all floors. In addition, the new main entrance and lobby offer a unique view of the lake and creates an entirely new arrival experience to the hospital.

 

"The project is very carefully worked out and provides a good patient and staff flow, focusing on integrity and efficiency." The jury report / Central Denmark Region
Nature Centre Hindsgavl Middelfart / Denmark
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Nature Centre Hindsgavl

Nature Centre Hindsgavl frames the outdoor life of the Hindsgavl Nature Reserve and is designed as a state-of-the-art wooden building in terms of energy efficient architecture.

Nature Centre Hindsgavl is designed as a sustainable outdoor centre that conveys the captivating natural and cultural history of the Hindsgavl Nature Reserve, including Hindsgavl Castle. In addition to teaching, exhibition and office functions, the wooden building houses a number of facilities for scouts, school children and other visitors who enjoy the outdoor life.
 
The wooden building is designed as a passive house and an inspiring site for a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities. The design of the wooden building supports the outdoor life in all kinds of weather, all hours of the day. For instance, the wooden building has a vantage point on the roof which is covered with vegetation and grass, planted over a waterproofing membrane.
 
From the vantage point visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the scenic surroundings. The building design thus provides an inspiring activity spot for the many aspects of outdoor life by interacting with the surrounding landscape and reinforcing the relation between indoors and outdoors.
 
The wooden building reinforces the relation between indoors and outdoors by using large window sections and decorating the inner walls with solid wood. The wooden inner walls create a tactile atmosphere which is enhanced by the polished concrete floors. Just like the inner walls, the facade is made of solid wood elements. However, in contrary to the inner walls, the facade is painted black in order to create a cohesive expression and a clear contrast to the scenic surroundings.

"Nature Centre Hindsgavl will undoubtedly become an active and attractive venue. In addition, the wooden building is economically and environmentally sustainable and interacts beautifully with the surrounding landscape." Steen Dahlstrøm // Mayor of Middelfart
Hotel Scandic Aarhus City Aarhus / Denmark
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Photo: Jens Lindhe

Photo: Jens Lindhe

Photo: Thomas Mølvig

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Hotel Scandic Aarhus City

Hotel Scandic Aarhus City is located in the centre of Aarhus, Denmark, and combines 150 years of city history into a modern architectural whole.

Behind a beautifully ornamented facade from the 19th century you will find this 18,000-sqm hotel which includes restaurant and conference facilities and 228 rooms allocated on six floors. The hotel is located a stone’s throw from the central railway station and right next to the pedestrian street.
 
Hotel Scandic Aarhus City combines the city centre’s historic atmosphere with modern hotel facilities. For instance, the dark brown facade reflects the neighbouring buildings’ reddish brown hue. In addition, the bright bands give the facade rhythm and reflect the neighbouring buildings’ white ornaments, enhancing the buildings’ horizontal divisions and window openings.
 
In order to bring a new, modern dimension to the city centre, the hotel is designed as a sharp-edged corner building with vast glass facades which are divided by varied facade sections. The facade sections are made of aluminium and create a clear contrast to the area’s historic brick architecture, for instance the former warehouse building along Hans Hartvig Seedorffs Stræde.
 
The contrast between new and old is particularly being expressed along Østergade where the hotel has preserved the beautifully ornamented facade from the 19th century. The facade originally framed the city’s popular local hall and is one of the city’s best preserved 19th century facades.
 
Last, but not least, the hotel attaches great importance to the environment. For instance, there are solar panels on the roof that supply the hotel with 90 per cent of the electricity used in the hotel rooms. The hotel is also designed as one of Denmark's most accessible hotels, with 22 rooms for disabled people and a fully-accessible conference area.

Aalborg University Hospital Aalborg / Denmark
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Aalborg University Hospital

The proposal for the new Aalborg University Hospital achieves the highest architectural quality and offers treatment and research facilities of international format.

The proposal for the new Aalborg University Hospital is designed as strong, sensuous and significant building complex which achieves the highest architectural quality and offers treatment and research facilities of international format. At the same time the sensuous details and clear overview make the patients and employees feel welcome and comfortable.
 
In order to ensure effective working procedures and the best possible flexibility, the wards and treatment facilities are placed along a through-going hospital street, so the different specialities are made visible and are able to exhange area in the short and long run. It also applies for the research facilities which are placed near the patient treamt facilities. In addition, the auditorium is placed by the main entrance in order to highlight the hospital’s researchbased qualities.
 
The proposal attaches great importance to the close contact with the surrounding nature, as research shows that green surroundings have a positive impact of the wellbeing and ability to recover. Therefore, the building complex is designed as an open and dynamic structure which interacts with and stretches out towards the rolling countryside.
 
In this way, the close contact with nature has lead to a clear, architectural concept, consisting of a rustic base of bright concrete on which a light comb structure of vertical wards is placed. In addition, the through-going, high-ceilinged hospital street links together all functions and provides a clear overview for the patients and employees.

”The design and choice of material appear beautiful and characterful. The proposal’s linear composition along the central hospital street combine effective logistics with a clear overview and great spatial qualities.” Jury report / The North Denmark Region
Department of Biomedicine Aarhus / Denmark
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Department of Biomedicine

Inspired by Aarhus University’s long architectural tradition the project proposal frames a bright and highly functional research environment which gives the Department of Biomedicine a strong architectural identity.

The project proposal carries on Aarhus University’s architectural tradition and transforms it into a visionary research building which provides the basis of research of international format by creating flexible and highly functional spaces of high architectural quality.
 
The new research building for the Department of Biomedicine is structured as three connected north-southbound wing buidings which have a simple and straightforward expression. The context has been crucial for design and layout for which reason the building volumes carefully adept to the context, regarding width, height and  and weight.
 
In order to create rhythm and architectural cohession the tact of windows correspond to the existing buildings’ tact of windows. However, the new research building has implemented higher windows which besides updating the facade´s expression also create better lighting conditions in the office and laboratory facilities by bringing dayligt deep into the building.
 
The gable towards north frames the arrival square and has a notable different expression as it has great glass sections which expose the inner spaces and enhance the experience of an open and dynamic research environment. In the same way, the project proposal opens the gables towards south by which the café, lounges and social meeting points have a captivating view of the city and daylight is brought deep into the atrium.

Holstebro Town Hall Holstebro / Denmark
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Holstebro Town Hall

Designed as a golden and transparent shrine, the expansion of Holstebro Town Hall carries on the existing building’s fortress-shaped brick architecture.

The expansion of Holstebro Town Hall reflects the area’s and the existing building’s qualities and provides optimal setting for the employees and citizens who daily visit the town hall’s service functions, e.g. the job centre and the social services department.
 
In this way, the expansion is designed as a rectangular volume which reduces the energy demand, ensures a healthy indoor climate, frames a vibrant working community and is moulded, placed and constructed in accordance with the surroundings.
 
Based on the tension field between new and old, the expansion creates an architectural whole where the contrast between the new building’s lightness and the existing buildings’ solidness creates a sensuous and meaningful interplay.
 
This sensuous dimension is underlined by the interplay between the new building’s sharp-edged form and the existing town hall’s more organically sweeping lines. In addition, the copper anodised aluminium lamellas, the vertical window sections and the glass facade along the ramp to the main entrance, give the expansion an elegant lightness which contrasts the existing town hall’s substantial and fortress-shaped brick architecture.

House of the Future Berlin / Germany
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House of the Future

House of the Future frames a unique setting for the communication of science and technology in the heart of Berlin.

Based on the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s visions to create a state-of-the-art venue for science and technology, the House of the Future (in German, Haus der Zukunft) is designed as an architectural landmark by transforming parametric design into an organic idiom, which gives the building a strong humane and technological expression.
 
House of the Future is designed without any explicit orientation by which it interacts 360° with the surroundings. In this way, the building is designed as an urban hinge as it by its organic shape creates a dynamic flow which interlink the new Ministry building, the new office block at Humboldthafen, the river Spree and the central railway station.
 
The building opens towards south, where the facade’s elegantly sweeping bands create a transparent relief effect which enhances the beautiful view and exposes the building’s exhibitions and social activities towards the Spree and the Chancellor's Office. In addition, the relief effect creates a varying inflow of daylight during the day, enhancing the visitors’ well-being and experience of the building.
 
The interior of the House of the Future is characterised by open, vibrant spaces in order to reflect the blooming creativity of science and innovation. The open interior bring the building closer together and is designed as the building’s social focal point where flexible lounge areas frame casual gathering points and offer captivating views towards the Spree, the Chancellor's Office and the city centre.

Office building for Borregaard Sarpsborg / Norway
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Office building for Borregaard

The sustainable office building for Borregaard frames the company's green brand by combining inspiring office facilities and eco-friendly features.

Borregaard owns and operates the world’s most advanced biorefinery. Based on Borregaard’s innovation work in green carbon the sustainable office building frames the company’s brand by combining a wide range of eco-friendly features into an architectural whole.
 
The sustainable office building is characterised by its openness which manifests itself in the accommodating arrivals square, the bright lobby and the crystalline facade. From the arrivals square you enter the vast atrium which opens the interior and creates a social focal point where the floors and functions of the sustainable office building merge and interact. In this way, you experience Borregaard’s set of values and working community as soon as you enter the office building.
 
In addition, a series of circular meeting rooms expose the meeting facilities and working community towards the atrium. As sculptural tree trunks the circular meeting rooms rises up through the atrium and adds a tactile dimension to the interior. In addition, they express a particular identity by referring to wood as Borregaard’s natural raw material.
 
In order to promote Borregaard as a sustainable biorefinery, the architecture stems from a holistic design approach based on integrated energy design. This holistic design approach has led to a compact, north-south facing building volume which ensures an optimal interrelationship between minimal surface and maximal volume. Moreover, the vast atrium brings daylight deep into the sustainable office building while the crystalline façade creates a varying inflow of light during the day.

The 2018 Block of Töölönlahti Helsinki / Finland
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The 2018 Block of Töölönlahti

The 2018 Block of Töölönlahti offers a wide range of office, commercial and residential facilities with an inviting gesture towards the surrounding landscape and cityscape.

The design of the new office premises and residential buildings in the 2018 Block of Töölönlahti Park demands a high quality overall design solution from an ar­chitectural and townscape standpoint. The unique setting with important quali­ties of both urban and landscape character calls for a building of high quality with an inviting gesture towards the greenery and the city life it is a part of.
 
In this way, Block 2018 is designed as a meeting point for people in a lively, varied and functional blend of landscape and cityscape. The distinct expression in the layout in four blocks containing office, commercial and residential areas creates a dissolving of the block and opening of the structure, which creates a direct interspersing with the park and open connection with the inn house activities.
 
The building structure of four tilted blocks with connecting atriums breaks up the volume in a functional, flexible and technically feasible structure, thus creating a welcoming environment for residents, visitors and employees based on openness, simplicity, and flexibility.
 
By combining rational building typologies in the form of the rectangular atrium house and the multi-winged house and optimising the design in relation to the context, Block 2018 is characterised by a compact ground plan and a varied atrium structure that creates an intimate framework and complies with the programme's high energy-efficient ambitions.

Campus Park Skara Skara / Sweden
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Campus Park Skara

Campus Park Skara is designed as an interactive learning environment that improves the students’ community spirit and excites their curiosity and desire to learn.

“Skara Municipality wants to create an interactive learning environment that improves the students’ community spirit and excites their curiosity and desire to learn.”
 
This statement was highlighted by Skara Municipality in the opening of the brief and has formed the basis of the concept development of the new Campus Park Skara which includes a 10,000 m2 lower secondary school and a 49 acre green park.
 
In order to develop an interactive learning environment, a wide range of eco-friendly and interactive learning resources are implemented across the school, including touchscreens in the community squares and small weather stations in the park to encourage students to measure the building’s energy consumption and local climate data.
 
An indoor mini zoo, a science garden and several outdoor teaching areas will further improve the students’ creative and biological studies by providing opportunities for active and deep level learning experiences.
 
In this way, the school is designed as an interactive learning environment, which also manifests itself in the sensuous and pedagogical floors, walls and furniture that are designed to be included in the daily schooling. In addition, the spatial and social qualities are being expressed in the cavernous atrium and central community square, forming the social focal point of the school.
 
With its media centre, café, scene and close contact with the park, the central community square creates a vibrant base where students will be able to meet and socialise, interact with their teachers, take a break from study, and develop common traditions such as student concerts or theatrical performances.

"Drawing on their growing experience in the education sector, AART architects has introduced a number of creative, interactive learning resources across the school." World Architecture News

2011

Maritime Education Centre Skagen / Denmark
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Maritime Education Centre

The maritime education centre is designed as a landmark for maritime architecture and the education of skippers and chief officers in Denmark.

The maritime education centre (in Danish 'Skagen Skipperskole') frames the future education of skippers and chief officers for the Danish fishing fleet and merchant marine. With its sculptural form and unique location on the harbour front of Skagen the building is designed as a landmark for maritime architecture and the education of skippers and chief officers in Denmark.
 
Because of its unique location on the harbour front of Skagen the building is designed as a “hinge” between the city and the harbour. The openness towards both the city and the harbour is reflected in its sharp sculptural form which in a maritime gesture communicates with the surrounding cityscape.
 
The design of the maritime education centre is based on the three elements the sea, the ship and the navigation which all are closely related to shipping. The maritime architecture is also being emphasised by the distinctive balcony which like a ship deck embraces the first floor and takes advantage of the magnificent sea view. In addition the maritime architecture is being emphasised by the facade which is covered with white glass surfaces creating a bright Nordic expression.
 
The building design ensures a healthy indoor climate without burdening the environment by integrating innovative technology with simple but effective solutions. For instance the large balcony on the first floor that is designed as passive solar screening by which it reduces the risk of superheating.

“The maritime education centre forms a significant transition between land and sea thanks to its vertical wall and light and pure facade. Although it is a quite large building it radiates a remarkable easiness, evoking memories of seafaring.” Honorary award by Skagen Byfond
The Igloo
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The Igloo

The IGLOO is designed as a flexible and highly functional space for teamwork within open office and learning environments.

The conceptual idea and design for the IGLOO program originates from the functional requirement for defined zones within open environments. Based on a simple modular idea, the IGLOO meets a wide range of purposes – spanning from open office spaces and learning environments to libraries and exhibitions spaces.
 
The IGLOO is characterised by its modular construction approach. It consists of a varying amount of modules depending on the requested size – all modules are pre-fabricated, easy to assemble and disassemble which makes it “moveable”.
 
The IGLOO can internally be designed as a seating or standing arrangement. All surfaces are designed and produced in fabric on foam, which gives the internal atmosphere an absorbent acoustic quality and offers a huge variety in choosing colour and expression especially for personal needs.
 
The exterior skin is delivered as fabric on foam and the mounting of the skin gives the IGLOO its characteristic tile expression. Just as the interior, the exterior offers an absorbent acoustic quality and offers a huge variety in choosing colour and expression especially for personal needs.

Homes on the harbour Aarhus / Denmark
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Homes on the harbour

The project proposal creates a significant and sustainable apartment block by framing a blooming, green neighbourliness.

The project proposal for the new apartment block titled "Homes on the harbour" gives people of all ages and economic capabilities a chance to become part of a blooming, green neighbourliness in the new harbour area development in Aarhus. The design of the apartment block expresses a holistic approach to sustainability by focusing on the challenges and opportunities of framing a good neighbourliness, an eco-friendly everyday life and an architecturally inspiring urban life.
 
In this way, the apartment block promotes social communities and meets a wide range of user needs by including 100 family and senior apartments and 70 student accommodations. In addition, the social focus manifests itself in several social meeting points such as the green atrium, the roof terraces and the communal rooms which expose the community internally as well as externally.
 
In order to frame an eco-friendly everyday life the apartment block is designed as a zero energy building and has implemented the energy-efficient solutions in the overall architectural expression. This is expressed in the terraces-like building structure which utilises the movement of the sun during the day and brings daylight right into the green atrium and the lower apartments. Thus the daylight conditions have been crucial for the building design.

North Atlantic House Odense / Denmark
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North Atlantic House

The North Atlantic House is designed as a cultural melting pot merging North Atlantic art, gastronomy and culture by which the house adds a new dimension to Odense as a leading culture city in Denmark.

Based on a nuanced insight into the North Atlantic culture, the North Atlantic House is designed as a symbol for the North Atlantic community as the contrast between the sharp-edged exterior and sensuous interior creates a strong, architectural statement, framing a particular North Atlantic atmosphere.
 
Inspired by the North Atlantic community, the house is structured as a compact structure, consisting of residential, commercial and cultural facilities divided into three building volumes which interact and hereby create a vibrant architectural whole.
 
The three building volumes are combined by the atrium and main stairway which constitute the social focal point of the North Atlantic House. Through its scale, materials and expression the house radiates a balance and robustness which provide a sense of belonging and make the residences, employees and visitors feel welcome and comfortable.
 
Despite its compact outline, the North Atlantic House is characterised by a strong transparency. For instance, the interior provides visual contact between the floors and functions, while the atrium and main stairway bring daylight deep into the house. By continually changing between open and screened spaces, the house thus creates a vibrant atmosphere that is perceived as safe and welcoming at the same time.

DNV-Gødstrup Herning / Denmark
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The New Hospital in West

The New Hospital in West is one of the largest healthcare architecture projects in Scandinavia and offers architectural quality and operational efficiency in the absolute elite.

The New Hospital in West (DNV-Gødstrup) is situated near Herning, Denmark. The vision is to push the potential of modern healthcare architecture by offering therapeutic and operational efficiency in the absolute elite. At the same time, it is designed to being perceived as poetic, friendly and accommodating by the patients, the relatives and the staff.
 
To ensure an efficient workflow the healthcare architecture project provides close contact between the wards and professional specialties. The patient has thus a short distance to diagnostic imaging, ambulant treatment etc. but generally the hospital provides space for the doctor to come to the patient instead of vice versa.
 
By optimising the transport routes, the healthcare architecture project provides the framework for an efficient and dynamic hospital, where the patient is at the centre, and where the proximity to the professional specialties ensures a quick and accurate diagnosis.
 
Based on evidence-based design, the healthcare architecture project enhances the relation between inside and outside by integrating the surrounding landscape as a vital part of the building design. The extensive, Jutlandic landscape thus forms the inspiration for the project’s tactile use of the materials, which calls to mind a homely atmosphere instead of the clinic atmosphere of a traditional hospital.
 
The close contact with the extensive Jutlandic horizon has resulted in a clear concept for the future healthcare arhitecture. As a natural extension of the landscapes horizontal lines, the projects is rooted in a spacious base that includes outpatient clinics, diagnostic imaging, surgery wards and offices, while the medical wards are located on top of the base as light horizontal units.

”Through its organisation and planning, the hospital ensures consistent continuity of care as well as high patient experienced and professional quality.” Jury report / Central Denmark Region
Inspiria Science Center Sarpsborg / Norway
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Inspiria Science Center

The award-winning Inspiria Science Center uses striking architecture and interactive exhibitions to provide school children with information on renewable energy, waste avoidance and natural sciences.

By rethinking the framework for future learning environments Inspiria Science Center combines learning and architecture into an eventful science center. Designed with school children in mind, the science center inspires and educates through 70 interactive experiments and exhibitions. In addition one of the most sophisticated planetariums in northern Europe rounds off the educational offering. Even the journey to the science center is a practical lesson in sustainability as most of the school children are taken to the science building by hybrid busses.
 
Designed as a passive house including a wide range of eco-friendly solutions, the building design supports the activities within the science center. Daylight floods through the extensive glass facades and the many skylights into the exhibition halls and the two-storey atrium. In addition a wastewater treatment plant recycles the water for use throughout the science center while a wind turbine and a solar cell panel generate electricity and a solar hot water system creates domestic hot water. These facilities are not just means to an end but are designed as a part of the exhibitions and they can be seen in action by the school children.
 
Last but not least the science center is adapted to the surrounding landscape with the three wings radiating out from the two-storey atrium. This distinctive architecture symbolises the cycle of nature and reflects the science building’s key topics: health, energy, and the environment. The science center has received several awards for its striking and sustainable architecture including the jury’s special at the Prime Property Awards 2012 which recognises the most sustainable real estate projects in Europe.

“Inspiria Science Center is an inspiring investment in an ecologically sustainable future.” Prime Property Award 2012
Skolen ved Søerne Copenhagen / Denmark
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Skolen ved Søerne

The expansion and rebuilding of Skolen ved Søerne interacts with the surrounding cityscape and frames an attractive youth and learning community.

The vision behind the expansion and rebuilding of Skolen ved Søerne (in English, the School by the Lakes) at Frederiksberg in Copenhagen is to frame an attractive youth and learnng environment and create a school building that interacts with the surrounding cityscape and supports the contextual transition from the blocks along Vodroffsvej to the villas along St. George’s Lake.
 
Based on the field of tension between new and old, the proposal connects the existing school building and the new extension in a distinctive gesture. The expansion is thus built around a community square that by being situated on the dividing line between the new and existing part of the school serves as the school’s inclusive heart and combines the school into a social and functional whole.
 
In order to create cohesion, the outdoor areas are interlinked by a dynamic path that rises from the existing schoolyard to the new elevated schoolyard and further up along the thematic terraces to the school’s top floor. In a dynamic flow that starts way down in the existing schoolyard and ends at the top floor, the outdoor area twines round the new extension. In this way, the proposal creates a distinctive and dynamic learning environment that provides space for various activities and merges the boundary between indoor and outdoor spaces.

“The winning proposal is well organized and creates a functional connection between the new and the existing school building. Form and function intertwine, by which the new expansion obtains a distinctive modern expression, reflecting the youth environment of a lower secondary school.” Jury report / Frederiksberg Municipality
Headquarters for Atea Aarhus / Denmark
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Headquarters for Atea

The new headquarters for the Danish software company Atea is designed as an eco-friendly office building, framing the company's brand and working methods.

The new headquarters for the Danish software company Atea is located in Aarhus in Denmark and is designed as a environmentally friendly office building. Thus the 10.500 m2 office building is rooted in Atea’s aspiration to reduce the energy consumption and provide vibrant, social settings for approx. 400 employees.
 
To fulfil the sustainable aspiration, the office building will be certified by the British labelling system BREEAM, which is among the world leaders in the certification of environmentally friendly and energy efficient buildings. This certification includes several objectives, e.g. reducing environmental impact, optimising the benefits of sustainability and providing a method for measuring and monitoring.
 
Facing the main road to Skejby business park, the new headquarters has a prominent location, by which the architecture is an important factor in Atea’s brand strategy. Therefore, the architecture constitutes an identity-laden branding of Atea by expressing the company’s core values and working methods by being designed as an open and dynamic office environment which implements the newest software solutions within acoustics, lighting, ventilation and solar screening.

2010

The Culture Yard Elsinore / Denmark
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The Culture Yard

The Culture Yard as a fine example of adaptive reuse architecture. Inspired by the unique site and its captivating history the Culture Yard transforms Elsinore's old shipbuilding yard into a modern cultural centre.

In many years the attention has been aimed at the site adjacent, where the UNESCO World Heritage site, Kronborg Castle, which is famous for its role in Shakespeare's Hamlet, exerts its magnetic pull on both tourists and local citizens of Elsinore – but now Elsinore’s old shipbuilding yard has been transformed into a 13,000 m2 cultural centre, including concert halls, showrooms, conference facilities, a dockyard museum and a public library.
 
In this way, the Culture Yard is a fine example of adaptive reuse architecture. The contrast between the past and present permeates the cultural centre. For instance, the original concrete skeleton with armoured steel has been reinforced, but left exposed as a reference to the site’s industrial past. Adaptive reuse architecture has thus been the main structural idea in the design process, ensuring the keen observer will discover a chapter of history in every corner of the yard and every peeling of the wall.
 
Particularly striking, when viewed from the seafront and Kronborg Castle, is the multifaceted façade. Like a fragmented, yet strongly coherent structure, the enormous glass and steel façade challenges the historic site and stares unflinchingly across the strait that separates Denmark and Sweden.
 
The façade encloses the yard in a distinctive atmosphere, as the dazzling and dramatic play of lines generates a sense of spaciousness. Although the façade is made of hundreds of lines and triangles it appears as one big volume, generating a sense of place and time. The volume also takes the environment into account, as the façade not only functions as an aesthetic architectural feature, but also as a climate shield, reducing the energy demand for cooling and heating of the building.

“The crystalline facade of glass and sheets brilliantly expresses a distinctive, modern identity which reflects and challenges the historic harbour area.” Chairman of the jury / Tyndpladegruppens Arkitekturpris
Ny Ingeborg St. Havelse Strand / Denmark
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Ny Ingeborg

The activity and outdoor centre frames an eventful and eco-friendly camp life for children and adolescents.

Ny Ingeborg has been developed in close cooperation with FDF Hvidovre and fulfils the organisation’s vision to create a 21st outdoor centre that acts as an eco-friendly framework for an eventful camp life for children and adolescents.
 
The 800 m2 activity and outdoor centre is located in the scenic landscape by Roskilde Fjord, which the building reflects and contrasts through its natural materials and its open, yet sharp-edged profile. Basically, the building rethinks the traditional wooden huts, which structure and materials reflect the surrounding landscape.
 
The sharp-edged design, the large panoramic windows and the characterful combinations of painted and untreated wooden sections create an inspiring and intriguing building, which by virtue of its materials expresses a robustness and, over time, a beautiful patina. The building also utilises the positive qualities of wood by paying close attention to the environment, the indoor climate and the acoustics.
 
In this way, the outdoor centre frames a sustainable and significant camp environment by using craftsmanship and high quality materials and combining energy, experience and functionality. Thus, the outdoor centre frames FDF as an active and eco-friendly outdoor organisation.
 
The outdoor area supports a wide range of outdoor activities. As part of this theme, an eight-meter high multi-tower has been constructed which features a climbing wall, a stage and a workshop. In addition, the tower has implemented a 50 m2 solar cell panel and a geothermal system, making the outdoor centre almost completely energy neutral.

“The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities has decided to support the project because Ny Ingeborg has adopted an unconventional approach by implementing some major visions for future camps. The eco-friendly and energy-efficient multi-tower is an outstanding feature in itself, which the foundation would like to see established in other contexts.” Torben Frølich, CEO / The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities
The Water House Skanderborg / Denmark
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The Water House

The new headquarters for the Danish Water and Wastewater Association reflects the association’s sustainable ethos and daily work with water and wastewater engineering solutions.

The Water House identifies the Danish Water and Wastewater Association (Danva) as a socially engaged interest group focused on water and wastewater engineering solutions. The building is constructed in low energy class 1 according the Danish building regulations and has been developed in close dialogue with Danva in order to create an architectural whole which reflects the association’s sustainable mindset.
 
The building expands the concept of sustainability by taking advantage of the principle called local drainage of rain water. In other words, the building not only minimises energy demand, but also diverts rain water locally and thereby relieves the sewer systems, increases groundwater resources and contributes to biodiversity. Thanks to this eco-friendly architectonic concept, the building has been awarded the Danish sustainable award Bæredygtig Beton Prisen 2011.
 
The Water House is located in the outskirts of Skanderborg in Denmark and is designed so that its bright, reflective exterior softens the surrounding urban landscape, which appears more dark and intense. In this way, the building brightens up the urban landscape, and in addition to horizontal glass sections and wooden strips, its exterior consists of perforated metal plates. The pixelated perforations appear at close range as abstract patterns, while they from a distance appear to form water motifs that stimulate the senses and give the building a contemporary, exciting and technological expression that reinforces Danva’s knowledge basis. 
 
The light but distinctive idiom also permeates the building’s interior, which is organised as a square volume around a light-emitting atrium where the water motifs are repeated in the form of the teardrop-shaped ceiling lamps and where employees gather and the organisation is anchored in the building. The atrium creates visual contact between the three floors and expresses a socially viable message by appearing as the democratic heart of the building.

“The Water House places emphasis on sustainability through an attractive, future-proof and rationally designed construction. In a spectacular way, the building demonstrates how concrete can contribute to significant solutions to the challenge of diverting rainwater locally.” Chairman of the jury / Bæredygtig Beton Prisen 2011
Tokyo Fashion Museum Tokyo / Japan
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Tokyo Fashion Museum

With its sweeping lines and slim silhouette, Tokyo Fashion Museum embraces fashion in a simultaneously frozen and gracious motion.

The 110 meter tall museum is a visionary icon for The Tokyo Fashion Museum and expresses as well as challenges the universal truth and cultural value of fashion. With its sweeping lines, the slim silhouette of the building embraces fashion in a simultaneously frozen and gracious motion – a freeze of the moment which refers to the timeless aspect of fashion.
 
It is the traditional Japanese national costume, the kimono, which has inspired the slim and sweeping profile of the building, and with its clear references to the basic elements of fashion, the white silk and cotton, the design and gesture of the museum invites to an open-minded and democratic dialogue based on the essence and mood of fashion.
 
The dialogue is the essence of the building and through flexible solutions and technological innovations the vision has been to design a museum which challenges the curators, consumers and audience by creating the framework for the fashion of tomorrow.
 

2009

The Comfort House Vejle / Denmark
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The Comfort House

The Comfort House is a result of a visionary development work with a view to setting new standards for the construction of sustainable, single-family housing.

The Comfort House is constructed as a development project for passive houses in visionary architecture and is located in the scenic river valley near Vejle in Denmark. The vision behind the Comfort House is to lift the construction of sustainable, single-family houses out of the traditional framework and demonstrate that care in relation to energy optimisation can pave the way for visionary architecture that appears intimate, inspiring and challenging.

The house has a prominent angle, varying roof pitches and integrated carport and shed, causing the house to appear as a unified and highly sculptural building form. The architecture is based on the location and its history, and there is a strong emphasis on drawing nature into the house to create close interaction with the natural surroundings.

The house has large, open common areas to the south to take advantage of the afternoon and evening sun, while the more private spaces are located to the north. The kitchen and main living areas are located on the first floor in order to maximise the opportunities to enjoy the view. In addition, large sections of glass facing south and southwest provides ample opportunities for diverse accommodation and panoramic views.

Extra insulation, windows and doors with a significantly reduced heat loss, high density in the structures and an efficient heat recovery and ventilation system not only ensure minimal energy consumption, but also a healthy indoor climate all year round. The sustainable focus is also reflected in the choice of materials. Solid wood elements are used for walls, floors separation and roof structures, while the facade is clad with Scandinavian spruce.

“The house is an example of a modern villa which demonstrates a beautiful and harmonious interpretation of single-family housing.” Vejle Town Council / Vejle Award 2009
Mediaspace Aarhus / Denmark
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Mediaspace

The new central library in Aarhus is designed as one open and extrovert gesture towards the water and the city.

The new central library is designed as a visionary media space with a view to ensuring the city of Aarhus a strong foothold in a knowledge-based, globalized society. At the same time the new media space is designed as a vital element for the new waterfront of Aarhus and as a link between the harbour and city front.
 
The building design expresses the movement patterns of the site beautifully. The crystalline roof that peaks at the entry towards the city is a captivating sight from all angles and from the city centre there is an outstanding view to the large, dynamic media wall. In addition, the large glass facades of the building create an eventful interplay between the indoor and outdoor areas.
 
To ensure the greatest possible openness and flexibility the building design is rooted in a very simple and robust design principle – a design principle expressed in a basic structure in the shape of a circular and concentric layout that takes its departure in the conceptual character of the building as a “hinge” between the harbour and the city.
 
In this away, Mediaspace is not a loud high rise. There is no back side with dull office facades, no ground floor void of activity with only parking and closed off functions. There is just one big open and extrovert gesture towards the water and the city. In other words, it is a building that will invite you inside to experience.
 
The openness of the plan towards both the city and the harbour is mirrored in the characteristically sculpted main shape that opens invitingly towards all directions. Thus it has been a vital goal to create a building that will both communicate with its surroundings and bring the individual in focus since Mediaspace is a place for personal immersion and exploration.

Miele Showroom Vejle / Denmark
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Miele Showroom

Designed as a transparent cube without any disturbing details Miele Showroom makes a subtle, but strong architectural statement.

Miele Showroom is located along the highway E45 near Vejle in Denmark and is designed as a compact volume that provides the framework for an open exhibition space with adjacent offices and conference rooms.
 
Despite its compact volume, the building appears accommodating which is underlined by the large window facade that frames the exhibition space, invites visitors inside and merge indoors and outdoors.
 
The building is basically designed as a sharp, sculptural cube of glass, concrete and expanded metal and is characterized by its modern, sharp-edged idiom, focusing on the essence and avoiding any disturbing effects.
 
In this way, the shoowroom appears as a pure and clarified building structure with a strong, architectural statement and clear coherence between material and structure. In addition, the building has implemented heat recovery, natural ventilation and two-layered thermo glass in order to ensure a healthy indoor climate.

2008

The Waterfront Stavanger / Norway
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The Waterfront

The residential building complex titled the Waterfront pushes the potential of wooden architecture and frames an active urban life on Stavanger's waterfront.

The Waterfront is located on the harbour front in Stavanger, Norway, and pushes the potenital of wooden architecture by being designed as the largest wooden residential building in Northern Europe. The objective of the wooden building project is to position Norway internationally and Stavanger as a pioneer city in the field of modern wooden architecture. Focusing on the innovative potential of wooden architecture the Waterfront is thus designed as a landmark project with a view to inspiring architects and developers around the world.
 
The Waterfront encapsulates the essence of Stavanger by carrying on the city's wooden architecture tradition and interpreting the surrounding Norwegian landscape. The shape of the building complex is based on a precise analysis of the site with the desire to blur the boundary between the urban space and the dramatic Norwegian landscape. Inspired by the unique location the building complex is designed as a mountain range of wood on the edge between the city and the sea.
 
The vibrant atmosphere is enhanced by the persistent irregularity of lines and volumes that shapes the Waterfront's wooden architecture and its outdoor spaces. The dramatic play of lines and volumes creates a distinct architectural identity that reflects the Norwegian landscape and reinforces the identity of the local community.
 
Furthermore the daring angular volumes are moulded in regard to the wind and the sun for the purpose of creating a dynamic play of light and shadow during the day. In this way the building complex systematically uses the energy from the sun to reduce the demand for energy, while the slanting roof surfaces create optimal lighting conditions by bringing sunlight into the alleyways, the public squares and the residential and business units.

"The Waterfront is praised as the largest wooden building complex in Northern Europe and all the judges agree on the interesting aesthetic that the project brings to the table, that the plans are working, and that it is artful." Chairman of the jury / WAN Residential Award 2011
Vendsyssel Hospital Hjørring / Denmark
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Vendsyssel Hospital

The new link building and medical ward building exploit the way in which architectural solutions in terms of space, colour and lighting can create a better environment for patients and staff.

The new link building and medical ward building for Vendsyssel Hospital exploit the way in which architectural solutions in terms of space, colour and lighting can create a better environment for patients, relatives and staff. The new building complex therefore creates a stimulating and exciting space by expressing a variable architecture with a strong presence that provides a feeling of intimacy.
 
The harmonious and elegant extension adds beautifully to the existing Vendsyssel Hospital, and the new building construction continues and reinforces the existing building’s qualities by allowing the new and old buildings to interact in terms of direction and scale. The material reflects the extension of the oldest red brick buildings, but also adds a new idiom and a reworking of the materials. 
 
Between the two characteristic building structures extends a transverse section of roof, which unites the old and the new architecture by acting as a link building between the new ward building and the existing buildings. The link building is arranged as an open, double-height space with high glass sections, creating a close relationship to the green outdoor areas between the buildings. 
 
The link building therefore constitutes the setting for a calm space filled with intimacy, where thoughts are directed away from the traditional clinical hospital, as patients can enjoy the nature and daylight. The transverse roof section shields against the sun to the south and also supports the recreational dimension by increasing the width of the link building visually and making it possible for patients to spend time in a sheltered outdoor area. 

”The main design appears simple and elegant as a homogeneous building structure. The ward building’s layout is exemplary, with wonderfully arranged living areas and efficient service functions for the staff.” Jury report / The North Denmark Region
Home for Life Lystrup / Denmark
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Home for Life

Home for Life is designed as the world’s first Active House and sets new standards for combining energy-efficient solutions with a healthy indoor climate.

Home for Life is designed as the world’s first Active House and is the result of visionary development process. The sustainable single-family house is a CO2 neutral demonstration project and thanks to 7 m2 solar panels, 50 m2 solar cells, a heat pump and several innovative solutions, the Active House is designed to produce more energy than it consumes.

With an expected energy surplus of 9 kWh/m2/year, it takes Home for Life 35 years to produce the same amount of energy that was used to produce its materials, and by that time, the Active House will have returned more to nature than it has consumed. Over the long-term, therefore, the Active House will be an asset for rather than a burden on the environment.

Furthermore, the structure of the Active House is made of wood, while the facades are clad with natural slate, the floor tiles consist of mosaics of recycled glass and the windows use the latest energy-conserving glass technology. In addition, the window area represents 40 percent of the surface area, which is twice the area compared to a traditional single-family house.

In this way, Home for Life ensures a healthy indoor climate by optimizing daylight, creating a close contact with nature and having integrated sensors that measure the heat, air humidity and CO2 in all rooms. The Active House also has an automatic facade system that adapts to the seasons of the year and draws fresh air into the house.

“Developments in the field of low energy housing have come a long way with Home for Life. The house is beautifully designed and provides inspiration for both newly constructed houses and housing renovation projects.” Erik Rimmer, chief editor at Bo Bedre / Bo Grøn Award 2009

2007

Ajman Free Zone Ajman / Ajman
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Ajman Free Zone

The winning proposal for the development of Ajman Free Zone presents the idea of creating a coherent iconograffical and memorable landmark in the heart of Ajman.

The twin towers rises from the horizontal low-rise residential blocs and embraces the Central Park Plaza and Marina in a grace full gesture framing the whole development and drawing emphasis to the public space and the entertainment activities on ground level. The contrast is emphasised and at the same time creating a coherent expressive whole.
 
The waving layout of the residences creates a dynamic flow of bands providing a "landscape” varying and embracing the space between the residences and the marina. The formal connection of especially the twin high-rise towers and the horizontal low-rise add to the diversity of scale presented throughout the development, and connects the “monumental” landmark scale with the human scale.
 
Both twin towers, as figures, focus toward the main entry of the development to greet residents and visitors arriving from either land- or seaside. The horizontally waved terraced lines in the mixed-use buildings splay into the vertical facades of the high-rise towers. The splayed vertical layers converge while rising up before bending respectively forward and backward maximizing the views to the see and the landscape.

Bikuben Dormitory Copenhagen / Denmark
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Bikuben Dormitory

Bikuben Dormitory rethinks the social environment of student life with a view to expanding the possibility that communities can arise in a broad social network.

The vision behind the Bikuben Dormitory is to rethink the social environment of student life and to expand the possibility that communities can arise in a broad social network. By creating an inspiring spatial environment and maximise the opportunities for fellowship the dormitory seeks to avoid the loneliness and lack of social relationships that many students highlight as a problem with their current housing situation. 
 
In order to satisfy the project’s social vision the design process entailed working closely with anthropology students from the University of Copenhagen. This has resulted in a dormitory with a strong architectural identity which reflects the dormitory’s bearing idea of community and is designed on the basis of an overall concept that is carried further down in scale to the functional level. 
 
Bikuben Dormitory appears as a cube, but is actually a double helix which in its path around the central axis in the form of a courtyard provides space for various indoor and outdoor spaces. The kitchens, living areas, gym, laundry facilities and roof garden are therefore staggered at different levels where the kitchens and common areas are oriented inward toward the central courtyard. The dormitory thereby avoids the classic dormitory corridors and instead creates a space where access to the rooms is linked directly to the social meeting places. 
 
The double helix structure combines the dormitory into a vibrant, architectural whole and connects the social life of the dormitory across the different floors. In this way the spiral structure provides the greatest possible contact between common and private spaces while ensuring privacy in each dwelling.

“Bikuben Student Residence enriches the urban space. It is known for its youthful expression and the orange incisions into the facade create a distinctive architectural feature.” Copenhagen Municipality’s Building Award 2007
Froland Campus Froland / Norway
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Froland Campus

Froland Campus provides a unique setting for education and community by merging with the scenic Norwegian landscape.

Inspired by the scenic Norwegian landscape with its mountains, rivers and valleys, Froland Campus interweaves the city centre with the new education and community facilies on the outskirts of the city. In this way, Froland Campus blurs the boundary between the city and the surrounding nature by creating a wide range of path systems, activity areas, inspiring squares and discrete parking lots which interlink the cityscape and landscape.
 
Froland Campus is characterised by its beautiful location on Mjøjhusmoen from where the education and community centre offers a magnificent view of the countryside around Osedalen. The new addition to Froland Campus is disposed so that the campus eventually will be joined into a coherent construction with the possibility of indoor access to each function of the campus.
 
The teaching facilities, swimming pool, sports hall, activity centre and library are gathered around the new campus which will be the new outdoor gathering point of the school with its many activity spots for children across different ages.

LOOP
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Aarhus Festival 2007

Aarhus Festival 2007

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LOOP

The playful and colourful LOOP invites to new ways of staying in and interacting with the urban space.

LOOP is a fun, comfortable and recognizable piece of furniture for the urban space and was originally developed in cooperation with Aarhus Festival and Out-Sider.dk for the public event Aarhus Festival 2007.
 
The circular bench is designed as a sculptural and playful urban space element which teases the imagination, stimulates the senses and promotes social interaction by inviting users across different ages to new ways of staying in and interacting with the urban space.
 
LOOP is made of impact-proof, scratch-free and UV-resistant plastic which ensures a long lasting and sustainable piece of furniture. In addition, the bench is produced in a wide range of colours and it is possible to imprint your company logo as well as integrate solar cells which light up the furniture at night and underline the sustainable design concept.
 
The sustainable design concept also manifests itself in the fact that the bench is partially filled with natural elements such as water and sand and thereby achieves a weight of approx. 250 kg. Hence, LOOP will not be able to move immediately.

Campus of the Future Trondheim / Norway
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Campus of the Future

The project has been guided by a fundamental social ambition to create a student campus with secure housing and a sense of community as the important central themes. Each of the five tower blocks has its own central function. For example, one building houses the launderette and another houses the assembly hall.
 
This gives students ample opportunity to use the whole area as their home and creates the possibility for chance social encounters – at the same time allowing students to retreat and concentrate on their studies. Roof gardens outside and inside, upwards and downwards, open up the construction to the world around.

2006

Sami Parliament Kiruna / Sweden
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Sami Parliament

The building is an icon for Sami identity and is rooted in a deep understanding of culture and tradition, while at the same time reaching beyond traditional limitations.

The project proposal for the Sami Parliment creates an ideal and dignified framework for the efforts to preserve and develop Sami culture, language, education, tradition and industry.
 
The Sami parliament is a robust concept, utilizing through simple means the qualities of the site, the complexity of the spatial program, and the program’s desire for an architectonically distinctive work of symbolic value.
 
All functions are unified by a large, circular main hall in which the auditirium is design and composed as the social focal point. In this way, the geometry of the building is very clear and precise, giving the building a dignity and monumentality, while at the same time expressing a continuity and understanding of the Sami culture.

2005

Sletten Ry / Denmark
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Sletten

The FDF outdoor centre Sletten interacts with the surrounding landscape and frames a unique camp, activity and learning environment.

The FDF outdoor centre Sletten is situated in the beautiful landscape of hills and lakes in Ry in Denmark and frames a unique setting for a vibrant and empathetic camp, activity and learning environment.
 
The centre’s interior spaces are open and accommodating and the boundary between indoors and outdoors are almost obliterated – for instance, wood and stone are used indoors as well as outdoors.

By virtue of its simultaneous organic and clean-cut profile, the building reflects and challenges the scenic landscape, and through this contextual framework the building creates a unique, sensuous and inspiring camp, activity and learning environment.

The sloping surface of the roof enhances the building’s simple and clarified relation with the surroundings, where the forest encircles the green, sloping plain which by its amphitheatre and spacious area motivates children and young people to socialise, play and learn.

”The building’s openness provides opportunities, which we have not seen before. In the building design, the architects have focused on creating an openness that is based on cooperation and the acceptance of differences among users. Furthermore, the rooms are easily switchable for different purposes, giving the best possible framework for a diverse use.” The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities
Superwood
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Superwood

The profile is based on the classic groove and tongue technique and creates an almost three-dimensional depth effect by creating a small space between the panels.

The wood panelling profile made for Superwood is cut in a profile which visually creates a space between the panels, imbuing the entire building façade with a very sophisticated expression of both lightness and depth.
 
The profile is based on the classic groove and tongue technique, ensuring the perfect tightness of the façade wood panelling. However, at the same time the profile creates a space between the panels of no less than 9 mm which gives the panelling an almost three-dimensional depth effect and a very impressive light and shade interplay.

AART #1
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AART #1

AART #1 is designed as a simple and distinctive ceiling lamp, expressing the essence of light.

AART #1 is originally designed for the FDF outdoor centre Sletten and consists of a 6 mm flatten aluminium ring, a frosted glass cut-off and an acrylic dust cut-off a top of fitting.
 
The ceiling lamp is designed as a distinctive, modern lamp without any redundant details, expressing only its pure essence. The essence imbues the design and is among other things reflected by the hidden light source behind the frosted glass encircled by the aluminium ring.
 
In this way, AART #1 is designed to contrast the wooden structure of the FDF outdoor centre Sletten but at the same time to reflect the essence of the site as well as the essence of the association’s values and community spirit.

2004

Rønde folk school and boarding school Rønde / Denmark
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Rønde folk school and boarding school

The development plan for Rønde Folk School and Boarding School stem from a focused course of user driven workshops.

A wide range of building typologies has been analysed in order to map the future development potential for Rønde Folk School and Boarding School. Thus, the development plan stem from strong, simple and humane main principles, which have been debated and drawed up through a focused course of user driven workshops.
 
The development plan forms a solid and elastic basis of a long series of part projects of various kinds, e.g. 2,000 m2 of new students’ accommodations, establishing new classrooms, a new main entrance, a restructuring of the learning and administration facilities.

Viborg Independent School Viborg / Denmark
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Viborg Independent School

Viborg Independent School achieves the vision of creating a future-oriented school building, where an open environment motivates the pupils to play and learn, and supports the school’s values regarding learning, development and cooperation.

Viborg Independent School fulfils the vision of creating a future-oriented school, where an inspiring and highly functional environment promotes play and learning and supports the school’s focus on cooperation and personal development. In this way, the clarified concept creates synergy between learning and social interaction with a view to framing a vibrant learning environment.

The school is a result of a creative user-involvement process in which we involved the pupils and teachers in the initial conceptual phase in the desire to create a strong sense of co-ownership. Through creative workshops the pupils and teachers thus became an essential part of designing their new building and the targeted user-involvement process was awarded an honourable mention by Viborg City Council.

The close cooperation with the pupils and teachers led to several inspiring initiatives, including the large common stairway. The central stairway forms the school's heart by being designed as a unifying, multifunctional element that functions both as a stairway, stage, auditorium and alternative classroom. Above the stairway is placed a large, round skylight that brings the sky and daylight down into the school's heart.

Overall, the school is designed as a flexible building with varying interior elements and unifying common areas rather than long passages. In this way, the school is characterized by a very high floor space ratio which can be reshaped as the organization structure and learning methodology develop. In addition, the many skylights and the vast glass façade next to the central stairway provides a diffused and comfortable and inflow of daylight.

”The school is noted for its convincing spaciousness and functionality and room for surprises. The process has resulted in a new school that inspires children across different ages.” Viborg City Council / Honourable mention

2002

Østfold Hospital Graalum / Norway
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Østfold Hospital

Østfold Hospital sets new standards for hospital architecture be offering efficient course of treatment and beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.

The vision behind the new Østfold Hospital is to show the way for the future hospital architecture. The hospital is thus designed as a robust, flexible and compact building which expresses a clear contact with the surrounding landscape.
 
The layout of the hospital is based on its unique location and the area’s topographic features. The hospital architecture is therefore a direct fusion of architecture and landscape as it utilises the natural terrain incline with a view to optimising the different functions’ relative positions as well as the spatial and logistical context.
 
The terrain’s effect on the hospital architecture creates variation and experience in the building complex, whereby the architecture and landscape are mutually reinforcing. For example, the hospital is constructed exclusively with private bed rooms, where the majority of the private rooms are oriented towards the landscape, while the planning grid provides adequate building volumes and distances.
 
Furthermore, the psychiatric functions are integrated into the overall hospital architecture, such that the mentally ill patients can, as far as possible, be treated on an equal footing with patients with somatic illnesses. A visionary, architectural fusion of psychiatric and somatic functions that satisfy several basic needs, since psychiatric patients often also have a somatic disease.

"The new Østfold Hospital will be more modern and future-oriented than any other hospital architecture project in Norway." Just Ebbesen, CEO / Østfold Hospital