The woman behind Henning Larsen
CEO Mette Kynne Frandsen has worked for over 20 years to make Danish architectural firm Henning Larsen what it is today: a pioneer in creating sustainable yet iconic architecture around the world. She gave us an interview before leaving her position.
The company’s offices are located on the top three floors of a mid-century building on Copenhagen’s busy Vesterbrogade shopping street. From the layout of the office alone, it is clear that the cult of architect stardom has run its course. Mette Kynne Frandsen, CEO of Henning Larsen, is sitting at a desk in an open-plan space, directly in front of the atrium parapet. There is no fancy office with an executive chair. Not even her own allocated desk with family photos. Everything she needs for work is right here in the meeting room where the interview takes place: tablet, mobile phone and a glass of coffee.
She recently celebrated 30 years with the company. “I’m not sure if that’s something to be proud of these days,” she jokes. The fact is that, with Frandsen at the helm, the company has become an international byword for a type of architecture that drives forward green innovations and regularly sweeps the board at award ceremonies. Company founder Henning Larsen (1925–2013) – who is primarily known for building The Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen – personally handed her the reins of the company, allowing her to define its direction even during his lifetime.
As of the beginning of September, at the age of 63, she intends to take things a bit easier and hand over the management of the company. As one of Denmark’s most prominent managers, and as a woman in this position, she is an important female role model in an industry that is still dominated by men.
She spoke to us about biogenic building materials, the paradigm shift in architecture, and the good fortune to live in one of the world’s most progressive cities.
Even though more women have graduated in architecture than men for some time now, they are far less likely to be found in decision-making positions. As one of the most important managers in Denmark, you are living proof to the contrary. What were the decisive prerequisites and turning points in your career that led you there?
I have been with Henning Larsen for 30 years now. That’s quite a long time! For young people today, staying with the same company for 30 years might not be something to aspire to. But I didn’t plan it that way. When I started out, there were around 50 of us in the Copenhagen office. As well as working on competition designs, I started taking on more and more project management tasks. As I had studied architecture, I had a very solid technical background but didn’t know much about management.
So I suggested to Henning Larsen that I study for an MBA for two years and he welcomed the idea. When I had almost completed it, he came to me and said: “OK, Mette, now that you’ve had the training, you can take over the management of the company.” This unconditional support meant an awful lot to me. It was the basis for my whole development after that.
graduated from the School of Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1987. She joined Henning Larsen Architects in 1993 and moved into management in 1998. From 2003 onwards, she was in charge of the company in her capacity as CEO and was responsible for its strategic orientation. Under Mette Kynne Frandsen’s leadership, the company received the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award for the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavík. She is on the board of a number of Danish organizations, including the Trade Council of Denmark. In 2019, she was presented with the Knight’s Cross by Queen Margarete II for her services to architecture.
Were there role models for female managers back then?
To be honest, there weren’t many role models at the time, just over 20 years ago. But Henning Larsen was a role model for me in the way he worked as an architect, especially in the cultural sphere. As he wasn’t all that well versed in finance and personnel management, there was a space in the company that I could fill. On this basis, we developed a great working relationship and were able to set about implementing the changes that were planned for the company.
What changes were these?
At the time, Henning Larsen was approaching old age. This meant that we were planning a generation change and also wanted to get more partners on board. As well as this, we needed to realign our company’s culture, which until then had been shaped solely by Henning. How do you take a company that has been founded by just one very strong personality and steer it towards the future? It was perfectly clear to me that we need both women and men if we want to be successful in the long term. Today, the ratio of women to men in our company is 50:50, including at management level. It’s always important to have the right balance, but I think we have really strong female architects and leaders here at Henning Larsen.
I think we have really strong female architects and leaders here at Henning Larsen.
Mette Kynne Frandsen, CEO of Henning Larsen
What would you consider the greatest successes in your career?
Today, Henning Larsen is an international company with a broad positioning, and is foundation-owned. Rather than just managing international projects from our Copenhagen base, we have set up studios in other regions. We now have offices in New York, Singapore, Berlin, Munich, Oslo and Sydney. That means we are a global organization and a global community. I firmly believe that the diversity that comes from having as many different voices as possible outside Copenhagen as well is enormously important for design. 60% of our revenue today is generated from projects outside Scandinavia. And I am very proud of that.
We took another strategically important step four years ago when we became part of the Ramboll Group, a major engineering and consultancy company. Our shared vision is to create sustainable cities and buildings that answer the global challenges. We made this move because, even though we were active internationally, we were still too small to take on legal or financial experts in all these countries. This means that we are still active in architecture and urban planning under the Henning Larsen brand but, with Ramboll, we have a network that supports us in many areas as well. Here, we also benefit from our foundation model, where profit is invested back in the company. Our Innovation and Sustainability department has increased fivefold during this time, which is something that benefits all projects in many different ways. That really helped us to step up our innovation.
What developments do you envisage for Henning Larsen and architecture in general in the next ten years?
One of our goals is for Henning Larsen to grow as a global community and to become an even stronger partner in sustainability that advises and inspires its clients – regardless of where in the world we are working. Apart from that, we are currently in a transformation period due to the urgent need to address climate change. So in ten years from now, our designs will be very different – you can even see the changes happening now. We are moving away from being a company that used to be mainly interested in new-build projects and towards one that will focus more in future on working with existing buildings. And this really stimulates creativity.
Where exactly can these changes be seen?
A transformation in construction systems is beginning, and the use of biogenic building and insulation materials is starting to take off. Another change is the close collaboration between architects and landscape architects. This not only affects the way we design buildings but also has an impact on urban planning as a whole. In my position, I am seeing a growing awareness among politicians and clients about how important this collaboration is for all of our lives.
We are moving away from being a company that used to be mainly interested in new-build projects and towards one that will focus more in future on working with existing buildings.
Mette Kynne Frandsen, CEO of Henning Larsen
Many European cities were planned by men, which is reflected in their infrastructure, architecture and traffic management. Women, who still do the bulk of care work even today, usually have a different everyday routine than men – a fact that is not factored much into city planning. How does your office approach urban development projects these days?
As architects, it is important for us that city planning should include everyone. We have a research project called “Urban Minded” which considers how the design of urban spaces can contribute to the mental health and well-being of teenage girls. We conducted lots of interviews with young women and girls, asking questions such as: Where do you go at night in the city? How do you use your city? This project allowed us to obtain many very useful findings which can begin to address these issues, envisioning a future that prioritizes the well-being and empowerment of young women in our urban design.
Copenhagen has become a model city when it comes to urban development. It has even given rise to the term “Copenhagenization”.
I think that in Denmark we have found very good solutions and have a lot of expertise in effective urban planning. In Copenhagen, politicians were also instrumental in driving forward the concept of a liveable city. In this way, we were able to inspire others and to put our well-tried solutions into practice in projects outside Denmark. Many cities are currently revising their mobility concepts. Needless to say, this is an enormous investment, but I think we will see a huge transformation in our cities in the next ten years.
I often travel to our global studios and can see the differences in the cities with my own eyes. Last week, I was in New York visiting our team, and I called my two daughters and said: “Do you know how lucky you are as young mothers in Denmark? You can take your children to kindergarten and easily bike to work.” In the US, thanks to differences in urban planning, it can be very difficult for women, and working in the architectural sector is no exception. Of course, we can’t change the whole system there, although I can try to provide as much support as possible for the female architects in our New York office.
Today, you often hear people using the terms “compact city” and “city of short distances” – a concept that feminist city planners were already advocating back in the 1970s. Can you give an example of an urban development project where this was used?
For example, our master plan for Downsview in Toronto is a huge project that is to be implemented over the next 50 years. Instead of planning cities with a business quarter and residential area, we are breaking up the area into local communities and neighbourhoods. Ten years ago, master plans were really about structures and mega-cities but today the focus is much more on people and community. With this project, there was a large-scale community engagement process beforehand, where people were able to get involved directly.
All of this input is reflected in the master plan. The infrastructure is set up to allow people to move about as easily and safely as possible within the neighbourhoods. The way that we work today – working from home to a greater extent – has also influenced urban planning.
What project are you particularly proud of at Henning Larsen?
Things have changed quite a bit in this regard over the years. Ten years ago, we were particularly proud of the iconic buildings like the Opera House. But if you were to go around the office today and ask people that question, you would find they are most proud of the small, innovative projects. For example, Feldballe School, which came about through a cooperation between philanthropic organization Realdania and a start-up that wanted to launch a façade element made of straw and timber. We implemented this project and succeeded in scaling up the biobased construction system. And now a logistics centre in the Netherlands – the largest anywhere in Europe – is going to be built in the same way as the little school in Denmark.
Ten years ago, we were particularly proud of the iconic buildings like the Opera House. Today, it is the small, innovative projects that make us most proud.
Mette Kynne Frandsen, CEO of Henning Larsen
From this project, you can also see what paradigm shift has already taken place. Five or ten years ago, we wouldn’t have dreamed of building logistics centres! But today we see there is a great sphere of influence here, where we can drive forward innovations and change things for the better.
The Danish Architecture Centre recently hosted the Changing Our Footprint exhibition, where visitors could see and even touch a model of this timber and straw construction. How important is open-source thinking in your company?
As we all have the same goal – to have a positive influence on the future of our planet – sharing knowledge is enormously important. We can inspire and learn from one another. Some of our biggest competitors are now our best partners in certain areas. This is a development that I am very happy about. I get lots of calls from colleagues asking: “How did you do that? What were your learnings?” I’m just happy to share. The world is such a big place and the more we learn from each other the better.
But that’s also something that has changed – it wasn’t like that ten or twenty years ago.
Maybe it also has a little to do with the fact that there is a woman at the helm. Of course, we need competition as an incentive, but there are other values that are important too. I would like to see this openness continue at Henning Larsen in the future.
As we all have the same goal – to have a positive influence on the future of our planet – sharing knowledge is enormously important.
Mette Kynne Frandsen, CEO of Henning Larsen
According to a UN report, the building and real estate sector is generating record levels of greenhouse gases, accounting for almost 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions. What responsibility do architects have today?
The sense of responsibility in the industry has increased enormously. Especially among the new generation of young architects who are very idealistic and question lots of things – including whether we should get involved in new-build projects at all. The young generation wants to use architecture to help shape the future of the world in a positive way.
Our economic system needs to break free of the “take-make-waste” principle and be more regenerative. We are creatures of habit and changing processes in our complex, interconnected world calls for time that we don’t have. How could the necessary changes be accelerated?
By setting good examples – and there are plenty of these. We need to step up our communication in this regard. At the same time, we are seeing growing interest in sustainable solutions among our clients because they are required to report on their performance in social and ecological sustainability. Some project briefs that we receive these days call for us to retain and adapt as much of the existing building as possible. That goes beyond saving grey energy, as preserving historical building fabric also endows a sense of identity.
These days, projects shouldn’t be evaluated based on construction costs alone, they should also factor in the carbon footprint, which we work out for each project. And then you can compare both the costs and the emissions of the various options – from new build to circular project.
The climate crisis has shifted the focus back to very old building materials and methods, namely wood, straw and earth. Is technology no longer the be-all and end-all? Or is low-tech the new high-tech?
I think it’s a combination of both. In the past, we poured lots of concrete into buildings to meet the structural requirements – these days, we can use parametric design to optimize the amount of concrete we use. Right now, the price of recycled bricks has escalated because there is a severe shortage. With biobased materials, there is no end of smart innovations and there is also great interest from investors who recognize the potential they offer. I think it will be important to strike a healthy balance between construction materials in future.
To date, there has often seemed to be two separate categories for buildings; they were either sustainable or iconic. Henning Larsen regularly succeeds in combining the two. How do you manage that?
For a start, timber construction is suddenly opening up whole new design opportunities and freedom – exploring these has been enormously inspiring for the architects. On the other hand, you need the latest digital tools for these forms. Without these, projects like World of Volvo would never have been possible. The great success of this project is also due in no small part to the collaboration between our designers, digital experts and the timber construction engineers and producers.
Timber construction is suddenly opening up whole new design opportunities and freedom – exploring these has been enormously inspiring for the architects.
Mette Kynne Frandsen, CEO of Henning Larsen
As it happens, I was visiting the facilities of Austrian company WIEHAG when the huge, curved glulam beams were being produced for World of Volvo. That was really impressive.
When I was training as an architect, visiting construction sites was an important part of the process. How is a building actually constructed? What exactly does a carpenter do? We had a lot of hands-on knowledge. And this knowledge fell by the wayside a little with the rise of digital design. However, the new construction materials are once again arousing the interest of architects in production processes. I think it’s very healthy to have this connection.
Just like the emergence of the “form follows function” principle at the end of the 19th century, we are experiencing a kind of new departure again today. What could be seen as its guiding principle?
I think it’s always good for form to follow function and wouldn’t interfere with that. But the way in which we use the areas and assign functions is something that we will have to take a closer look at in future. How many square metres can each person claim for themselves? How can we ensure that those areas that we don’t need every day can be shared? Those are questions that are always relevant for urban development. For example, you don’t need a guest room in your house if there is a communal guest house in your neighbourhood. Lots of new housing models are currently being built based on co-housing. I think we will need to optimize our current high square metre consumption.
If you were choosing a field of study today, would you opt for architecture again?
I think about this sometimes. Yes, I would study architecture again. I think architecture has never been as exciting as it is right now.
Interview: Gertraud Gerst
Photos: Philipp Horak, Laurą Stamer, Rasmus Hjortshoj
Visualizations: Henning Larsen
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The Forestias is one of the largest property development projects in Thailand. The highlight of this project by Foster + Partners is a 48,000 m² urban forest designed by TK Studio.
The Kajstaden Tall Timber Building in Sweden marks the beginning of a new generation of mass timber blocks. Using this building material saves around 500 tonnes of CO₂, and it also facilitates deconstruction later on.
There’s a rocket preparing to launch in Switzerland. The residential timber high-rise named Rocket in Winterthur’s Lokstadt neighbourhood will reach a height of 100 metres. The tower’s residents will be part of the 2000-watt society.
May we introduce Carl? Using timber for its facade besides the supporting structure, the apartment block is currently under construction in Pforzheim. Architect Peter W. Schmidt explains how this is being done.
Kautokeino skole in northern Norway is a project that seeks to embrace the uniqueness of Sami culture and educational style. The mass wood building is so hygge, you’ll want to check in for a few nights.
If you love the far north, you’ll love the Lyngen Alps. And if you love the Lyngen Alps, you’ll love the bungalows by architect Snorre Stinessen.
Canada’s megaproject Waterfront Toronto includes a new district called Quayside, an all-electric and climate-neutral community. Its highlights are a two-acre urban forest and the residential Timber House by architect David Adjaye.
The city of San Diego in Southern California has plans for a new district, one that will be entirely void of cars. Known as Neighborhood Next, it must be one of the most radical projects in the USA.
The new urban quarter Zwhatt near Zurich is designed to enable climate-neutral living at affordable prices. One of its buildings is a 75-metre-high timber hybrid tower known as Redwood, whose facade generates solar power.
Architect and biologist Timothée Boitouzet has used nanotechnology to give wood an upgrade. The new material “Woodoo” is translucent, fire-resistant, weatherproof and up to five times stronger than normal wood.
Timber construction can be decidedly high-tech, as illustrated by the head office built for SR Bank in Stavanger, Norway. Bjergsted Financial Park offers workplaces that are fit for the future, and it is among Europe’s largest engineered timber buildings.
So, what does "Noom" actually mean? While Sanzpont [arquitectura] and Pedrajo + Pedrajo Arquitectos don't exactly reveal this, their "Living the Noom" concept is pretty clear: it’s all about a fresh take on housing. With environmental protection and quality of life as a top priority.
HafenCity Hamburg is an urban quarter fit for the future. Its eco cherry on the top is the “Null-Emissionshaus” (Zero Emissions Building), which is completely carbon-neutral – and can be dismantled like a Lego house.
Snøhetta creates high-calibre architecture, including accommodation at high altitudes amidst Norway’s glaciers. The architects have enriched the Tungestølen mountain cabins with a special feeling of hygge.
Apple’s former design head BJ Siegel has developed a concept for a timber modular house. The urban prefab named Juno is designed for mass production – and hopes for success on the scale of the iPhone.
Communal vegetable patches, car sharing and a timber building that overtops many others. Sweden’s largest housing cooperative is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a project called Västerbroplan that shows how people will live in the future.
Bearing the name Tree House Rotterdam, Holland’s new landmark-to-be looks like a gigantic stack of wooden shelves with glass lofts added on top. It aims to take the sustainability of timber high-rises to a new level.
Three tonnes of lettuce and vegetables annually will be farmed on top of the We-House, a timber construction project in Hamburg’s HafenCity. The on-site restaurant serves meals for residents of this sophisticated eco-house at cost price.
The design for the urban office building Saint Denis in Paris shows the potential of parametric design in timber construction. Architect Arthur Mamou-Mani is a luminary in this new discipline, and we were able to meet him online.
Researchers at Cambridge University are helping to turn London’s spectacular vision of a wooden skyscraper into reality. The Oakwood Timber Tower is to rise 300 metres into the sky, almost level with the tallest building in the city.
Self-sufficiency is no longer a dream reserved for downshifters. The modular building system named The Farmhouse designed by Studio Precht allows residents to grow food in big cities.
Homerton College at the University of Cambridge has chosen the design by Alison Brooks Architects for a pavilion that combines modern timber construction with high-tech facilities. It is expected to be a future-facing answer to their needs.
The Swedish university city of Växjö has been named “the Greenest City in Europe”. Half of all its new buildings have been built with timber. But the city plans to go even further.
The Scandinavians have shown their pioneering strength once again, this time in the design for a new cultural centre. The Sara Kulturhus in Sweden’s Skellefteå is among the world’s tallest high-rise structures built entirely from wood.
When it comes to timber construction engineering, the United States has been lagging behind other countries. Ascent Tower in Milwaukee aims to change this. Topping out as the world’s tallest timber tower at a height of 284 feet, the building uses expertise and structural elements from Austria.
As many as 40,000 pieces of wood had to be fitted together for the gift shop in the National Museum of Qatar. The inspiration behind this award-winning interior design was supplied by a miracle of nature in Qatar’s desert.
Canada’s Earth Tower aims to outshine all existing timber high-rise buildings. Its energy concept means that this 40-storey skyscraper in Vancouver will be the world’s tallest passive house.
On the edge of the tropical rainforest in Mexico, a research museum will explore how nature and progress can be reconciled. Known as Xinatli, its sophisticated design takes a fresh look at circular building materials.
The eco-friendly residential project Roots will be the new landmark of Hamburg’s HafenCity and the tallest timber high-rise in Germany. Architect Jan Störmer reveals what its future residents will have in common.
The Danish office 3XN is planning to build North America’s tallest timber office building in Toronto. Called T3 Bayside, the complex will offer more than 500,000 sq. ft. of next-generation office space when completed.
Oslo was once built entirely of wood. The project chosen to redesign the area around its railway station heralds the return of this traditional building material to the Scandinavian metropolis. A spectacular office tower with an innovative hub is being developed, named Fjordporten.
Dutch architectural firm Gaaga has designed a residential building in Eindhoven that is distinctly people- and environment-friendly. Surrounded by trees, it is situated in the middle of a park.
The redevelopment of an above-ground Nazi-era bunker is Hamburg’s largest building project since the Elbe Philharmonic Concert Hall. With spectacular rooftop gardens and nhow Hamburg design hotel, this new landmark in the heart of the St. Pauli district is sure to become a magnet for visitors.
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and Australian artist Geoff Nees teamed up to design the Botanical Pavilion – a wooden pavilion that is constructed like a 3D puzzle – without using any kind of glue or screws.
The round construction known as TECLA has created quite a stir. Having teamed up as 3D printing pioneers, WASP and Mario Cucinella Architects have produced the first CO₂-free housing prototype printed entirely from raw earth.
Japanese architectural firm UENOA has created a wooden office that has no need for bearing walls. Folded origami-style, the ceiling construction gives a whole new lightness to cross-laminated timber.
Sustainability is a top priority for the Powerhouse Company. In an interview, partner Stefan Prins explains why this means more than just a careful choice of materials and energy efficiency, and how essential it is to consider all the changes brought about by climate change when building.
The Life Cycle Tower One was the first timber high-rise in Austria and the prototype for a new type of serial construction. CREE founder Hubert Rhomberg explains the green building concept and why we have to learn to think in lifecycles.
Most people looking for a new home with a sustainable design need to have deep pockets. Rotterdam’s Pendrecht district aims to buck this trend courtesy of timber building Valckensteyn, the brainchild of the architects at Powerhouse Company.
In Düsseldorf, The Cradle is gradually taking shape. The timber hybrid office building is being constructed according to circular economy principles, and these will also govern its future use.
The Dutch city of Eindhoven will soon be home to the world’s highest “plyscraper”. The two towers – 100 and 130 metres high and known as the Dutch Mountains – are to set new standards in high-rise timber construction.
An entire residential complex in Berlin-Kreuzberg is to be built out of timber – vertically. With a planned height of almost 100 metres, WoHo is set to be Germany’s tallest timber building.
A mixed-use project in Sweden’s Gothenburg is being crowned by star architect Dorte Mandrup. The jewel in this crown is its use of timber. The new eco construction is intended to become an icon in sustainable urban architecture.
Designed by US architect David Rockwell, built according to WELL Building Standard principles. The Sage Collection by British furniture maker Benchmark is good for humans and the environment.
Swiss urban planning combines prominent architecture with ecological timber construction. Lausanne’s Tilia Tower is setting a high standard in future-proof urban development.
Munich’s Prinz-Eugen-Park is the site of the largest integrated timber settlement in Germany. And that’s not all – the city planners have even more in the pipeline.
Once Europe’s largest freight station, Brussels’ monumental Gare Maritime is now the largest European CLT project. Neutelings Riedijk Architects have transformed the historic structure into a covered district, giving it a sustainable new lease of life using cross-laminated timber.
The plans just unveiled for the new, 180-metre-high timber tower designed for the Sydney-based software giant Atlassian represent a milestone in environmentally friendly construction using this renewable raw material.
Charred is the new black. An ancient Japanese technique for conserving wood is all the rage in contemporary architecture. As well as looking sophisticated, this building material scores top marks when it comes to sustainability.
The European Organization for Nuclear Research examines the structure of matter. Its latest construction is already underway: named CERN B777 and designed by Henning Larsen, the new research centre will be round and mostly made of wood.
Australia could be described as a late mover as far as sustainable construction is concerned. One of its timber buildings – the award-winning Macquarie University Incubator – shows how to reduce energy and resources on all levels.
The TUM Campus at Munich’s Olympiapark shows how a carefully planned timber project can save resources and the associated costs. Shortlisted for the DAM Preis 2024, it was formerly Europe’s largest timber construction.
São Paulo is home to Brazil’s “most sustainable McDonald’s”. It has a timber design and is presented as an educational project for sustainable building. For the company, the wooden structure is a “recipe for the future”.
The master plan named Ecotope was chosen by renowned Swiss education and research institute EPFL to fulfil an important requirement. Green spaces will flourish instead of blanketing the ground with bleak tarmac; circular materials will replace concrete and steel.
On the Norwegian coast, the office building Lumber 4 has been constructed in only twelve months – using wood. For the architects at Oslotre, the project shows that timber buildings are not just sustainable, but also economically competitive.
The new Torshavn ferry terminal is set to give the Faroe Islands a new architectural landmark with a hybrid timber-concrete design. With architects Henning Larsen on board, it also re-opens the harbour to the islanders.
The German city of Heilbronn is home to a remarkable timber structure. Innovation Factory 2.0 displays a new kind of aesthetics, both on the inside and outside. This sophisticated paradise for innovation displays precision craftsmanship from Switzerland.
For its new office building Luisenblock West, the German Bundestag chose a design using prefabricated wooden modules. Austrian module experts Kaufmann Bausysteme have been working flat out ever since. On hotels, schools and student halls.
Anybody looking to combine a skiing trip with some architectural gems will be in their element at the top of the Chäserrugg in Switzerland. A tour of this award-winning building designed by Herzog & de Meuron gives an insight into sustainable construction methods at a height of 2,262 metres.
Stefan Winter ranks among the leading experts on the use of wood as a building material. In an interview with UBM Development, the professor and trained carpenter explains why hybrid solutions are not a step backwards for timber construction and how long-lasting timber products can help to mitigate climate change.
Shortly after Lungau Arena opened its doors, it was singled out as an ambassador for exemplary and sustainable timber construction. This new sports facility goes far beyond economic and functional requirements.
A new entrance building has been designed for the Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin. With its striking lattice roof, the design by Austrian architectural firm Innauer Matt demonstrates that modern timber construction is a byword for progress through sustainability.
The new Raiffeisen Landesbank Kärnten building is a transparent timber construction with room for sheep on its roof. In this interview, querkraft architect Jakob Dunkl talks about the design and also the connection between sustainability and love.
German car manufacturer BMW is upgrading its resources. The company is building a new Talent Campus at its Munich headquarters to equip its staff for e-mobility and automation. With wood as the main construction material, the design is by local architecture firm allmannwappner.
The Marga Klompé Building at Tilburg University is the first academic building in the Netherlands to be built out of wood. Insulation made from recycled denim jeans is part of the circular design by Powerhouse Company.
Impact Hub Berlin is a community and coworking space that has taken recyclable construction from theory to practice. LXSY Architekten used timber construction and recycled building materials for the interior design in a converted old warehouse.
One hundred years after patenting of the Zollinger roof, this self-supporting timber structure is experiencing a renaissance. Designed to save materials, recyclable and easy to build, it has regained popularity for the construction of today’s factory workshops.
Copenhagen is fast approaching its goal of achieving carbon neutrality. Its former city architect Camilla van Deurs, recently appointed head of the Nordic Office of Architecture's new specialist area for strategic urban development, spoke to ubm magazine. about the biggest levers for reducing carbon emissions.
A supermarket designed as a net-zero construction that produces its own food for the region. This is the concept behind Rewe Green Farming and its prototype in Wiesbaden, Germany. Timber engineering is central to the company’s plan for similar stores.
The recent rebuild of Voisthaler Hut in Austria’s Hochschwab Mountains uses structural timber design with sophisticated architectural and ecological features. This energy self-sufficient mountain hut designed by Dietger Wissounig Architekten has been awarded the “Umweltgütesiegel” and also won the 2023 BIG SEE Architecture Award.
Although this design looks like a utopian dream, in Copenhagen it is set to become reality. Over the coming years, the Danish capital will be introducing timber-hybrid metro stations. The concept by JaJa Architects adopts a holistic approach and takes climate-friendly building below ground.
Not far from Amsterdam, fashion giant Bestseller is building Europe’s largest timber logistics centre – called “Logistics Center West”. Designed by Danish architects Henning Larsen, it aims to set new standards in sustainability and design.
Its design blends alpine architecture with the outline of a craggy mountain range. The Congress and Exhibition Centre in the municipality of Agordo in northern Italy reimagines aesthetic forms of expression in timber construction.
The Belgian city of Antwerp will soon benefit from a Japanese-inspired, timber-hybrid residential tower that is currently under construction. The building was designed by Pritzker Prize winner Shigeru Ban, who takes nature and wood as central inspiration for his designs.
Bremen’s Überseeinsel district is a new, green neighbourhood currently under development. Affordable, sustainable and attractive living space will be on offer in the Residential Greenhouse. It is designed to be a home for both people and plants.
There is a severe shortage of schools – 15,000 are needed in Europe alone. The easy-to-assemble kit from Stora Enso – called Sylva – can be used to create eco-friendly wooden schools that offer children a positive learning environment and architecture that gives them a sense of meaning and purpose.
Climate change and social issues are closely intertwined, and climate-friendly timber construction is often still classed as a luxury segment. The timber housing project Seestadt Aspern in Vienna is an award-winning example of social housing construction, and also an Instagram hotspot.
The New Medical Clinic (NMK) in Tübingen combines Scandinavian timber construction expertise with architecture that puts people first. Its wholly sustainable concept was designed by White Arkitekter and HPP Architekten.
The PettCo is the name of a new neighbourhood development in Friedrichshain, Berlin, where Wilhelminian-style buildings are being renovated and made climate-ready, together with a sustainable new building. Six inner courtyards will provide new public space, urban farming included.
Stora Enso, the second largest forestry company in the world, will soon move into their new headquarters. The Katajanokan Laituri complex is set to be both a masterpiece of Finnish timber construction – and also climate neutral. Its aesthetics are reminiscent of grandmaster Alvar Aalto.
Architectural firm Pittino & Ortner based in Styria, Austria, is making a name for itself on two fronts: with its huge timber-hybrid book storage facility in Vienna and its café on Lake Thalersee near Graz.
Reusing old buildings helps to protect the environment and scarce resources. As the architects from 3deluxe in Wiesbaden demonstrate, this can be achieved even in the trickiest of settings, creating state-of-the-art workspaces in the midst of industrial history.
A competition entry submitted by architectural office Querkraft in Vienna shows the role that timber can play in increasing urban construction density. With extensive soil unsealing and greening, it also helps to create a cooling urban woodland in a Bielefeld district.
As sea levels rise and cities sink, there is a growing need for new solutions and new ways of thinking. Developed by a team of innovators, the Land on Water prototype paves the way for serial construction of sustainable buildings on water.
Industrial wastelands need new strategies to present workable options for re-use. The architects at Smartvoll are experts in this kind of development. One of their designs is an ecosystem for the former railway depot in Amstetten, Lower Austria, as living space for plants, animals and people.
Its roof looks like three pyramids atop a space of celebratory grandeur, a wooden construction reminiscent of timber-framed buildings. This is precisely what the architects at Maccreanor Lavington had in mind for the new dining hall at Ibstock Place School.
As the first church to be built in Copenhagen for 30 years, it may well become an icon. Ørestad Church is a sculptural timber construction designed by Henning Larsen. A kind of “Church 2.0”, it is also a modern community centre that reaches out to everybody regardless of their belief.
Following completion of Germany’s largest timber housing development in Munich, the city’s first timber hybrid office complexes are now being built. Developed by Accumulata, these projects will offer sustainable workplaces for the future and also construction materials that remain in the loop.
The high-rise for the future is built of wood and can be reconfigured at any time. A prototype called the Regenerative High-Rise has been designed by Haptic Architects and Ramboll to be freely adaptable. It is also a sign of a long life ahead for the concept of compact living in tomorrow’s world.
Wendelstrand near Gothenburg is a new community and housing development with social and ecological sustainability, sited in a disused quarry. The master plan and Lakehouse by the architects at Snøhetta show how urban planning and housing construction can be reimagined.
One of the world’s most spectacular timber engineering projects was recently completed in Sweden. Built for Stockholm’s Tekniska Museet, the Wisdome is a free-form structure using 20 kilometres of laminated veneer lumber. The design uses this kind of wood in an entirely new way.
Canadian celebrity chef and internet star Matty Matheson teamed up with architect Omar Gandhi to create a restaurant landscape consisting entirely of wood, from top to bottom. There is little sign of rustic, folkloristic romance here, though.
Completed in Gothenburg and made of wood, Nodi was named business building of the year 2021. It is another prestigious timber construction in the portfolio of White Arkitekter, the architects responsible for timber high-rise Sara Kulturhus in Skellefteå.
Jernbanebyen is being developed right in the centre of Copenhagen, based on plans drawn up by Danish architectural office Cobe. Formerly a railroad yard, the area is being transformed into an innovative green district. It will be partially car-free, with repurposed listed buildings and lots of new ideas for improving the quality of life.
Dense, green forests are often synonymous with calm, nature and unspoiled landscapes – but they also need care and attention. Such forestry operations can inspire interesting architecture, as shown by the Forest Administration Lodge in Czechia.
The teams at Berlin Waste Management are out and about day in day out, keeping Germany’s capital city looking good and ensuring resources remain in the cycle. Their new headquarters in Südkreuz have the same aspirations and are a prime example of sustainable ideas.
The new contender in the pursuit of the world’s tallest timber high-rise is called C6. Due for construction in South Perth, Australia, it will soar to a height of 189 metres. Residents will have access to a fleet of 80 Teslas as a special green benefit.
Their pioneering timber high-rise gained international recognition for the architects at White Arkitekter. Researcher and architect Jonas Runberger explains why computational design processes are so important for reaching climate goals.
Its facade is made from recycled aluminium, and the load-bearing structure follows a hybrid timber design. Named i8, this office building in Munich’s Werksviertel is committed to decarbonization and forms a link with the neighbourhood’s industrial past.
Marc Koehler and ANA Architects have joined forces to build the Netherlands’ most sustainable and affordable timber mid-range residential complex, with its own tiny forest. The name of this visionary project in the Amsterdam district of IJburg? Robin Wood.
Bangkok-based Plan Associates is one of Thailand’s elite architectural firms. In the north of the kingdom, they have created a new office building that harnesses the forces of nature.
Powerhouse Company has designed the new Amsterdam headquarters of IT giant IBM, delivering on the company’s vision for the working world of tomorrow: a sustainable building that is not so much a traditional office as a pleasant and healthy meeting place for sharing ideas.
MoDus Architects have restructured a hotel complex that has decades of growth behind it. The external space created by a new layer of timber on the outside of the Icaro Hotel brings together the existing buildings to form a uniform whole. On the inside, guests encounter plenty of affectionate references to Alpine clichés.
The fine wines from Château Angélus winery are now also produced in Libourne, France. Its new wine cellar designed by Eric Castagnotto looks like a church nave, which is probably no coincidence.
Rising energy prices won’t affect people who live in Atri, a building designed by Swedish provider Naturvillan. They will be wholly self-sufficient with solar energy, home-grown vegetables and a water treatment plant.
Situated on the Danish island of Bornholm, the Green Solution House hotel features smart rooms and real-time energy and resource monitoring. The hotel designed by 3XN/GXN has raised the bar with its climate-positive timber wing.
Sustainability is reaching new heights for the new design of Dock A at Zurich Airport. In the design competition organized by Flughafen Zurich AG, the jury selected “Raumfachwerk”, a project submitted by BIG, HOK and 10:8 Architekten consisting primarily of timber.
The filling station of the future will be not just fossil-free, green and clean, but also a place where motorway travellers can relax and recuperate. With this in mind, a modular, ultra-fast charging station built with timber has been designed by Danish architectural studio Cobe.
A luxury campsite at the foot of Vorarlberg’s Rätikon mountain range has been enlarged, with the addition of ten timber tiny houses. These hilltop chalets are a reinterpretation of the Alpine hut, and their design has won several awards.
Green densification, skywards: the firm 3deluxe is exploring possibilities for sustainable urban development. Its design for the new We the Planet House places a biotope above Manhattan – and demonstrates just how immensely cities can benefit from green rooftops.
The first five-storey hotel in mass timber design is located in Zillertal, Austria, created by celebrated Italian architect Matteo Thun. It is no coincidence that one of the leading players in structural timber construction is based only a stone’s throw away.
VALO is the name of a complex on the outskirts of Helsinki that combines hotel accommodation with office facilities. With a dual use that is both efficient and viable, the beds are folded away during the day, making way for fold-out desks.
Stefano Boeri is regarded as a pioneer of biodiverse architecture. The Torre dei Cedri planned for the outskirts of Lausanne will be another of his spectacular towers. This time, the vertical forest will consist of over 80 trees.
A special kind of discovery world is taking shape in Gothenburg, where Swedish vehicle manufacturer Volvo is using timber construction and nature to create its World of Volvo. The components and engineering for Henning Larsen’s design are being provided by Austrian firm Wiehag.
Danish architects 3XN are operating a separate division called GXN that develops green innovations. In this interview, Kim Herforth Nielsen and Kåre Poulsgaard talk about behavioural design, carbon as a market driver, and their radical high-rise project in Sydney.
The Klimatorium in Lemvig, Denmark, devises strategies to counteract global climate change. Situated on the coast of Jutland, the building designed by architects 3XN has already achieved iconic status.
As Dusseldorf’s Theodor Heuss Bridge needs a complete overhaul, the team at RKW Architektur + put their heads together – and produced a spectacular new design. It is literally packed with potential.
The town of Jessheim is getting an impressive new centre. Designed by Norwegian firm Mad arkitekter, it promises to combine sustainable urban development with attractive indoor and outdoor areas.
Metropol Parasol has achieved a phenomenal rejuvenation of a neglected square in Seville. The iconic timber construction by J.MAYER.H architects is a prime example of successful intervention in public space.
The Forestias is one of the largest property development projects in Thailand. The highlight of this project by Foster + Partners is a 48,000 m² urban forest designed by TK Studio.
The Kajstaden Tall Timber Building in Sweden marks the beginning of a new generation of mass timber blocks. Using this building material saves around 500 tonnes of CO₂, and it also facilitates deconstruction later on.
There’s a rocket preparing to launch in Switzerland. The residential timber high-rise named Rocket in Winterthur’s Lokstadt neighbourhood will reach a height of 100 metres. The tower’s residents will be part of the 2000-watt society.
May we introduce Carl? Using timber for its facade besides the supporting structure, the apartment block is currently under construction in Pforzheim. Architect Peter W. Schmidt explains how this is being done.
Kautokeino skole in northern Norway is a project that seeks to embrace the uniqueness of Sami culture and educational style. The mass wood building is so hygge, you’ll want to check in for a few nights.
If you love the far north, you’ll love the Lyngen Alps. And if you love the Lyngen Alps, you’ll love the bungalows by architect Snorre Stinessen.
Canada’s megaproject Waterfront Toronto includes a new district called Quayside, an all-electric and climate-neutral community. Its highlights are a two-acre urban forest and the residential Timber House by architect David Adjaye.
The city of San Diego in Southern California has plans for a new district, one that will be entirely void of cars. Known as Neighborhood Next, it must be one of the most radical projects in the USA.
The new urban quarter Zwhatt near Zurich is designed to enable climate-neutral living at affordable prices. One of its buildings is a 75-metre-high timber hybrid tower known as Redwood, whose facade generates solar power.
Architect and biologist Timothée Boitouzet has used nanotechnology to give wood an upgrade. The new material “Woodoo” is translucent, fire-resistant, weatherproof and up to five times stronger than normal wood.
Timber construction can be decidedly high-tech, as illustrated by the head office built for SR Bank in Stavanger, Norway. Bjergsted Financial Park offers workplaces that are fit for the future, and it is among Europe’s largest engineered timber buildings.
So, what does "Noom" actually mean? While Sanzpont [arquitectura] and Pedrajo + Pedrajo Arquitectos don't exactly reveal this, their "Living the Noom" concept is pretty clear: it’s all about a fresh take on housing. With environmental protection and quality of life as a top priority.
HafenCity Hamburg is an urban quarter fit for the future. Its eco cherry on the top is the “Null-Emissionshaus” (Zero Emissions Building), which is completely carbon-neutral – and can be dismantled like a Lego house.
Snøhetta creates high-calibre architecture, including accommodation at high altitudes amidst Norway’s glaciers. The architects have enriched the Tungestølen mountain cabins with a special feeling of hygge.
Apple’s former design head BJ Siegel has developed a concept for a timber modular house. The urban prefab named Juno is designed for mass production – and hopes for success on the scale of the iPhone.
Communal vegetable patches, car sharing and a timber building that overtops many others. Sweden’s largest housing cooperative is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a project called Västerbroplan that shows how people will live in the future.
Bearing the name Tree House Rotterdam, Holland’s new landmark-to-be looks like a gigantic stack of wooden shelves with glass lofts added on top. It aims to take the sustainability of timber high-rises to a new level.
Three tonnes of lettuce and vegetables annually will be farmed on top of the We-House, a timber construction project in Hamburg’s HafenCity. The on-site restaurant serves meals for residents of this sophisticated eco-house at cost price.
The design for the urban office building Saint Denis in Paris shows the potential of parametric design in timber construction. Architect Arthur Mamou-Mani is a luminary in this new discipline, and we were able to meet him online.
Researchers at Cambridge University are helping to turn London’s spectacular vision of a wooden skyscraper into reality. The Oakwood Timber Tower is to rise 300 metres into the sky, almost level with the tallest building in the city.
Self-sufficiency is no longer a dream reserved for downshifters. The modular building system named The Farmhouse designed by Studio Precht allows residents to grow food in big cities.
Homerton College at the University of Cambridge has chosen the design by Alison Brooks Architects for a pavilion that combines modern timber construction with high-tech facilities. It is expected to be a future-facing answer to their needs.
The Swedish university city of Växjö has been named “the Greenest City in Europe”. Half of all its new buildings have been built with timber. But the city plans to go even further.
The Scandinavians have shown their pioneering strength once again, this time in the design for a new cultural centre. The Sara Kulturhus in Sweden’s Skellefteå is among the world’s tallest high-rise structures built entirely from wood.
When it comes to timber construction engineering, the United States has been lagging behind other countries. Ascent Tower in Milwaukee aims to change this. Topping out as the world’s tallest timber tower at a height of 284 feet, the building uses expertise and structural elements from Austria.
As many as 40,000 pieces of wood had to be fitted together for the gift shop in the National Museum of Qatar. The inspiration behind this award-winning interior design was supplied by a miracle of nature in Qatar’s desert.
Canada’s Earth Tower aims to outshine all existing timber high-rise buildings. Its energy concept means that this 40-storey skyscraper in Vancouver will be the world’s tallest passive house.
On the edge of the tropical rainforest in Mexico, a research museum will explore how nature and progress can be reconciled. Known as Xinatli, its sophisticated design takes a fresh look at circular building materials.
The eco-friendly residential project Roots will be the new landmark of Hamburg’s HafenCity and the tallest timber high-rise in Germany. Architect Jan Störmer reveals what its future residents will have in common.
The Danish office 3XN is planning to build North America’s tallest timber office building in Toronto. Called T3 Bayside, the complex will offer more than 500,000 sq. ft. of next-generation office space when completed.
Oslo was once built entirely of wood. The project chosen to redesign the area around its railway station heralds the return of this traditional building material to the Scandinavian metropolis. A spectacular office tower with an innovative hub is being developed, named Fjordporten.
Dutch architectural firm Gaaga has designed a residential building in Eindhoven that is distinctly people- and environment-friendly. Surrounded by trees, it is situated in the middle of a park.
The redevelopment of an above-ground Nazi-era bunker is Hamburg’s largest building project since the Elbe Philharmonic Concert Hall. With spectacular rooftop gardens and nhow Hamburg design hotel, this new landmark in the heart of the St. Pauli district is sure to become a magnet for visitors.
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and Australian artist Geoff Nees teamed up to design the Botanical Pavilion – a wooden pavilion that is constructed like a 3D puzzle – without using any kind of glue or screws.
The round construction known as TECLA has created quite a stir. Having teamed up as 3D printing pioneers, WASP and Mario Cucinella Architects have produced the first CO₂-free housing prototype printed entirely from raw earth.
Japanese architectural firm UENOA has created a wooden office that has no need for bearing walls. Folded origami-style, the ceiling construction gives a whole new lightness to cross-laminated timber.
Sustainability is a top priority for the Powerhouse Company. In an interview, partner Stefan Prins explains why this means more than just a careful choice of materials and energy efficiency, and how essential it is to consider all the changes brought about by climate change when building.
The Life Cycle Tower One was the first timber high-rise in Austria and the prototype for a new type of serial construction. CREE founder Hubert Rhomberg explains the green building concept and why we have to learn to think in lifecycles.
Most people looking for a new home with a sustainable design need to have deep pockets. Rotterdam’s Pendrecht district aims to buck this trend courtesy of timber building Valckensteyn, the brainchild of the architects at Powerhouse Company.
In Düsseldorf, The Cradle is gradually taking shape. The timber hybrid office building is being constructed according to circular economy principles, and these will also govern its future use.
The Dutch city of Eindhoven will soon be home to the world’s highest “plyscraper”. The two towers – 100 and 130 metres high and known as the Dutch Mountains – are to set new standards in high-rise timber construction.
An entire residential complex in Berlin-Kreuzberg is to be built out of timber – vertically. With a planned height of almost 100 metres, WoHo is set to be Germany’s tallest timber building.
A mixed-use project in Sweden’s Gothenburg is being crowned by star architect Dorte Mandrup. The jewel in this crown is its use of timber. The new eco construction is intended to become an icon in sustainable urban architecture.
Designed by US architect David Rockwell, built according to WELL Building Standard principles. The Sage Collection by British furniture maker Benchmark is good for humans and the environment.
Swiss urban planning combines prominent architecture with ecological timber construction. Lausanne’s Tilia Tower is setting a high standard in future-proof urban development.
Munich’s Prinz-Eugen-Park is the site of the largest integrated timber settlement in Germany. And that’s not all – the city planners have even more in the pipeline.
Once Europe’s largest freight station, Brussels’ monumental Gare Maritime is now the largest European CLT project. Neutelings Riedijk Architects have transformed the historic structure into a covered district, giving it a sustainable new lease of life using cross-laminated timber.
