Post on 25-Mar-2016
description
Interviews about the office buildings
and headquarters of tomorrow
Spaces for knowledge and growth
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• office, noun 1. a building that belongs to a company or organisation, with
rooms where people can work at desks- Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
3 | Spaces for know
ledge and growth
Spaces for knowledgeand growthHenning Larsen Architects is behind the development of numerous
innovative corporate headquarters and office buildings, based on the
vision of designing spaces for knowledge and growth. For all businesses,
activating knowledge across the organisation is essential.
Work assignments are increasingly detached from time and place, from
offices and departments. Meetings can take many shapes, and informal
and planned meetings complement each other. New ideas are born when
the knowledge of an orgnisation is activated. Changing settings stimulate
our creativity and diversify traditional thinking. Architecture can serve as
a manifestation of an organisation's culture and identity .
The design of Henning Larsen Architects' educational buildings are based
on this knowledge. Impulses from our physical surroundings, from the city
and from other people, are decisive for a creative and innovative learning
environment. When we design offices and corporate headquarters, we
draw on this experience. Architecture should set the employees free and
provide room for them to inspire each other.
It is essential for the efficiency and productivity of an organiation that
the employees have the possibility to change between different work
environments for different job tasks during the day. An office building
should provide spaces for focused, individual work; spaces for informal
meetings and creativity; flexible spaces for organised meetings;
spaces for relaxation etc. A flexible design ensures a building that can
accomodate the changing needs of the organisation in the future.
Ensuring a healthy indoor climate and good work environment forms
a natural part of our sustainability strategy, in both large and small
projects. Our specialists continuously work to optimise the buildings'
energy performance, economic and social qualities already in the earliest
design stages - based on state-of-the-art research and knowledge.
Architecture has great influence on the development of society. Through
architecture, companies can assume social responsibility for the society
that they form part of.
EDITING + TEXT: Josefine Lykke Jensen
LAYOUT: Thomas Joakim Winther
TRANSLATION: Cecilie Qvistgaard
PHOTOS
Agnete Schlichtkrull (cover, pp 5, 11, 31), Cordelia Ewerth (pp 8,9), Kontraframe (pp 6, 7)
Other illustrations: Henning Larsen Architects
TIME LINE
Galleria degli Uffizi; Giorgio Vasari et al., photo: Samuli Lintula Larkin Building; Frank Lloyd Wright, photo: Wikimedia Commons Woolworth
Building; Cass Gilbert, photo: Velvet Empire State Building; Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, photo: Kadellar Seagram Building; Mies van der Rohe,
Philip Johnson, photo: Tom Ravenscroft Bank of Denmark; Arne Jacobsen, Dissing+Weitling photo: gcbb BMW HQ; Karl Schwanzer, photo: Cccc3333
Lloyd's London; Richard Rogers, photo: Sue Adair SAS Headquarters; Niels Torp, photo: Holger Ellgaard Dentsu Building; Jean Nouvel, photo:
Tyoron2 Apple HQ; Sobrato Development Company, photo: Kristen Nicole PricewaterhouseCoopers; Renzo Piano, Christopher Kohlbecker, photo:
Andreas Steinhoff Gherkin Building; Foster + Partners, Ken Shuttleworth photo: Andy Wright Burj Khalifa; Adrian Smith, William F. Baker, George
J. Efstathiou, Marshall Strabala photo: Imre Solt CCTV; OMA photo: Christian Nesset One World Trade Center; Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, photo:
Joe Woolhead Apple HQ; Foster + Partners, illustration: Foster + Partners
COLLABORATORS
Crystal Towers; Thornton Tomasetti, Hoare Lea Consulting Engineers, Geoffrey Barnett Associates Egedal City Hall and Health Centre; SLA, Henrik
Larsen Consulting Engineers, Jørgen Nielsen Consulting Engineers, Züblin Energinet.dk Office Building; Dahl Entreprise, Schul Landscape Architects,
Hansen, Carlsen & Frølund Consulting Engineers NCC Headquarters; NCC Property Development, FutureBuilt New Main EPO; BAM / Ballast, Arup,
Topotek1 Nordea Bank Ørestad North; SLA, Signal Architects Novo Nordisk Corporate Centre; SLA, Alectia Siemens HQ; Topotek1, Werner Sobek,
Transsolar, PMI, Müller BBM, AG Licht, CL MAP Spiegel HQ; Höhler+Partner, WES & Partner Landschaftsarchitekten, Ingenieurbüro Dr. Binnewies,
DS-Plan, Schlegel und Reußwig, Kardorff Ingenieure Lichtplanung, Ippolito Fleitz Group Viborg City Hall; Cowi, LiW Planning
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5 | Contents
Contents 5
Interview: Spaces for knowledge and growth 13
Siemens HQ 17
New Main EPO 21
History of the office building 24
Time line 28
Relation to the city 30
Nordea Bank Ørestad North 33
Interview: Design with knowledge 37
Microsoft HQ 41
50 years' experience 44
About Henning Larsen Architects 52
p. 13
p. 17
p. 37
p. 44
p. 33
Contents
Louis Becker, Partner and Director, Henning Larsen Architects,
takes stock of the architectural development of the office building
and draws a picture of the future.
Overview of the historical development of the office building from
the first office building, Uffizi Gallery, in Florence until today.
The Department of Sustainability works with both new buildings
and renovation projects. Signe Kongebro tells about the newest
trends in sustainable office design.
Henning Larsen Architects has designed corporate headquarters
and office buildings all over the world for more than 50 years. The
time line provides an overview of the diverse range of projects.
Location: Viborg, Denmark
Construction period: 2009 - 2011
Gross floor area: 19,400 m2
Viborg City Hll is designed as 'a city within the city', as a symbol of the new
municipal community that was established in the wake of the municipal
merger in 2007. It is Denmark's first low-energy city hall.
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Viborg City Hall
Location: Ballerup, Denmark
Construction period: 2010 - 2011
Gross floor area: 4,000 m2
Energinet.dk's new office building in Ballerup, on the outskirts of Copen-
hagen, is a genuine low-energy house. The lowest energy class has been
achieved exclusively by means of optimising the design and geometry.
The office building consists of three main elements: meeting facilities, an
atrium and workstations.
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Energinet.dkEnerginet.dk
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Construction period: 2008 - 2011
Gross floor area: 50,000 m2
Spiegel HQ consolidates the various departments of the Spiegel Group in a
new modern and flexible building volume. The building complex consists of
three large glass volumes, placed on a joint tile base. Spiegel HQ has been
awarded a Gold Medal in HafenCity's ambitious sustainability certification
scheme 'HafenCity Umweltzeichen', and the other volume Ericus Contor has
achieved the DGNB Gold certification.
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Spiegel HQ
In recent years, we have seen a trend towards commercial buildings taking more and more after educational buildings. Businesses
require work environments centred around knowledge-sharing and knowledge generation.
- Louis Becker, Director and Partner, Henning Larsen Architects
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13 | Spaces for know
ledge and growth
Louis Becker is Director and Partner
at Henning Larsen Architects. He
has been employed in the company
since 1989.
Nordea Bank's new headquarters in
Ørestad, Copenhagen, is organised
as a city, offering quiet, more
intimate spaces as well as squares
and streets full of life and activity.
Interview: Spaces for knowledge and growthCorporate headquarters around the world are some of the strongest
icons of the 20th century. They not only reflect economic, technological
and social developments but also our view on the business community's
significance in society. Louis Becker takes stock and draws a picture of
the future.
Henning Larsen Architects has designed office buildings and corporate
headquarters world-wide through half a century. What is the secret behind
successful commercial buildings?
A successful commercial building supports the organisation's dynamics,
corporate culture and image. Architecture cannot make a change in itself
but it plays an essential role in making change possible. The main change
that many businesses aim for at present is to integrate knowledge-
sharing as a generator for growth in the organisation. One of our main
architectural ambitions is to promote knowledge-sharing and social
interaction across the organisation. Thus, our commercial buildings are
designed around a number of large common, synergy-creating spaces.
Nordea Bank's new headquarters in Ørestad North, Copenhagen, is a
good example of this ambition realised in practice. The building is visually
and physically unified in the large atrium where everyone can feel each
other's presence, whether participating in a closed meeting or in a large,
open workshop. This provides a physical transparency in the organisation,
which reflects its corporate values.
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Another important point is that successful office buildings create spaces
for knowledge and growth. In recent years, we have seen a trend towards
commercial buildings taking more and more after educational buildings.
Businesses require work environments centred around knowledge-
sharing and knowledge generation. Thus, we also draw on our experience
from educational and research institutions when we design commercial
buildings. The two types of organisations can inspire and raise each other
to new levels.
You mention that successful commercial buildings offer spaces for knowledge
and growth. How does Henning Larsen Architects promote such spaces?
We engage in dialogue with the specific organisation as early in the
process as possible. It is essential to balance expectations, but also to
discuss and for us to introduce some of our many ideas about good office
environments. This applies to all our projects. We are experts in developing
architecture, but it is the users who are experts in being users. And then it
is our job to balance good architecture against good experiences.
The core of our buildings has always been the meeting between people.
To create a stimulating setting for human activity – as the social and
knowledgeable individuals we are, regardless of context. This is also our
approach to commercial buildings.
The design of commercial buildings has undergone a tremendous
development in the last 50 years. How do today's ideas about successful
commercial buildings differ from previous times?
For a long time, office buildings have been designed as small cities within
the city. This is for instance illustrated by the choice of names for the
various functions, such as 'the square', 'the cafe' and 'the meeting plaza'.
This is still the case, but what has changed is how the small city within the
city today becomes fully integrated into the 'real' city. This means that
people who do not necessarily work or have business at the company's
premises can still use its public functions, shortcuts and meeting places.
Such interaction adds value to both the organisation and the city. A good
example is Siemens' new headquarters in Munich. The public 'floor' in the
building ensures a continuos flow of people using the building as part of
their daily errands in the city. This meets Siemens' wish to signal openness
and desire to share.
The development of corporate headquarters owes to changing ways of
working and thinking. We are no longer depending on sitting by a desk. We
can go online all over the world as our primary product is our knowledge.
Hence, it is very much about making the headquarters a knowledge-
sharing base. But it is also about creating a physical framework which the
company can identify itself with. A headquarters or office building is still
the organisation's physical manifestation – their showroom to the outside
world.
Today, you could not imagine a building that is not based on sustainable
principles. To which degree does the increased focus on sustainability
influence the design of office buildings?
Sustainability is an essential theme in commercial building. It is both
necessary and important to respond to climate change and use of
resources, which are at top of the global agenda. Many organisations wish
to demonstrate that this is a theme they take seriously. In this context,
architecture is an obvious response.
Earlier, sustainability was a very abstract and intangible concept. Today,
national and international standards for low-energy building make it
possible to very precisely measure the gain of individual sustainable
measures. At Siemens HQ, for instance, we have worked intensively with
the geometry and angles of the facade to ensure optimal daylight and
reduce the use of artificial lighting. This is beneficial to the environment,
the economy and the people working in the building. And that is something
every business owner can relate to.
15 | Spaces for know
ledge and growth
1407
FEHLEN VON INFORMELLEN URBANEN ATTRAKTOREN KLONEN DER INNERSTÄDTISCHEN DNAIN DAS SIEMENS-GRUNDSTÜCK
ÜBERLAGERUNG DER CHARAKTERISTIKA
URBANE ANALYSE
1407
DURCHWEGUNG DURCH SIEMENS-HÖFE
ZIEL
EPISODEN INSPIRIERT VON MÜNCHEN
KONFIGURATION
VERBINDUNG
Siemens HQ in Munich is situated
on the border between the old
historic city centre and the
museum quarter. The lower
part of the building is publicly
accessible and contributes to
bringing together the two parts of
the city, which used to be sharply
separated.
Before After
Siemens HQ
Where office buildings in recent decades have had a tendency to be
isolated outside the cities, Siemens' new headquarters in Munich is
situated in the city centre. A publicly accessible ground floor opens up
the headquarters and promotes its interaction with the local community.
The world's largest supplier of sustainable and environmental solutions,
Siemens, will move into a new global headquarters in Munich in 2015.
The development of the building has focused on creating a modern work
environment for Siemens' employees, while at the same time letting the
organisaton give something back to the city in the shape of a vibrant
urban space, accessible to everyone.
The new headquarters consists of four rectangular, rounded volumes at-
tached to a central vertical structure that connects the entire building
complex. The heart of the building, the atrium, is situated in the middle of
the building and is accessible from all sides. The public access to Siemens
creates a continuous flow of guests and passers-by and signals that cor-
porate architecture of the 21st century is open and inviting. The top floor is
designed to provide the setting for public events, allowing guests to enjoy
the skyline of the city.
The central 'Interaction Zone' connects the various office spaces and
represents the key concepts behind the organisation of the building
– Communication, Interaction and Innovation. In addition, the office
levels are connected by bridges, creating a continuous floor stretching
through the entire building complex. State-of-the-art energy and climate
technologies produced by Siemens are incorporated into the design, which
thus also serves to demonstrate the organisation's product portolio.
PROJECT FACTSLocation
Munich, Germany
Client
Siemens
Gross floor area
45,000 m2
Construction period
2011 - 2015
17 | Siem
ens HQ
“We are creating a future-oriented symbol of sustainability that will set the standard for advanced urban architecture and
innovative, efficient building technology – for the benefit of our employees and the citizens of Munich.”
- CEO Peter Löscher, Siemens
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New Main EPO
21 | Spaces for know
ledge and growth
New
Main EP
O
New Main, the new headquarters of the European Patent Office in
Rijswijk, the Netherlands, is a manifestation of the core values of the
EPO: Trust, Transparency, Fairness and Respect. The new, dense buil-
ding structure unites the existing building volumes and New Main.
The building complex consists of a low base comprising public and semi-
public functions, a 23-storey-high tower comprising offices and a new
park area to the south. The functional layout of the base centres around
the new arrivals area.
The tower is organised so that it reflects the requirement for both
privacy and interation, two core needs in EPO's work environment. The
two reflected modules constituting the majority of the tower are clea-
rly divided into zones for concentrated/focused work in individual cell of-
fices and more open zones for internal communication. The thin 'hinge'
connecting the two building volumes allows daylight to pour far into the
building and acts as the vertical backbone of the entire structure.
The tower is characterised by two types of facades: a three-
dimensional facade by the office zones and a smooth, two-dimensional
facade by the interaction zones. The sloping windows of the facade have
many technical advantages. They help to reduce glaring and excess heat in-
side the building, while at the same time enhancing the transparency of the
building and minimising the need for solar protection.
Rising up 100 metres, New Main will stand out as an icon, not only in
the city's skyline but in the entire region. At the same time, the varied
building symmetry offers users a magnificent view of the city and open,
Dutch landscape from alle floor levels.
PROJECT FACTSLocation
The Hague, the Netherlands
Client
European Patent Office
Gross floor area
76,800 m2
Design
2013
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In New Main, the EPO organisation and building are consid-ered as a whole. The flexibility of the new headquarters optimises working procedures and flows and allows the management to use
the building as a tool to facilitate various work situations. - Louis Becker, direktør og partner, Henning Larsen Architects
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The office building is one of the great icons of the 20th century… [As] the most visible index of economic activity, of social,
technological, and financial progress, they have come to symbolise much of what this century has been about.
– Francis (Frank) Duffy, Architect and Writer
25 | H
istory of the office building
History of the office buildingThe architectural development of office buildings and corporate
headquarters is connected to our approach to business development
through the years. Corporate architecture has taken new shapes as
business strategies have changed from focusing on cost minimisation
to acknowledging the significance of cross-organisational synergy.
The need for a new architectural typology comprising administrative
functions alone arose in the wake of the industrialisation in the end of the
past century. The economic recovery called for new means of transport
and communication which made it possible to separate production and
administration. The railway network, the telegraph and later the telephone
allowed businesses to place their headquarters in the large cities – far
away from the noise and dirt of the factories.
The American Model
In the beginning of the 20th century, the North-Americans were the first
to realise the idea of an actual office building. Frank Lloyd Wright's Larkin
Building marked the beginning of what was commonly referred to as white
collar factories. The mass-production mindset from the factories was
passed on to the new office buildings, but the employees could now assert
themselves as clerks dressed in white, without worrying about dirt or
sweat caused by hard physcial labour. The Larkin Building in Buffalo, New
York, is a good example of some of the earliest office buildings, where
the widespread use of supervision, control, hierachy and rank was clearly
reflected in the physical appearance of the building.
Mass-production of office buildings truly became a reality in the start
of the 21st century in New York and Chicago. The invention of the steel
frame structure and elevator made it possible to fully exploit the relatively
small plots. It was about making best value for money, and all new office
buildings were higher than their predecessors. This led to the development
of the skyscraper, which was the preferred commercial typology in the US
for a long time.
The English term 'office' stems
from the term 'Ufficio', which
means office. The Uffizi Gallery
in Florence is considered as the
world's first office building.
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In the beginning of the 1970s, a new type of office building got its official
name. Silicon Valley is the world's first example of a so-called business
park, solely serving corporate purposes. Business parks started to rise
in the American suburbs as construction costs were lower in these areas
compared to in the cities and the possibilities to expand larger. In the
business parks, the individual companies were not subject to the planning
regulations of the city and were thus free to organise their own territory
as desired. Later, the business parks came to Europe, where they are often
situated in connection with large infrastructural networks.
For approx. 100 years, North America and American architects had a
leading position in the development of office buildings. The Europeans
more or less copied the American high-rises, just in smaller scale. However,
this trend started to change in the 1960s.
The North European Model
With the development of open plan offices in Germany in the 1960s, the
Northern Europeans started to overtake the Americans with a new type
of office building. Open plan offices were quickly replaced by cell offices
again, but the seeds of a more open, flat organisation of the office
building had been sowed. In the 1980s, the idea of the office building as
an independent 'city within the city' really started to spread in Northern
Europe. The inspiration came from the Scandinavian design tradition, and
the objective was efficient and satisfied employees.
SAS' headquarters in Stockholm from 1985 is a good example of the
Northern European idea. The project is developed as a city structure with
a roofed main street, connecting the individual building volumes and
functions. Each building volume has its own character and contributes
to generating life to the building by means of terraces, balconies
and footbridges in various levels. Functions such as swimming pool
and sports hall, restaurant and café have been incorporated into the
project, fulfilling the vision of an independent city within the city.
The building marked the beginning of an extensive development
of office buildings in Scandinavia, based on this exact idea.
A project, based on a similar idea, had been built by Henning Larsen the
year before, in 1984, as the company's first office building. The Ministry
of Foreign Affairs in Saudi Arabia was recognised for its combination
of being a modern 'office machine' and a true representation of Islamic
buidling tradition: the garden, water and bazar.
SAS' headquarters in Stockholm
from 1985 was one of Scandinavia's
first corporate headquarters
organised as a city within the city.
As soon as in the beginning of the 1960s, Henning Larsen built on the idea
about the building as a city within the city with projects such as Stockholm
University and Freie Universität in Berlin. The parallel development of
educational and commercial buildings has followed the work of Henning
Larsen Architects ever since.
Office building of the future
The development of the office building is naturally related to the way we
work. Since the first white collar factories, the office typology has gone
through various development stages in the attempt to accommodate
changing needs. The structural differences between the American city,
which was based on a strict grid, and the European medieval city made
the office building develop in different directions. Where the American
model sought to adapt the company to the building out of economic
considerations, the Europeans took a more human approach and worked
to adapt the building to the company.
Today, a successful office building is not only considered as a static
framework for the day-to-day work. Successful commercial buildings
should support the corporate culture and brand of the organisation and
enhance its relation to the world around it. Relations will be a key work in
the office building of the future.
Employees are today considered as one of the company's most important
resources, and the fight for well-educated staff is tough. Thus, you
could imagine a rising trend for smaller office communities outside the
organisation to allow the employees to stay in their local environment.
27 | H
istory of the office building
Sketch for Henning Larsen's first
realised office building: The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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1931
1913 1954 1972 1986
1905 1961 1986
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Uffizi GalleryFlorence, Italy
Empire State BuildingNew York, US
Woolworth BuildingNew York, US
BMW HQMunich, Germany
SAS HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
Seagram BuildingNew York, US
Larkin BuildingBuffalo, US
Bank of Denmark Copenhagen, Denmark
Lloyd'sLondon, England
29 | Tim
e line
1988 2000 2010 2013
1988 2003 2012 2014
Dentsu BuildingTokyo, Japan
Burj KhalifaDubai, UAE
One World Trade CenterNew York, US
PricewaterhouseCoopers Berlin, Germany
Apple HQCupertino, US
Gherkin BuildingLondon, England
CCTVBeijing, China
Apple HQCupertino, US
Time lineThe world's first office building was built in Florence in the beginning
of the 17th century. However, the office building as we know it today has
been developed over the past 150 years. Take a journey through the
greatest corporate icons in the US and Europe through the years.
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Historically, four office typologies can be identified – primarily
differing from each other in their degree of interaction with the
surrounding urban space. The office building of the future will hugely
benefit from being fully integrated into the city.
Relation to the city
31 | R
elation to the city
Empire State Building in New York was
the highest skyscraper world-wide for a
short time. The building is situated in the
city but appears introvert and closed.
Silicon Valley in the US was the world's first
business park. Today, it comprises thousands
of corporate headquarters, primarily situated
as solitary momuments in a large open space
encircled by parking spaces, fencing and
plantation.
Henning Larsen Architects works with
a new office typology, which integrates
the company in the city and vice versa.
By incorporting public functions into the
company premises, new opportunities for
knowledge-sharing and growth arise.
SAS' headquarters in Stockholm from the
middle of the 70s introduced the idea of the
office building as a city within the city. The
headquarters is situated 7 km from Stockholm
Central Station, with both other commercial
organisations and residences as neighbours.
Closed building
Business park
City within the city
A part of the city
Nordea Bank
Nordea Bank’s new corporate headquarters in Ørestad North will be
situated next to the premises of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation
and the Concert Hall. The headquarters will contribute to the
development of Ørestad as a vibrant city district in Copenhagen.
The Nordea building introduces a new scale in Ørestad – a street level
connecting the large buildings of the district and the characteristic
landscape of Amager Fælled. To the south, the building is characterised
by a sophisticated, sloping park landscape and to the north by an open
ground floor and tile facades on the lower floors.
The offices are placed upon a base, comprising the common and
extrovert functions of the headquarters. This functional layout promotes
collaboration, innovation and knowledge-sharing across departments and
professional fields. The building is organised as a city – offering quiet, more
intimate spaces as well as plazas and streets full of life and activity. The
interaction between efficient open plan offices and informal gathering
points provides an optimal work environment for the individual employee.
Nordea Bank’s new corporate building lives up to the criteria for LEED
Platinum, which is the environmental standard required for all the bank's
new developments. Simulations of the energy consumption of the design
has been conducted through studies of volumes, materials, room heights,
light and shadows, noise and wind as well as the usability of inside and
outside spaces. Subsequently, the building’s energy consumption has
been further reduced through qualified selection and application of
efficient technology.
PROJECT FACTSLocation
Ørestad North, Copenhagen,
Denmark
Client
Nordea Properties
Gross floor area
40,000 m2
Construction period
2013 - 2016
33 | N
ordea Bank
We know that an average knowledge employee only spend approx. 30-50 % of his time by the desk. Therefore, we have
focused on providing facilities which also allow for other work situations.
- Søren Øllgaard, Architect and Associate Partner, Henning Larsen Architects
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34 |
The derived effects of a sustainable design and construction process hold far-reaching advantages. Incorporating sustainable solutions
in office buildings is reflected positively internally in the organisation and forms the basis of a better dialogue with
authorities and other stakeholders. - Signe Kongebro, Associate Partner and Head of Sustainability, Henning Larsen Architects
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37 | K
nowledge-based design
Signe Kongebro is Associate
Partner and Head of Henning
Larsen Architects' Department of
Sustainability.
Interview:Knowledge-based designSustainable office building is about much more than technical
ventilation solutions and solar cells on the roof. It is also about happy,
efficient employees and social responsibility. Signe Kongebro tells
about the newest trends in sustainable office design.
How have you experienced the development of sustainability in recent years
in relation to office buildings and corporate headquarters, and how does
Henning Larsen Architects contribute to this development?
As all other sustainable buildings, sustainable office buildings are based
on a number of environmental, economic and social considerations. If you
unfold the last aspect a bit more, it is about asking yourself questions
such as: "How do we make it nice to go to work in this building? Which
needs do the individual departments have in relation to space, acoustics
and light? Which human values should the architecture support?"
Today, the key to growth is productivity and efficiency, and this is only
obtained in office environments where the employees thrive and do not
get ill. In sustainable office buildings, we combine measurable sustainable
solutions as regards energy consumption and economy and research-based
knowledge that we transform into good spaces and healthy buildings. This
applies to both new buildings and renovations.
For the past 20 years, office buildings have been characterised by a
homogeneous 'glass box aesthetics'. Large, transparent icons have risen
all over the world without consideration for regional climate conditions –
based on the belief that this type of building symbolised transparency and
openness to the outside world. However, the reality is that glass houses
are often experienced as very introvert.
If you look at a glass house during the day, it does not appear transparent,
but dark. Glass houses reflect the world they actually want to interact
with. Further, they are very easily overheated and thus spend a lot of
resources on mobile solar protection and cooling. Last, but not least,
the architectural quality has become poorer because local materials and
building traditions have been forgotten.
q
FACTS
More than 85 % of companies'
operating costs are spent on
salaries. In comparison, they spend
approx. 10 % on rent and less than
1 % on energy consumption.
Source: RICS. (2010). Is
Sustainability Reflected in
Commercial Property Prices: An
Analysis of the Evidence Base.
Research Report.
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Fortunately, this has changed. Today, we look at each facade separately and
place all functions carefully in relation to light and shadow. In this way, we
optimise the indoor air quality without necessarily implementing technical
cooling and ventilation solutions. This method we call 'knowledge-based
design', and this is exactly how we as architects and engineers can
contribute to the development of sustainable buildings.
What do companies get out of taking a sustainable approach to building
and renovation projects?
For companies, this is about business. They want to optimise operating
and maintenance costs, flexibility and renting expenses. They require
measurable solutions right away.
But it is also about knowledge and growth and about attracting and
sustaining talented employees and making the most of them. If
companies look at the overall economy and factore in future savings in
energy consumption and sick days, we achieve a win-win situation for the
company and employees as well as for the environment.
Today, most people have realised that sustainability is about more
than technology, and that the derived effects of a sustainable design
and construction process have far-reaching advantages. Incorporating
sustainable solutions in office buildings is reflected positively internally
in the organisation in the form of a better work environment and happier
employees. It also forms the basis of a better dialogue with authorities
and other stakeholders who all have a say when a new office building is
designed or an existing one is renovated.
Could you provide any specific examples of how to address sustainability
issues in the building sector now – and in future?
When you talk about sustainability and office buildings, the large challenge
is that the buildings become overheated. Many people and machines simply
generate much heat – and thus, it requires a lot of energy and economic
resources to maintain a good indoor air quality. So, it is basically about
minimising the need for cooling without use of heavy technical equipment.
Thus, it can be an advantage to place your company in a dense city
environment where the surrounding buildings serve as 'free' solar
protection.
In the city, companies are part of an energy circuit – the companies want to
dispose of excess heat, and the households want to buy heat. By creating
such a circuit, resources are exploited more intensively. It is the same as
with parking spaces in the cities, which are filled up by commuters' cars
in daytime, while the citizens use them at night time. However, a circuit
like this requires that you get an understanding of energy and daylight as
common resources, and there are som administrative obstacles to this
today.
Seen from an energy perspective, companies are a necessity in the city
because they have the opposite needs of the households. However, they
are also necessary seen from a social perspective. Today, we see a smooth
transition between office space and urban space, achieved by integrating
publicly accessible functions and areas into the office buildings. This
makes companies truly transparent and demonstrates that they assume
responsibility for city life and comfort. In addition to these measures, the
employees' contact to the surrounding community is further strengthened
by introducing balconies and green roof terraces that integrate the city in
the building and vice versa.
Microsoft's Danish headquarters
will be situated in the heart of
Lyngby, north of Copenhagen. The
urban context ensures the
organisation's interaction with the
other businesses in the city as well
as the students from the adjacent
Technical University of Denmark.
39 | K
nowledge-based design
Microsoft HQ
41 | M
icrosoft HQ
Microsoft’s new headquarters forms part of the organisation’s over-
all vision to create the workplace of the future. The employees are
supported in their different ways of thinking, working and collaborating
through a flexible interior layout, based on state-of-the-art technologies.
As the first place in Europe, Microsoft consolidates its development
and sales departments under the same roof in a new headquarters in
Lyngby. Henning Larsen Architects and the remaining team of
consultants have had a close dialogue with Microsoft during the
entire process. This has resulted in an innovative corporate headquarters,
offering unique urban spaces and green recreational areas accessible to
everyone.
In addition to Microsoft's new Danish headquarters, the building complex
will comprise student residences and retail facilities. Thus, the project will
bring citizens, students and business community close together. The café
and technology area will be open to everyone, and there will be a study
area in the headquarters allocated for students. Further, Microsoft will
regularly hold different kinds of events to connect the company even
closer to the local community and Denmark.
The complex as a whole will meet the requirements for modern
sustainable buildings. To reduce energy consumption, focus has been on
exploiting the passive properties of the building – and for instance, an
advanced building envelope offering minimal heat loss, high density and
efficient solar protection has been developed.
Henning Larsen Architects' competencies in space planning and interior
design have been core to the project development to allow for optimal
synergy between interior design and indoor climate. Focus areas include
daylight and artificial light, colour and material selection and acoustics.
PROJECT FACTSLocation
Lyngby, Denmark
Client
Danica Pension
Gross floor area
40,000 m2
Construction period
2013 - 2016
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In daytime, the open ground floor levels featuring mixed retail options will generate life and activity to the area. In the evening,
the intimacy and light created by the residences will ensure a safe and attractive street environment.
- Signe Kongebro, Associate Partner and Head of Sustainability, Henning Larsen Architects
20001963 1982
1974 1992 2009
44
| Sp
aces
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kno
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dge
and
grow
th
Nordea Bank HQ ChristiansbroCopenhagen,Denmark
Ministry of Foreign AffairsRiyadh,Saudi Arabia
Danish Embassy in Saudi ArabiaRiyadh,Saudi Arabia
Freie UniversitätBerlin,Germany
Gentofte LibraryGentofte,Denmark
Trondheim University Trondheim,Norway
Nation CentreNairobi,Kenya
Ferring Int. CentreCopenhagen,Denmark
WinghouseØrestad,Denmark
Multi-Tenant Office Building Odense HarbourOdense,Denmark
50 years' experienceHenning Larsen Architects is behind a number of innovative corporate
headquarters and office buildings world-wide. The time line below
shows a selection of Henning Larsen Architects' projects through the
years. All projects have contributed to the formulation of a clear design
philosophy in which knowledge-sharing and social interaction across the
organisation are keyworlds.
45 | 50 years' experience
2011
20152013
2014 2016
Energinet.dk Office BuildingBallerup,Denmark
Novo Nordisk Corporate CentreBagsværd,Denmark
Crystal TowersRiyadh,Saudi Arabia
Egedal City Hall and Heath CentreEgedal, Denmark
Viborg City HallViborg,Denmark
NCC HeadquartersOslo,Norway
Microsoft HQ DenmarkLyngby, Denmark
Siemens HQMunich, Germany
Nordea Bank HQ Ørestad,Denmark
Spiegel HQHamburg, Germany
Architecture should create a dynamic setting where people can meet – to create synergy between employees across pro-fessional fields and between employees and guests from all over the world. This has been the vision behind the design of the new corporate centre.- Søren Øllgaard, architect and associated partner, Henning Larsen Architects
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Location: Bagsværd, Denmark
Construction period: 2011 - 2013
Gross floor area: 50,200 m2
Novo Nordisk Corporate Centre in Bagsværd, Denmark, will house the
company's executive management and 1,100 administrative employees.
The architecture is characterised by a simple design and provides a func-
tional and sustainable work environment for the users.
Novo Nordisk
Location: Oslo, Norway
Construction period: 2011 - 2013
Gross floor area: 12,000 m2
NCC's new headquarters in Oslo is designed in collaboration with NCC
Property Development as a modern passive house. The building meets
FutureBuilt's criteria for climate-neutral building and will spearhead the
development of sustainable projects in Norway.
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NCC Oslo
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Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Construction period: 2009 - 2013
Gross floor area: 93,000 m2
Within the new King Abdullah Financial District in Saudi Arabia’s capital,
the Crystal Towers are situated in a unique location between the Financial
Plaza - the financial centre of the masterplan - and the Wadi - a verdant
pedestrian thoroughfare. The orientation of the two 18 and 26-storey
towers is designed to create a visual and physical link between these
elements.
Crystal Towers
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About Henning Larsen Architects6 OFFICES
230 EMPLOYEES
21 NATIONALITIES
PROJECTS IN MORE THAN 20 COUNTRIES
53 | Spaces for know
ledge and growth
53 | A
bout Henning Larsen A
rchitects
Anders Sælanas@henninglarsen.com
Tel: +45 8233 3075
Søren Øllgaardsop@henninglarsen.com
Tel: +45 8233 3076
Peer Teglgaard Jeppesenptj@henninglarsen.com
Tel: +45 8233 3025
CopenhagenLouis Becker
lb@henninglarsen.comTel: +45 8233 3020
OsloKasper Kyndesen
kkyn@henninglarsen.com Tel: +47 4663 3960
MunichWerner Frosch
wf@henninglarsen.com Tel: +49(0)89 856 33 38 - 110
RiyadhNiels Fuglsang
nf@henninglarsen.com Tel: +966 553 8515 88
Istanbul
Anne Marie Galmstrupamg@henninglarsen.com
Tel: +90 535 391 8991
Faroe Islands
Ósbjørn Jacobsenoj@henninglarsen.com
Tel: +45 8233 3070
www.henninglarsen.com
Copenhagen – Oslo – Munich – Istanbul – Riyadh – Faroe Islands