K E A Q u a r t e r ly
Interview
– A bout J a n J o h a n s so n –
Jan Johansson used to work based learning where the for the housing association students have to come up JM Danmark, which is rewith their own solutions sponsible for the construction to their projects,” says Jan project in Humlebæk. Here Johansson. “When you are he was a project developer assigned a project in the with responsibility for manareal world, you have to comging the purchase of plots and ply with a jungle of building planning large-scale housing requirements from the fire construction projects. Among department, public authoother things he took part in rities, the developer and the the construction of Nordlyset, architects. Instead of listing an award-winning apartment these requirements and exblock on Amerika Plads in plaining how to meet them, Østerbro. Nordlyset is white the students are asked to The Finnish Paimio Sanatorium designed with coloured sections on the find a solution themselby Alvar Aalto, 1929-1933. facades. The block integrates ves, and then we take the art and construction in a way dialogue from there.” Last that is rarely seen in Danish semester he and his teabuildings. And Jan Johansching team conducted a poetry using nothing son is very pleased to have project on sustainability more than light been co-creator. and management where stu“Architecture has to dents working in groups had They are inspired by nature make a difference. It must to invent or copy and sell a contribute to the city. sustainable product. This Otherwise, it’s just cookietaught them about sales and – Jan Johansson talking about his idols. cutter architecture, which marketing techniques, nethere is already too much of. gotiation and dealing with With Nordlyset, I helped the developer to understand how contracts, as well as innovation and product development. “Some students just sold hot air, while others developed the artist and architects could collaborate to make the block real products, such as a mixer tap that measures your hot wa- something special that also reflected Nordic tradition. I like ter consumption,” says Jan Johansson proudly. “They are now that. Setting the framework for a collective idea, where individuals contribute creatively.” applying for a patent on the product.”
“Utzon creates
. Aalto does the
same. and we must learn from this”
Another example of an assignment based on real life comes from a terraced housing project in Humlebæk. Jan Johansson received all of the drawings from the contractor and delivered the most essential of these to his students, who then proposed methods for carrying out the construction. “That’s where the game really starts. And as the actual construction project progresses, we go out and take a closer look. They see that there is a real craftsman and a real foundation. And they could easily be the ones managing the process. It means a great deal to them to go out and see the real world.” Jan Johansson pauses for a moment. He looks around the small meeting room, which has white panels and glass walls that could be found in any company. The reason he can get his students out to construction sites and involved with real planning is because of his broad network from his previous work.
Jan Johansson enjoys talking about Nordic architecture and can go on for hours about the subject. He loves Nordic architects’ use of light and local materials, as well as the interaction of these buildings with the surrounding landscape. Leading figures in this field include Alvar Aalto of Finland and Jørn Utzon of Denmark, who is internationally renowned for the Sydney Opera House. “Utzon creates poetry using nothing more than light. Aalto does the same. They are inspired by nature and we must learn from this. Today we call it sustainability and attempt to put it into formulas. But others have thought about these things before us. We can see this by stepping back and deciphering what they have done. They relate to modern materials, innovate tradition and create what I would call humanistic architecture. Their buildings will
–064–
stand well into the future, as opposed to the superficial architecture we see so much of,” says Jan Johansson, who frequently shows his students YouTube videos about his idols’ methods and thoughts. But Jan Johansson teaches more than respect for form and design. The construction managers of the future must also appreciate skilled craftsmanship. This is where Jan Johansson himself began. Even though he knew early on in upper secondary school that he wanted to be an architect, he could not get into the school of architecture because his grades were too low. He therefore began by studying to become a construction engineer – a programme that is similar to the construction manager programme, but shorter. And back then, it was not a programme designed for upper secondary school graduates. Jan Johansson began by spending six months as a craftsman apprentice and afterwards he spent a year as an intern at an architectural studio. “We were a group of four who had to make a mini-house. I gained a deep respect for masonry, welding and carpentry. The training as a construction engineer opened the door to the school of architecture for Jan Johansson, where he “studied for seven years and enjoyed every second”. After graduating, he worked at an architect practice as an independent architect before moving on to larger housing companies as a project manager. And for the last five years he has worked with students, which he admits seems to be just the place for him – the students’ creativity and drive fill him with tremendous joy and pride. And he accepts that the practical, problem-oriented teaching approach inevitably leads to frustration at times. “The students find it incredibly annoying when I say that frustration
Trained as a construction engineer, and then as an architect at The Royal School of Architecture in Copenhagen. He has worked at architect practices, as an independent architect and as a project manager at companies including the public housing association AKB, as a project engineer at JM Danmark A/S and Nordicom A/S, and as an independent client adviser at Albæk Construction Consultancy. Since 2007 he has been a teacher at KEA’s Architectural Technology and Construction Management programme and he is co-initiator behind KEA’s hosting the international conference ECOWEEK next year. M y favo u r ite b u i ld i n g
“Jørn Utzon’s house, Can Lis, in Mallorca. Because it represents sustainable construction. It is built by locals using local materials on the understanding that if you change a column a little bit, you pay them a couple of bottles of wine in return. It is made in small modules, which means that you avoid heavy lifting, and the house fits in well with the surrounding landscape. It represents a humanistic approach to architecture, and the light that enters the building is amazing. I know the house so well that I can see every detail vividly in my mind.” w h at i m p r e s s e s m e
“Some people figure everything out very quickly. They get super inspired and can suddenly see how to break down a building project into different components and improve each component. They upgrade the building, bringing it into a different league in terms of engineering and architecture. I’m not here to please shareholders, but to inspire learning. When I see how quickly my students develop, it moves me.” M y s o u rc e s o f i n s p i r at i o n
“Jørn Utzon of Denmark, Alvar Aalto of Finland, Sigurd Lewerentz of Sweden. All three can create great architecture based on simple principles and materials.” A b o u t t h e p r o g r a mm e
A construction manager is the link between architects and craftsmen. The programme takes 3½ years and is based at KEA in Copenhagen. A shorter version of the programme is also available: the two-year building technician programme.
– 065 –
is good for them. But I know that research shows that it creates learning and that companies hire people who are capable of critical thinking and reflection. Students gain these skills as a result of our working methods – not from checklists.” Jan Johansson leans back in his chair for a moment. In addition to the assignments, students’ working methods are also structured as if they work at an architect practice. The groups are formed broadly and include students of varying calibre and craftsmen. Because that’s what it’s like in the real world. And Jan Johansson is happy to be at the centre of the tsunami of frustration felt by the students and put in the extra work required when reality fails to match the assignments in the books, but instead repeatedly requires the creation of new working methods and teaching materials. He is willing to do so because he knows that it will ultimately make a difference. The result for everyone is better and more sustainable architecture. And sustainability, like Nordic tradition, is one of the areas that Jan Johansson is passionate about. Next year, sustainability will be even more in focus when KEA hosts ECOWEEK, a week-long conference called New Nordic Living on sustainability and Nordic architecture. Many of KEA’s students will participate in the event, together with more than 450 students from around the world. Jan Johansson took the initiative to host the conference through an international network he is part of. And this autumn he will begin work on a Ph D. on sustainable housing and user behaviour. When Jan Johansson stops to think about it, there’s really only one thing he has yet to accomplish. “To build my own house. But I’ve told my wife that we are going to do it. In four years. I’ll be ready then.”