2_3_ScanMagazine_Issue_81_Oct-Nov_2015_Scan Magazine 1 15/10/2015 21:36 Page 58
Scan Magazine | Architecture Special | Denmark
Built in 2014, DSV’s global headquarters in Hedehusene, Denmark, houses more than 700 workplaces. Photos: Tomas Bertelsen (left) and Christensen Photography (right).
Improving quality of life through architecture For most people, the office is not usually associated with improving the quality of life. But for Copenhagen-based PLH Arkitekter, that is exactly what architecture is all about: developing environments where people and organisations thrive. By Sanne Wass | Photos: PLH Arkitekter
Whether it is at home, at work, at school, in the city or in the great outdoors, PLH is driven by the goal of improving the quality of people’s lives. “We design for people. Our design is always based on our clients’ values, wishes and needs,” says Søren Mølbak, partner and architect at PLH Arkitekter. The leading Danish architecture practice works with a broad spectrum of commissions, from town planning and transformation to housing and product design. One of PLH’s areas of expertise is office and workplace design, and here too every part of their work is concerned with people’s wellbeing. An important first step,
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Mølbak explains, is to create a workplace that represents the identity of the company and its employees: “It’s essential to understand the company’s identity, because it affects the architecture. We are not just building for the sake of building. Our design is based on the mindset of the company, reflecting its culture and values, showing its personality and telling its story.”
rows of desks and offices are outdated. “People need variation. Human beings are not particularly comfortable with the monotonous, so variation is extremely important. Therefore we work a lot with creating different locations to bring your laptop or meet. You don’t necessarily need to be tied to your desk all day,” he says.
New ways of working
Rethinking the traditional behind-thedesk workday results in elements such as café areas and informal settings to work or have meetings; balconies and terraces to easily get fresh air while having a short chat with your colleagues; and sports facilities to get a break from a sedentary day. “These are small things, but they mean a lot,” suggests Mølbak.
Creating an inspiring and motivating workplace is, according to Mølbak, all about being aware of people’s needs, not least understanding how the culture of work is changing, meaning that endless
With more than 35 years of experience and broad expertise, PLH has conducted office and workplace projects for numerous big companies such as Aller Media,