2_3_ScanMagazine_Issue_81_Oct-Nov_2015_Scan Magazine 1 15/10/2015 21:36 Page 76
Various collaborative endeavours Architecture is so much more than just cold, hard materials and neat lines. The Norwegian architecture firm, Various Architects, is proof of that. At the heart of every single one of their projects is the desire to make a positive contribution to the local area, no matter how small the building might be. By Stine Wannebo | Photos: Various Architects
Every architectural venture Various Architects undertakes benefits from close connections with artists and professionals from other disciplines. They call it a collaborative design strategy. This is the reason for the name Various Architects, partner Ibrahim Elhayawan explains. The innovative business was founded in Oslo in
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2008, and this is still where all of its award-winning employees are based. Nevertheless, the young firm’s projects are in no way limited to the Norwegian capital. Over the past few years, Various Architects has drawn buildings across the whole world and won a wide variety of na-
tional and international awards for its innovative and sustainable designs. One of these awards is the prestigious World Architecture Festival Award, and Elhayawan knows for a fact that the diversity of both skillsets and backgrounds is one of the main reasons for the firm’s success. “We are ambitious and never afraid to take on a challenge,” he says. “Our experience is that an abundance of independent ideas makes for the best architecture.” A dramatic performance Every project that Various Architects chooses to take on is completely unique in