Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture & Design Special – Denmark
Flowfactory exterior. Photo: Adam Mørk
Building character ZENI Architects, based in southern Denmark’s Aabenraa, are responsible for a string of inventive new builds and transformations across southern Jutland, including offices, homes and care homes. “The most important thing for us is that the building reflects the place it’s in and the purpose it’s supposed to serve,” says co-owner and architect Torben Sørensen. “Buildings should be made for the people who’ll actually use them.”
Team work works
In much the same way, ZENI Architects also primarily work within southern Jutland. “We don’t want to over-stretch and miss out on quality, but of course we take the same pride and put the same effort into projects located further away from home. We are, for example, currently working on a large project in Odense, just like we’ve had projects in Aarhus and on Zealand as well.”
The modest size of the team at ZENI Architects is entirely on purpose. “We aren’t really looking to expand all that much,” Sørensen explains. “This way, we get to have a sense of community and cohesion here that we can reflect in our builds; we trust and know each other and
Another advantage of being a smaller company is that they are forced to form a strong network within the industry. “We attain a huge amount of knowledge through working with others on some projects and get to expand our horizons
By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: ZENI Architects
“One of the things I like the most about current Danish architecture is the range and freedom of expression in buildings that people have come to expect,” Sørensen notes. “That works really well with our principle that the buildings we work on shouldn’t primarily express a particular ‘look’ of our office. Instead, its architectural identity should be centred on the environment, people and function it’ll serve. Each building should therefore be unique.” This view seems to work: buildings by ZENI Architects have won 56 | Issue 105 | October 2017
can play off one another’s strengths and, importantly, the same people are given the space to work on projects from the beginning right through to the end.”
and been nominated for several architecture prizes both locally and internationally – yet the company only consists of ten employees.