A house like no other “A house designed by an architect has integrity. It is equipped with its own personality, its own voice, which impacts those who live there and those who visit it,” says architect Annika Nørrebo, one half of the founders and owners of Tegnestuen Nørrebo Frandsen. “A lot of different elements go into doing that successfully,” the other half of the architecture company, Michael Frandsen, adds. “It’s about the little details and the greater whole. When they come together, you’ll have a house that keeps contributing positively to its surroundings and the people who live in it.” By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Tegnestuen Nørrebo Frandsen
The two share a lifelong passion for architecture. When she was young, Nørrebo drew up countless floorplans and sketches, while Frandsen constructed little houses made from bamboo as a child. “Architecture for us is something much more than just aesthetics and glamour,” Frandsen explains. “It is the power to create rooms that improve lives and create a comfortable atmosphere, whether you’re considering the interaction between the spaces inside the house 26 | Issue 130 | November 2019
or how the building will interact with its surroundings.” Unlike many smaller architecture companies, Tegnestuen Nørrebo Frandsen has extensive experience with both private and commercial architectural designs. Before they decided to go it alone three years ago, Nørrebo and Frandsen both worked for a large design and building contractor, working with all aspects of a project, from design through
to construction. “Whether we work on a single-family home or a 50-house project, we’re very aware that the cost of the build must be considered from the getgo. It’s easy to draw up fantastic plans for a mansion with no financial constraints. It’s much more challenging – and fun – to draw up equally fantastic and unique plans within the constraints of a realistic budget,” says Nørrebo. “Working within particular parameters is part of the fun of being an architect. You’re not just building a pretty house in isolation; you’re building a home that is perfect within its particular location, which works with the council’s restrictions and for the family who’ll live in it. It’s something you wouldn’t get in a tract house,” Nørrebo says. Pre-modelled tract houses are a highly popular choice for families who want to