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Steensen Varming is sponsoring the ‘Valuing Architecture’ visiting programme by the Danish Agency of Culture which on Monday 18 August will be welcoming eight Australian guests in Copenhagen, representing the academic and practicing as well as the governmental levels of architecture.

The programme is a follow-up on the Opera House 40th Anniversary celebrations with the purpose of strengthening the exchange of ideas, methods and theories concerning architecture as well as to inspire to future partnerships between practices in Denmark and Australia.

CEO Dan Mackenzie noted the importance of retaining the cultural and professional links between the two countries that began with Jørn Utzon’s visionary design of the Opera House, also leading to Steensen Varming’s establishment in Australia: “The Opera House is an example of a truly innovative result enabled through collaboration across disciplines and continents. As this is as important in our work today as then, we support initiatives that promote this way of thinking, such as MADE, the Multidisciplinary Australian Danish Exchange programme. Valuing Architecture will similarly address how value is created in this interaction, looking towards the design of our future cities and the shared values they are developed on.”

The visiting programme will include an architecture symposium held by The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture and a visit to the heritage listed Varming Villa, designed by the company’s founder Jørgen Varming where Steensen Varming are currently engaged by Realdania on the sensitive and seamless integration of updated mechanical systems.

The 1500 seat recital hall designed by PTW has been shortlisted for the Public Sector category of the World Interiors News Annual Awards 2014. Located 17m underground, the project was a building services challenge with its exposed bedrock and multi-purpose requirements.

Our mechanical, electrical and lighting services enabled the total integration of this unique interior within a comfortable environment and energy efficient campus. The hammered apsidal wall is uplit to create a dramatic focal point. Employing the natural qualities of the Sydney sandstone, our low noise, low energy systems maximise the thermal capacity of the rock while maintaining the acoustic quality of the space.

With this year’s World Architecture Festival Awards Shortlist announced, we are pleased to see three of our projects in the running including Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre in the Culture category and Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery in the New and Old category, both by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT) and the National Arboretum Canberra in the Landscape category by Taylor Cullity Lethlean and Tonkin Zulaikha Greer. We congratulate the architects and are looking forward to hearing the results from the festival in Singpore 1-3 October 2014.

Applications are now open for the second round of the Multidisciplinary Australian Danish Exchange programme which since its establishment in 2013 has proven to be a great exercise in collaboration across disciplines and countries to create truly innovative results as well as an enriching experience for everyone involved. We are proud to have been supporting this programme from the beginning as part of the Sydney Opera House 40th Anniversary celebrations and now as it enters into its second year.

Steensen Varming CEO Dan Mackenzie said: “After having now participated in the actual running of the programme, with a uniquely privileged viewpoint in both Australia and Denmark, MADE has so far proved to exceed Steensen Varming’s expectations on a number of fronts. The commitment of the students, the quality and enthusiasm of the host architects, the support of the Sydney Opera House at all levels and even the intangible benefits to ourselves in mentoring and guiding the programme, have all reinforced our view that this is not only a hugely worthwhile initiative in itself, but one that can instigate an approach for wider education that will benefit our built environment in the future.”

Applications for the second Australian cohort close on 22 July 2014. The successful students will be notified in mid-August and invited to the farewell event for the inaugural Danish participants at the Opera House on 22 August 2014.

More information on MADE and applications

We are pleased to announce that we have been shortlisted in a team with Varmings Tegnestue, Mtre and Atopia for the refurbishment of Rudersdal (previously Søllerød) Town Hall, one of our first projects with Arne Jacobsen. Rudersdal Town Hall was completed in 1942 and became heritage listed in 1992 as the first public building built after 1900. The project will comprise a complete refurbishment of the building including public areas, offices, facades, furniture, signage and mechanical and electrical services while maintaining its unique character developed on functionalist design principles.

On Friday 13 June we celebrated the joint opening of our new Hong Kong studio shared with Henning Larsen Architects.

Guests were met by sweeping views of the Victoria Harbour and music from cellist Javan Tong of Hong Kong Music Academy.

Speeches were held by Ole Lindholm, Danish Consul General, Mette Kynne Frandsen , CEO, Henning Larsen Architects, Dan Mackenzie, CEO, Steensen Varming and Dr. Edmund Lee, Executive Director, Hong Kong Design Centre followed by a traditional a ribbon cutting ceremony.

A uniquely global business city strategically located in the heart of Asia, Hong Kong provides a gateway to opportunities within the South East Asian market and Mainland China. The establishment in Hong Kong is an important step in our global development and we look forward to offering our high specialist services to this dynamic market.

See more photos from the event here

As VIVID Sydney is still submerging the city in its flood of light, music and ideas, bringing together the best of the creative industries, Steensen Varming Associate and lighting designer Emrah Baki Ulas will be speaking at the Illumni Future of Lighting Summit Monday 2 June 2014, addressing the human element in lighting design.

See more about the event and buy tickets here

We are pleased to share that our entry with The University of NSW Tyree Energy Technologies Building (TETB) has been selected as a finalist in the Sydney Engineering Excellence Awards 2014.

Steensen Varming provided the mechanical engineering services, enabling an environment where research, education and industry can collaborate to develop and then practically implement sustainable energy technologies. The design featured a gas-fired tri-generation plant, gas engine heat recovery serving an absorption chiller, low energy displacement cooling, mixed mode office air conditioning and ventilation, bore water thermal energy to pre-cool and heat outside air and two thermal labyrinths.

Steensen Varming announces the establishment of their new studio in Hong Kong as part of the company’s one global studio development strategy.

Near the waterfront on Hong Kong Island, Steensen Varming will be moving into new offices with another leading Danish design firm, Henning Larsen Architects. Apart from the office, Steensen Varming shares a strong Danish heritage and approach to design that has seen them develop into globally operating companies with involvement in a wide range of iconic buildings.

Steensen Varming was founded by Niels Steensen and Jørgen Varming in Copenhagen in 1933. They collaborated with Arne Jacobsen, Basil Spence, James Stirling, and other masters of twentieth century architecture. New offices were opened in Dublin, Edinburgh and London and the Sydney Opera House commission with Jørn Utzon in 1957 led to the company’s establishment in Sydney, Australia, from which further studios have been established in New York and now Hong Kong.

Steensen Varming provides high specialist services in mechanical and electrical engineering, lighting and sustainable design encompassing architectural and urban design, the private, corporate and public sectors, modest upgrades and World Heritage Sites.

The company considers Hong Kong as an important and buoyant market with great opportunities in the building industry. CEO Dan Mackenzie notes: “Hong Kong is a uniquely global business city strategically located in the heart of Asia and provides a gateway to opportunities within the South East Asian market and Mainland China. The establishment in Hong Kong is an important step in our global development strategy, however, being global means more to us than expansion or having a physical presence in different countries – it is a way of thinking inherent in our culture and outlook. We need to offer all our clients the best expertise available and this only comes from operating in dynamic and diverse markets”

The office will be managed by Director Chris Arkins who leads and coordinates Steensen Varming’s commitment to sustainable design across the company’s global studios.

“We believe our unique approach to innovative and collaborative design represents a niche market opportunity for Steensen Varming in offering sustainability and specialist architectural lighting design services. Hong Kong is a dynamic city and a great place for creative companies to operate and service the increasing demand in Asia for design excellence and innovation which has been the essence of our company since it was originally founded” says Chris Arkins.

The company has a growth strategy based on employing and retaining the best talent in the industry and currently employs people in the five different countries on four continents, working from a unique one-studio approach, where studios tap into the skill base of local talent and all employees work and contribute with their combined global expertise on projects, but with personal service and essential local knowledge.

We look forward to hearing Emrah Baki Ulas’ 19 Short Stories on How Little We Know About Light and Simon Lefort Talking at the Speed of Light in a Pecha Kucha presentation at the SPARC Design 2014 event at Museum of Contemporary Art on 26 and 27 May, coinciding with this year’s VIVID Sydney festival of light, music and ideas. Tickets are available here.