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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.

The new Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre has now opened to the public. We are very pleased to have been part of this exciting project with FJMT. Comprised of the former Bankstown Town Hall and a new building extension, the development incorporates adaptive reuse and recycling of the existing building materials, including concrete façade, metal deck roofing and solid timber floors.

Steensen Varming provided the mechanical, electrical, lighting and sustainable designs. Some the key initiatives include natural ventilation, mixed mode ventilation via underfloor system, increased daylighting to the core via skylights, thermal labyrinth, solar PV and ground source heat pumps.

On 17 March Steensen Varming’s lighting team turned the iconic sails of the Opera House on Sydney’s skyline lustrous leprechaun-green, marking St. Patrick’s Day and Irish celebrations Down Under.

On 10 April Steensen Varming’s Jørgen Schultz will be giving a presentation at the Danish Window Manufacturers’ annual meeting in Herning. Based on a project report recently completed for the Danish Energy Agency, the presentation will address building code requirements and certification of windows in Denmark, neighbouring countries and export markets.

Steensen Varming’s report found that the existing code requirements, calculating a window energy balance based on heat loss and solar heat gain are driving the development in the right direction. However, this value could benefit from an additional requirement to minimum inner surface temperature of the frame and frame structure.

Jørgen will also present recommendations on requirements in the Danish building code revision in 2015 and in this context how windows should be developed to create better comfort and energy efficiency while having slimmer frames for more attractive architecture, in particular in refurbishments of older and heritage buildings where original windows have been single glazed.

The finalists of the 2014 Property Council of Australia / Rider Levett Bucknall Innovation and Excellence Awards have been announced, and we are excited that two of the nominated are projects that Steensen Varming has been closely involved in, including Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law in the categories SAS International Award for Best Office Development, Award for Best Public Building and WSP Award for Best Sustainable Development – New Buildings and The John Kaldor Family Gallery – Art Gallery of NSW in the Award for Best Public Building category.

The Awards celebrate innovation and leading practice within Australia’s property development and investment industries. Read more on the awards and the finalists here.

We are excited to have been shortlisted in a team with Aart architects, Sloth Møller and PK3 for Ballerup Psychiatric Centre new general intensive care unit. The project comprises the development of a 1,300m2 building, expanding the hospital’s capacity with two bed units of 16 beds each and creating a comfortable and safe environment for patients, visitors and staff.

Steensen Varming looks forward to participating in and delivering two presentations at the 4th International Utzon Symposium on 7th- 9th March 2014, The Sydney Opera House &UNSW CBD Campus. In collaboration between UNSW Australia, the Jørn Utzon Research Network (JURN) and the Utzon Research Center (URC), the University of Portsmouth, UK and Aalborg University, Denmark, the Symposium is an inter-disciplinary reflection of Utzon’s diverse influences and attributes asking the question ‘What would Utzon do now?’

Based around the iconic building that brought Steensen Varming to Australia, we will address the interpretation of Utzon Design Principles for the integration of technology and services at Sydney Opera House, and the original and current methods enabling these.

Read more about the Utzon Symposium or register here

Steensen Varming wishes everyone a Happy New Year. 2013 was a very exciting year which saw us into the 80th year since our foundation in Copenhagen as well as the 40th year since our establishment in Australia following our work on the design of Sydney Opera House with Jørn Utzon. We were very proud to participate in the anniversary celebrations of the iconic building, including the Danish Design at the House exhibition and sponsoring MADE, the Multidisciplinary Australian Danish Exchange programme which will run over the next ten years. In addition, our many successful projects picked up the following awards –

Art Gallery of NSW Forecourt Upgrade

National Architecture Awards, Small Project

Auckland Art Gallery

World Architecture Festival, World Building of the Year

Brisbane Supreme Court

IES Australia and New Zealand Award of Excellence

Australian Institute of Architects Public Architecture, National Award

The Eucalyptus woodland free-air CO2 enrichment (EucFACE) facility

Engineers Australia Sydney Division, Excellence Award, Environment & Heritage

Australian Engineering Excellence Awards, Finalist

Kings Avenue Overpass

Illumni Silver Infinity Award

IES North America Lighting Design Award of Excellence

IES The Paul Waterbury Award for Outdoor Lighting Design, Award of Excellence

IES North America Illumination Awards, International Section

‘Magic Mushroom’ LED Landscape Luminaire (Art Gallery of New South Wales cafe courtyard)

IES NSW Award of Commendation

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

Museums Australia Magna National Winner

City of Hobart Heritage Award

Great Hall, University of Technology Sydney

IES North America Illumination Awards, Award of Merit

IES North America Illumination Awards, International Section

Waterloo Youth Family Community Centre

NSW Architecture Awards, Sulman Medal for Public Architecture

IAMFA Diplomat Award

Presented to Steensen Varming for exceptional contributions to the state of design, construction, operation and maintenance of cultural facilities around the globe.

We look forward to seeing you in 2014 and what this year will bring.

Orange was the new white and the latest shade of light cast on the Opera House by Steensen Varming’s lighting team, this time marking the last performance of the Dutch Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on December 1 2013. The concert ended the symphony orchestra’s biggest world tour ever through Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and finally Australia, celebrating its 125 years as one of the best orchestras in the world.