Norm Architects

Soft Minimal, Norm Architects

9 April 2023 in Books Comment

Soft Minimal
A Sensory Approach to Architecture & Design
Norm Architects

We are a product of our environment. The spaces we inhabit and the objects we live with influence the way we feel, think, and behave, while they create the framework for our lives to unfold within. Guided by the purpose of wellbeing, Norm Architects’ approach to architecture and design is therefore based entirely on the idea that spaces and furniture should, first and foremost, serve its user rather than merely be a means of artistic expression.

Through insightful essays and tactile imagery collected in Soft Minimal, we share the principles that underpin a human-centric design philosophy honed over 15 years. The artful balance of light and shadow is reflected in a Swedish retreat, while a Japanese house quietly professes the calming effect of natural materials; a Sri Lankan residence makes the case for bringing the landscape inside and a Danish retail space celebrates tactility.

With an intention to share what we have learnt and achieved as designers thus far, we want to contribute to the ongoing dialogue about human-centric design, with a broader goal to re-sensualize the built environment. We believe design should be sensory, simple, and functional, and this book published by gestalten is a manifesto-come-monograph outlining what these ideas mean to us and how we work with them. Serving as a sourcebook and aesthetic inspiration for design professionals and enthusiasts, Soft Minimal offers a nuanced perspective on minimalism that is warm, sensory and enduring.

Authors Norm Architects
Publisher Gestalten
304 pages
Linen hardcover, stitch bound
24.5x33cm,93/4x13inches
ISBN 978-3-96704-055-5

Norm Architects

Minimalist Waterfront House, Norm Architects

29 March 2022 in Architecture Comment

Bringing Back Minimalism in Waterfront House

Just north of the bustling city center of Copenhagen, Norm Architects has carried out a full renovation of a private family home overlooking the water and a grand marina. With a focus on bringing out the house’s inherent modernist qualities and putting it on display, the home is now a calm refuge of clean lines and natural materials to retreat to in a busy everyday life.

Norm Architects

Cask by Expormim

9 September 2021 in Furniture Comment

Cask by Expormim

The new Cask collection designed for Expormim is a clear example of the harmony and elegance that arises when stripping down objects to their very core.

The Cask collection consist of an armchair, a sofa and a seating island. We have collaborated with Expormim to scrutinize the various ways that natural rattan can be used to strike a balance between creative ideas and technical realization, creating a look that reflects the familiarity of past wicker design, but with a modern and streamlined allure. Versatile, comfortable and elegant, the furniture has everything one would expect of a classic.

Design Norm Architects

Designers Nicolaj Friis Nøddesbo, Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, Kasper Rønn von Lotzbeck
Furniture Manufacturer Expormim
Photography Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen

Norm

Blue Bottle Coffee — Minatomirai Café, Yokohama, Japan

4 October 2020 in Furniture Comment

Blue Bottle Coffee — Minatomirai Café, Yokohama, Japan

Interior design by Keiji Ashizawa Design
Furniture design by Norm Architects

Emerged from shared design values, the collaboration between Tokyo-native design studio, Keiji Ashizawa and Copenhagen- based Norm Architects takes its root in mutual admiration and a love for material richness and timeless appeal evident in both the Japanese and Danish design traditions.

Norm Architects

Keiji Ashizawa Design

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Alsterhaus Mens Department by Norm Architects

8 September 2020 in Architecture Comment

Alsterhaus Mens Department

A complete refurbishment and dynamic reconceptualizing of the Menswear Department in the iconic Alsterhaus, Hamburg, part of the KaDeWe Group.

In order to compete in today’s world of online shopping, a physical space must nurture and engage the user. The architecture, furniture and materiality all work to create a sensible experience which you can’t experience from a tablet or smartphone.

Today, Alsterhaus in Hamburg covers 24,000 square metres in an exclusive atmosphere comprising a historic structure and modern interior design. Norm Architects has completed a reconzeptualizing and total renovation of the menswear department.

By adopting a tectonic approach to space, the menswear department of Alsterhaus provides a unity of different universes, each with its own expressions and materials.

“We had a dynamic, tailored approach to each space. For example there is a notably domestic scale and sensibility to the fitting rooms; an embracing warmth. This con- trasts to the other areas in the store and in turn adds to the experiential quality of each user’s visit.”

Sofie Thorning, Senior Architect and Associate Partner

Norm Architects

Kinuta Terrace by Norm Architects and Keiji Ashizawa Design

5 April 2020 in Architecture Comment

Kinuta Terrace
Interior design by Norm Architects and Keiji Ashizawa Design

Emerged from shared design values, the collaboration between Tokyo-native design studio, Keiji Ashizawa and Copenhagen based Norm Architects takes its root in mutual admiration and a love for material richness and timeless appeal evident in both design traditions.

In the spring of 2018, Ashizawa onboarded Norm Architects to collaborate on the renovation of two apartments in the Kinuta Terrace apartments complex comprising a total of 36 units. Kinuta Terrace was originally built back in the 1980s and features an integrated courtyard that gives residents the advantages of a single-family home.

The two design studios partnered with Japan’s leading manufacturer of wooden furniture, Karimoku, on carrying out the renovation, during which the idea of a
furniture series arose.

The Kinuta Collection is a series of 12 tailormade furniture pieces that make up the inaugural collection of Karimoku Case Study.

Norm Architects