- Henning
- Larsen
Architecture for me is a tool for community building. Not only does architecture shape and build space in the physical environment, but it brings different people, places, and things together in new conversations. I love that my job challenges me every day to learn from and engage with something or someone new.
I started at Henning Larsen right after the New York office opened when we were only a team of 7 people, so right away it was all hands on deck. The Minneapolis New Public Service building was in full swing, so each of us got to work on a bit of everything from the guiding concepts to the finer grain details and nuances of the facade. The team as soon as I started was not only so warm and welcoming, but also so excited to get to know me at every opportunity, be it a project pin-up or at one of the weekly office Friday Bars. I try to do the same for all the new colleagues we’ve had join us since.
Henning Larsen’s greatest asset is its incredibly talented, passionate, and kind people. The collective brain and spirit within this team is a resource utilized at every possible moment be it at a studio wide project critique, a one-on-one meeting with a colleague to work through a specific challenge, or during a casual lunch conversation.
So far, I’m proudest of the New York office’s inaugural project - the New Public Service Building in Minneapolis. The team from day one set an incredibly ambitious vision for a civic building that could not only serve the public, but also give back to the daily life of the city with a generous amount of open public space. To see that ethos carried through the life of the project into the start of construction has set an incredible standard for our next and future projects.