Thursday 30 September 2021

ReVærk's all-timber school building in Denmark is a lesson in natural construction

Danish studio ReVærk has completed House of Nature, a school building designed to promote learning about nature through its traditional timber structure and wooden shingles, which has been shortlisted in the civic building category of Dezeen Awards 2021.

The Aarhus-based practice designed the building to accommodate the teaching of Nature and Outdoor Life at the Silkeborg Folk High School, with the building itself conceived as a lesson in sustainable timber construction for its users.

Circular window in Danish timber school by ReVærk
The House of Nature has an all-timber structure

Framing views of an adjacent forest, the timber structure, acacia shingle cladding, Douglas fir interiors and wood fibre insulation were all part of a strategy to design a building "as purely based on wood as possible".

"The brief for the new educational building was to create a space that exudes nature and creates a close connection to the surrounding forest," said the studio.

Forest views from the school
The school offers views of an adjacent forest

"The construction is inspired by the old Danish 'bullade' timber frame construction, dating back to the Viking age."

A cluster of four of these lightweight timber-framed forms make up the school building, connected internally but visually distinct from the outside, where they gently fan out along the edge of a curved, decked path.

A curved, decked path
House of Nature sits along a curved path

Presenting a blank elevation clad with distinctive acacia shingles on approach from the north, the building opens up to the forest along its southern edge, with full-height windows forming a close relationship between the classrooms and the trees.

"The surrounding forest gives a play of light that creates a unique atmosphere in every room," said the practice.

This atmosphere is enhanced by the Douglas fir planks that cover the interior, working with the exposed timber structure and parquet flooring to create a feeling of being immersed in the woods.

Simple pendants and light switches in black have been chosen to complement the "rustic" nature of the building, and provide a contrast to the paler shades of the timber.

Pendant lights in the building by ReVærk
Pendant lights aim to add to the building's rustic atmosphere

A lightweight metal staircase in the centre leads up to the second storey of the central block, where a circular window above a built-in seating area looks out across the forest canopy.

The whole structure has been designed in a way that could be easily dismantled and removed from the site with little trace. Screw-pile foundations raise the building slightly off the ground to avoid flooding.

Lightweight metal staircase
A metal staircase leads to the second storey

Small vents along to top of the windows form part of the ventilation and heating strategy, which is based on thermal buoyancy to avoid the need for mechanical systems.

Among the other projects included in the civic building shortlist of Dezeen Awards 2021 are Bodø City Hall in Norway by ALL, and Cinema Le Grand Palais in Cahors by Antonia Virga Architecte.

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Es Devlin to hold "conference" of trees as an installation during COP26

Conference of the Trees by Es Devlin

British designer Es Devlin will unveil a temporary installation of 197 trees and plant species to highlight issues related to climate change during the COP26 conference.

Called Conference of the Trees, the installation will be presented at The New York Times Climate Hub at the SWG3 Arts Centre in Glasgow, an event running alongside the COP26 climate conference to be held in the city this November.

Artist and stage designer Devlin designed the installation to coincide with the conference involving 197 parties who signed the 1994 United Nations Climate Change treaty, who will gather again at COP26 for 12 days of talks centred on how to tackle the increasing climate crisis.

Creating space for reflection

Conference of the Trees will bring together 197 trees and plants positioned around a low-lit clearing, which will also house chairs to seat audiences attending a series of events held within the installation.

According to Devlin, the project is intended to counter the atmosphere of ordinary conference rooms, which are traditionally top-lit and rectilinear spaces.

"Having read Richard Powers' book The Overstory, I began to consider trees as protagonists, as they are within the context of this extraordinary novel," the designer told Dezeen.

"I wanted to view the conference of the parties from the perspective of a non-human species bearing witness to the decisions the humans might make."

Installation follows previous work in London

Devlin's work will follow her Forest for Change project shown at the London Design Biennale during the summer.

The installation comprised 400 trees that filled the courtyard at Somerset House and sought to raise awareness of the United Nations' climate initiative Global Goals.

Forest for Change by Es Devlin
Forest for Change was an installation at Somerset House in London

"Forest For Change is certainly part of the same evolving train of thought within our studio," said Devlin.

"As Hans Ulrich Obrist mentioned recently, a lot of artists and designers are working with gardens and plants, trying to explore ways of creative expression that can be regenerative and circular."

Like Forest for Change, the trees and plants that make up Conference of the Trees will be replanted after COP26, in this case in urban reforestation sites in Glasgow.

Forest architect Philip Jaffa and landscape specialist Scotscape, who also worked on Devlin's London Design Biennale installation, will assist with the new project.


Conference of the Trees will be held at the New York Times Climate Hub at the SW3G Arts Centre in Glasgow from 3 to 11 November. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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Watch our live talk on how to design a beautiful TV with Kvadrat, Bowers & Wilkins and Philips TV & Sound

Philips TV & Sound, Kvadrat, Bowers & Wilkins

Representatives from Kvadrat, Bowers & Wilkins and Philips TV & Sound will explain how they designed the Philips OLED+986 and 936 TVs in this live case study as part of a collaboration between Dezeen and Philips TV & Sound. Tune in from 2:00pm London time.

The case study is titled How to design a beautiful TV and is the third in a series of four talks by Dezeen and Philips TV & Sound inviting designers from different disciplines to explore the cutting edge of product design.

Philips TV & Sound is represented on the panel by its chief design officer Rod White. Stine Find Osther, vice president of design at Danish textile brand Kvadrat, will also appear on the panel alongside Andy Kerr, director of product marketing at British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins.

The live case study will be moderated by Dezeen's deputy editor Cajsa Carlson and will feature a collaborative presentation from the three brands that will explore in detail the process of creating the OLED+986 and 936 televisions.

Philips' OLED+986 and 936 televisions feature an inbuilt Bowers & Wilkins soundbar, which is upholstered in a Kvadrat fabric.

Philips TV & Sound, Kvadrat, Bowers & Wilkins

The panellists will discuss how Philips TV & Sound realised the designs for the televisions by combining its own specialism in manufacturing consumer electronics at scale with Kvadrat's expertise in craft and materials and Bowers & Wilkins' approach to boutique sound design.

The discussion will cover the challenges of incorporating premium materials into the design of consumer electronics, as well as what the future holds for the design of technology in the home.

Rod White of Philips TV & Sound
Rod White, chief design officer at Philips TV & Sound

In his role at Philips TV & Sound, an arm of the electronics brand Philips which designs and produces television and audio products, White is responsible for the company's design strategy and direction and leads its design studios in Amsterdam, Taipei and Shenzhen.

In July, White spoke to Dezeen about European design in the first talk of this series. Last year, he also introduced the brand's collection of portable audio accessories with Georg Jensen in a talk as part of Virtual Design Festival.

Stine Find Osther, Kvadrat
Stine Find Osther, vice president of design at Kvadrat

As vice president of design at Kvadrat, Osther is responsible for the creative arm of the business. In her work with Kvadrat's collections, she collaborates with a wide range of external designers including Patricia UrquiolaOlafur Eliasson and the Bouroullec brothers.

Osther started working at Kvadrat in 2007 in the brand's product development team. She holds a masters degree in textile design from Kolding Designskole, Denmark.

Andy Kerr, Bowers & Wilkins
Andy Kerr, director of product marketing at Bowers & Wilkins

Kerr joined Bowers & Wilkins in its research and development department before becoming its director of product marketing and communications. During his time at the company, he has contributed to every major product the company currently produces.

Bowers & Wilkins was founded in 1965 by John Bowers and Roy Wilkins. The brand's iconic Zeppelin iPod speaker was one of the first devices to utilise Apple’s AirPlay system.

Bowers & Wilkins' audio equipment is used in Apple Stores around the world, as well as George Lucas’s Skywalker Sound studio and London's Abbey Road recording studio. Its speakers are additionally installed in a number of Jaguar, Maserati and Volvo car models.


Dezeen x Philips TV & Sound

This article was written by Dezeen for Philips TV & Sound as part of our Dezeen x Philips TV & Sound partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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See who's ahead in the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote sustainability categories

With less than two weeks to go, see who's currently in the lead in the public vote for our new Dezeen Awards 2021 sustainability categories.

The public vote, which closes on 11 October, allows readers to vote for projects and studios shortlisted in the architecture, interiors, design, sustainability and media categories, as well as architects and designers in line for the studio of the year awards. Winners will receive a special certificate.

Voting is open for another two weeks so get started today!

Click here to vote ›

Public vote winners announced in October

Public vote winners will be announced 18-22 October. The public vote is separate from the main Dezeen Awards 2021 judging process, in which entries are assessed by our panel of professional judges. We'll be announcing the Dezeen Awards 2021 winners online in late November.

Who's in the lead?

With 40,907 votes received so far, here is a snapshot of which projects and studios have received the most support. There's still time to influence the results, so keep voting!


Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote sustainable design

Sustainable building

58 per cent – The Arc at Green School Bali by Ibuku
11 per cent – ciAsa Aqua Bad Cortina by Pedevilla Architects
Seven per cent – Welcome to the Jungle House by CplusC Architectural Workshop
Seven per cent – The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design by The Miller Hull Partnership and Lord Aeck Sargent
Five per cent – Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP


Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote sustainable interior

Sustainable interior

29 per cent – Bermonds Locke by Holloway Li
24 per cent – Valo Hotel & Work by SSA Hotels/ Valo Hotel & Work
23 per cent – Furniture Pavilion S by Rooi Design and Research
17 per cent – MO de Movimiento by Lucas Muñoz
Eight per cent – Lolita Eipprova by Triiijie


Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote sustainable design

Sustainable design

28 per cent – Aquastor by Zihao Design
26 per cent – Common Sands: Forite Tiles by Studio Plastique, Snøhetta and Fornace Brioni
15 per cent – Ptacek Home Chunk Line by Thomas J Ptacek
15 per cent – Alive by The Living
Eight per cent – Notpla by Superunion
Seven per cent – Honext Material by Honext Material

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Nine wooden cabins from Lake Annecy Cabin Festival

A wooden cabin perched over a lake

Festival organiser Philippe Burguet picks nine of his favourite wooden structures from this year's Cabin Festival, including a Japanese-style cabin and a playful teepee-shaped cabin with a swinging hammock.

The Cabin Festival is held annually around Lake Annecy, a preserved area in Haute-Savoie, France that is internationally renowned for its scenic landscape and high water quality.

For this year's event, the organisers put out an open call for cabin designs around the themes of territory and settlement.

Entrants were asked to create a cabin made from wood that measures less than six square metres overall. They were also required to construct the cabins from wood types found in the surrounding Savoyard forests.

The winning cabins float, perch and balance on stilts or are hidden between the trees in the nearby forest.

"The hut as a built building represents only a point of view, a milestone, a punctuation mark, a landmark that gives the stroller the opportunity to be located within a larger landscape," Burguet told Dezeen.

"It is the camera focused on a chosen point of view," he added.

Read below for Burguet's selection of stand-out cabins from this year's festival:


Onna–Ji by Iris Jacquard and Maud Laronze

"Delicately placed on its site, it melts into the vertical matrix of the forest, with its structure inspired by Japanese temples. Ropes stretched in hemp tend to sketch at first a closed volume, then as the approach progresses, the ropes open up to let the landscape show through. The boundary between interior and exterior is blurred.

"Onna-Ji is a small sanctuary that calls for an introspective journey. The walker is invited to enter the interior and sit facing nature."


Les Voisins by Julien Fajardo and Vincent Brédif

"This project is a perfect example of a good understanding of the context. Hidden between the trees, virtually invisible, it feels like it has belonged in this landscape forever.

"Its leaning structure disappears in the multiple lines drawn by the trees. Its sculptural design creates a fragile balance that makes it gently swing whenever someone decides to climb on it. Its movements resemble the flexibility of the trees.

"Climbing on it becomes a playful game, in which you have to reconnect with your childish confidence to beat your fear of falling. This is architecture with a strong narrative that allows movement and flexibility to create a complete experience of discovering."


Clant by Tristan Narcy and Arthur Lemaire

"This intervention cleverly uses parts of the site to integrate itself into its landscape. A simple structure built detached from the ground is dressed up with driftwood picked up from the riverbed.

"The numerous branches hanging from the roof create the sensation of a full and floating volume from the outside, hiding the void remaining in the heart of the cabin. Walking inside requires weaving in and out between the curtain of driftwood, filling the space with the sound of its encounter.

"This shelter is an invitation to focus on the sounds of the site – the murmur of the river, the birdsongs, the rustling of the trees – creating and integrating its own sound in this place."


Le Banquet du Belvedere by Takumi Goto and Austeja Judzentyte

"This project grows roots in an existing use of the place: meeting, gathering, appreciating the beauty of the view. The materiality of the hay wall offers an invitation to animals to join the meeting.

"The cabin creates two distinct, opposite spaces. Inside, the closed and protected space makes you feel safe and at home. The open space at the top is where we feel more vulnerable, enabling a new understanding of the reality of the void next to the lookout point."


L'Oratoire de la Chaise by Alice Delattre and José Roldan Ballesteros 

"This project proposes a definition of a cabin as a simple roof. This essential, sober, and simple approach creates a space defined by a slender and sharp roof standing above ground on thin pillars.

"From a close distance, the entrance of the shelter is quite low, and the visitor must bend down to enter. This effort brings the body closer to the ground, creating a new perspective to admire the river."


Mille Lieux (°) by Eric Gendre and Vincent Bernet Rollande

"The constructive principle of this hut takes birth in the imagination of childhood. A simple rope stretched between two trees constitutes the primary framework that supports a series of wooden slats. The weight of the slats naturally deforms the rope to give it a beautiful sensual curve inviting the visitor to discover its interior.

"Enter in this place, lie down in the hammock, let your senses carry you and abandon yourself to a little nap."


Champs du Vent by Philippe Paumelle and Anna Marin

"The project is inspired by the wind that blows through the leaves of the tree.

"A true architectural reinterpretation of the figure of the tree, the trunk is the main frame and the branches are the secondary one. In true craftsmanship, the 'tavaillons' – a material local to the region –  are sewn by hand onto the branches to allow the wind to give this architecture life.

"The curious lift the wooden sheets and observe the landscape as if through a keyhole. An opening frames the church tower, which also rings. If you look up, you can see the shadowy lines that pass through the wooden foliage."


Le Clocher by Julie Boirin, Anouck Jacquet, Anaïs Jeantils, Eléonore Mougel and Marine Pigal

"The light wood structure draws its shape from far away. Its thin structure and elegant proportions perfectly integrate in the raw panorama. It stands in the fields, ringing its bells in concert with the cows grazing around. The strength of the project lies in its simplicity and absence of superfluous."


L'Ombre by Samuel Thibault de Chanvalon, Pierre Fortunel, Maël Garnery and Thibaut Servier

"As its name suggests, it is to the colour shade that this construction celebrates. The two openings create a shadow in which the visitor merges, which he crosses to finally find the light."

Photography is by David Foessel.


Le Festival des Cabanes 2021 is open until November. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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