THE WINTER OFFICE (TWO) is an experimental and professional work group exploring artistic and design interventions that are looking to uncover emerging solutions for a sustainable urban and natural infrastructure. Our group consists of artists, curators, architects, designers, and social scientists, who are either based in or connected to Copenhagen.
TWO's theoretical and creative approach to architecture, urban planning, and art looks to the climate challenges people are facing today – including, but not limited to – the rise in housing inequality; economic/environmental displacement; and ecological disaster at various scales.
Through a process of collaborative experimentation, our group explores problems we seek to solve through idea-sharing and research workshops. Where we aim to think beyond confined notions of artistic creativity, architecture, design and the social sciences. In turn, we integrate this post-academic and post-discipline thinking into what we call a 'creative practice of spatial justice'.
The construction of a regenerative imagination for the urban landscape is the motor driving our productions. Where we are actively moving from discourses of power and human survival to those of collaboration and thriving.
Looking to a spatial vision for amelioration in this century; one that will champion Rights of Regeneration for the urban and natural environment; and working to create spaces where human–and nonhuman–communities (in general) can thrive.
———
Because of ongoing ecological and infrastructural crises, communities today require new forms of regeneration and/or cross-generational conservation of their human and natural habitats. More urgently, each of these communities awaits new models of restoration that take seriously the creation and enabling of environments (for all living things). For this reason, our group is available for consultancy work, where we look to applying our theoretical knowledge into practical operations and design; and from the perspective of an environmental ethics for spatial development.
We seek to build physical spaces that foreground the well-being of communities through creative knowledge systems.
Knowledge-intensive and collaborative (site) study in real contexts is at the center of our consultation and perspective. We aim to rethink built space through alternative approaches for architecture. For this reason, we embrace the blend of art and design to find new restorative structures and regenerative objects to tackle the challenges of crises our evolving world presents to us.
We rely on various working methodologies to develop projects, for example we have a three prong approach to consult on developing projects for new urban landscapes.
One, we emphasize how Community oriented design is fundamental for our consulting and artistic work; we practice this type of design in order to favorably impact the quality of life of the target communities we seek to engage.
Two, we look to the promotion of new knowledge emerging from community needs, which we see as essential to sustaining such communities before we practice our ideas for Market oriented design.
Three, we like to foster situations that can help Market and Community oriented Design to take root, by helping stakeholders and communities find common ground and agendas leading to the final design process.
In this way, we believe design fosters community. Not only by simply clarifying the ‘who is the design for’ part of the design process, but realistically deepening the understanding of the impact it will have on communities in general. To this end, our consultation research, values the participation and involvement of actors with completely different profiles, while we are seeking reciprocal contributions from architects, social scientists, designers, artists, students, and community leaders; we are largely facilitators looking to create a clear congruence of interests and goals for the regeneration of our environment amid successive crises and challenges.
Contact
THE WINTER OFFICE
Copenhagen, Denmark
Active Members:
Sara Armento
Architect
Lise Grüner Bertelsen
Curator
Johanna Ferrer Guldager
Urban Planner
Hugo Hopping
Artist & Director
Ida Elisabeth Jensen
Graphic Designer
Camilo Andres Montoya
Political Scientist
Rasmus List Thomsen
Architect
Typeface: Husaar (by Kasper Pyndt)
Copyright © 2020 THE WINTER OFFICE