After half a life at the center of Schmidt Hammer Lassen, Bjarne now works from his villa apartment in Frederiksberg, where he has set up a sustainable design studio, Studio Hammer.
I grew up in the construction industry. My father was a carpenter, my grandfather was a carpenter, and both my cousin and my uncle were architects. The talk in the family was often about handling construction and navigating the circumstances the construction industry was now in. One of my best playgrounds as a child was the floor in the workshop with wooden blocks and sawdust. I wouldn’t say that I urban planning, but at least it was about establishing something that wasn’t there. Throughout my life, the smell of wood has always reminded me of something safe and positive.
Climate responsibility and sustainability
Climate responsibility and sustainability are undoubtedly the most important agenda right now. This does not mean that we must forget the most basic of design – that things must be sensible to use, beautiful to look at and nice to touch. Climate responsibility is an ‘add on’ on top of form, function, aesthetics and texture, and it is just as important as them. I hope I can help spread that attitude. Sustainability is a practice that can spread like ripples in water, but someone has to throw the first stone. If I can help make a positive difference, I will be very satisfied.
