In a conversation with Louisiana Channel, the founders of the international practice Helen & Hard Architects reaffirm their insistence on community and sustainability. The use of wood, in their practice, has become more than a building philosophy, it has turned into a philosophy. “Trees have a life of their own, and you feel a deep respect for the time it has taken to grow. We work with something alive, an organic material. We can’t do as we please with it. We must interact with the material.”
In August 2022, Siv Helene Stangeland and Reinhard Kropf, the founders of Helen & Hard, were interviewed by Marc-Christoph Wagner at various locations in and around Stavanger, Norway. The area holds special importance for the architects, whose approach was influenced by the culture that permeates Stavanger and the west coast of Norway.
For the architects, the biggest source of inspiration is nature. They talk enthusiastically about the process of working with wood, an organic material that was once alive. The wood becomes more than a structural element; it influences the organization of the building, the internal flow, and the feeling of space. While various sorts of trees have different effects, it is widely recognized as a calming material with the ability to lower stress levels.
Helen & Hard also focus on developing new ways of living together. Their concept of ‘Gaining By Sharing’ introduces the idea of co-living as an advantage, combining private life with the joys of being part of a larger community. Their housing projects aim to move away from the more commercial approach to creating collective housing: focusing on the individual units and minimizing the communal. The architects share their conviction that “creating a community is also a design process.”
You can only enrich an environment through a holistic, systemic approach. You must include the possibilities, resources, people, materials and qualities in the process. You must co-create with all these elements. That’s the main principle of our architecture – ‘relational architecture’. Architecture doesn’t just originate in our minds and is then placed in the world. It’s created in continuous collaboration and dialogue.
Diversity is another important aspect of the office’s approach. By creating co-living projects, the designers encourage residents of different ages, backgrounds, and professions to come together. Helen & Hard’s multicultural team reflects the same principles they apply in their design. Working from two locations in Stavanger and Oslo, the office’s experience ranges from creating remote cabins to large-scale urban design developments. In 2021, Helen & Hard were selected to represent the Nordic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, exhibiting their co-living designs based upon their Vindmøllebakken project in response to the question: ‘How will we live together?’
In Scandinavia, one of the biggest health issues is loneliness. There’s also segregation. Certain segments of society aren’t easily integrated. A co-living project promotes integration. Community is key to solving many of the problems facing society today. The climate crisis, societal issues, segregation and inclusion. We must understand that we’ll always be part of a community. We aren’t separate individuals. We are formed in the encounter with others and our surroundings.
Siv Helene Stangeland is a Norwegian architect and researcher based in Stavanger, Norway. Recently she presented an exhibition focused on the position of women in architecture at the Danish Architecture Center in collaboration with Tatiana Bilbao and Débora Mesa. Reinhard Kropf is an Austrian architect, researcher, and educator based across Stavanger and Oslo in Norway. His research work is focused on the design and construction of timber architecture. Together, Siv Helene Stangeland and Reinhard Kropf founded the architectural office Helen & Hard in 1996.
To see more architecture videos, check ArchDaily's full coverage of Louisiana Channel's series of interviews.
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