Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, one of Scandinavia’s most recognized design firms, will open a bi-coastal practice in the U.S. in early 2020, bringing Danish design within closer reach of clients in North America. With the addition of the new North American studios, Schmidt Hammer Lassen will be represented in Copenhagen, Shanghai, New York, and San Francisco. The firm will work out of Perkins and Will studios in New York and San Francisco, allowing the Schmidt Hammer Lassen teams to enhance their engagement with clients in North America, establish a permanent local presence, and become more closely integrated with their American and Canadian colleagues.
Phil Harrison, CEO of Perkins and Will says,
“The demand for Scandinavian design in the U.S. and Canada is stronger than it’s ever been before. By bringing our Danish colleagues to North America, we’re able to respond to our clients in a way that no other firm can.”
A natural move
The expansion is Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s next step toward realizing its strategic growth strategy since becoming part of Perkins and Will in 2018. Although the firm’s designers have been working in North America for more than a decade, the launch of a more permanent physical presence here allows Schmidt Hammer Lassen to be even more nimble.
Sanne Wall-Gremstrup, managing director of Schmidt Hammer Lassen says,
“We have several large-scale projects in progress across the United States and Canada, so it is an excellent time for a North American expansion. We’ll be closer to our current clients in Detroit, Boston, San Francisco, and across Canada, and better positioned to engage with new clients throughout the continent.”
Coast-to-coast coverage
New York and San Francisco were selected as North American home bases for Schmidt Hammer Lassen because of their convenient access to clients and projects, including the masterplan for UCSF Parnassus Medical Center in San Francisco, a joint project with Perkins and Will; Monroe Blocks, downtown Detroit’s most significant mixed-use development in decades; and the Seaport World Trade Center, a prominent 737,300-square-foot mixed-use project in Boston.
Kristian Lars Ahlmark, partner and design director at Schmidt Hammer Lassen says,
“The importance of collaborating with our clients —those who give us the opportunity to design some of the world’s most meaningful projects—goes without saying. But the earlier and more closely we can work together, the better. This North American expansion gives us the opportunity to employ our collaborative approach in the U.S. and Canada with more enthusiasm than ever.”