This architectural design studio was hosted by the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) in Copenhagen and marked a shift in architectural process and problem-solving. Designing in an urban European context was a new and exciting challenge and the supplemented courses and study tours offered by DIS shed light into the delicate nuances of the “Scandinavian-style” of design.

The final project was to design a building as part of the arts revitalization masterplan for the Old Carlsberg Brewery in downtown Copenhagen. This particular building would house eight permanent studios for fashion designers as well as public spaces for gallery and exhibition space, as a runway event space, library, and cafe.

The proposed design draws upon the industrial quality of the old brewery grounds in developing a module designed around the workflow of a fashion designer. The module, which is conveyed more literally as a unit of space on the studio floors, is abstracted on lower floors to inform, public vs. private, light vs. dark, and lofty vs intimate spaces. The dichotomy between these spaces is further articulated with a cladding material inspired by colourful corrugated metal shipping containers.