Umeå Architecture School

Working in collaboration with Danish practice Henning Larsen Architects, White has achieved an unusually inspirational work environment that has a strong foundation in its location, function and times.

The School of Architecture at Umeå University is the first architectural training institution to open in Sweden since 1964, and certainly makes a bold entrance; a focal point expected to stand tall for at least a century.

With its stark elegance and rustic durability, the building is unmistakably Nordic. However, the untreated timber façade was not part of the initial plan, as from the outset, a glass façade was planned. As work progressed, it was decided that the prospective school should accommodate twice as many students in the same area. With the resultant new acoustic, ventilation and work area criteria, together with the cold climate, a wooden façade was deemed more practical. The expression was gradually transformed into timber with glass features, instead of the opposite.