Norman Foster

Norman Foster is Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners, a global studio for architecture, urbanism and design, rooted in sustainability. Over more than five decades, the practice has pioneered a sustainable approach to architecture and urbanism through a wide range of work, from masterplans to offices, cultural buildings, airports and industrial design. He has been awarded architecture’s highest accolades, including the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the Praemium Imperiale Award for Architecture in Japan, the RIBA Royal Gold medal and the AIA Gold medal. He is president of the Norman Foster Foundation, based in Madrid. In 1999 he was honoured with a Life Peerage, becoming Lord Foster of Thames Bank.

Foster + Partners is an international practice with a worldwide reputation for thoughtful and pioneering design. The practice has never drawn a distinction between architecture and industrial design. The point of contact, the thing that you touch, is as important as the broader vision. The industrial design team established in 1980, has developed a wide range of products from door handles to wind turbines; from a fountain pen to the cabin of an executive jet; from a tap to the fit-out of an ocean yacht. Frequently, products are designed in response to a particular project, but we also work directly with clients on product commissions or with companies to develop new products for commercial manufacture.

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Norm
Architects

Norm Architects was founded in 2008. The multidisciplinary design studio works within the fields of industrial design, residential architecture, commercial interiors, photography and art direction. Much like human well-being, the essence of Norm Architects’ work is found in balance — between richness and restraint, order and complexity.

Each project — whether in architecture, interiors, design or creative direction — is imbued with the same intrinsic quality: a simplicity that carries bigger ideas. Guided by the body and mind rather than by trends or technology, their projects explore ideas that not only look good, but feel good too: Architecture be- comes thoughtful, minimalism acquires softness and visual matter assumes haptic qualities. Their work is sharp and crisp, and exudes, tacitly, a focus on quality, details and durability. Situated in one of the oldest streets of Copenhagen, Denmark, the studio is respectful to its context here and build on the traditions of Scandinavian de- sign — of timeless aesthetics, natural materials and upholding modernist principles of restraint and refinement. Through exploring what it is that heightens the human senses regardless of personal preference, their projects strip spaces, objects, ideas and images back to their simplest form. Their expertise lies in finding the balance — when there’s nothing more to either add nor take away.

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Keiji
Ashizawa

Keiji Ashizawa Design is an architecture and product design studio based in Tokyo, Japan. Formed in 2005 by Keiji Ashizawa, the studio is comprised of both architects and designers, all bringing unique skills to the team.

Through logical thinking and open-mindedness, the studio presents works of ‘honest’ design — simple, thoughtful and refined — derived naturally through the process of maximizing the potential of each material. The work of the studio is based on the notion that the sharing of experiences is essential to the creative process, exercised through collaboration on many levels: internally amongst the designers, and in maintaining relationships with clients and other creative professionals to grow, learn and form an evolving dialogue of thought. After graduating from Yokohama National University in 1996, Keiji spent the first ten years of his career working as both an architect and steel fabricator. The unique skills and experience gained throughout these early years, including a valued understanding of materials, continue to influence his approach to design.

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Sara Martinsen

Sara Martinsen is a Danish designer and artist based in Copenhagen. Her approach is experimental and she likes to explore the potential of natural materials through old and new techniques. Sara finds her inspiration in the origin; a beautiful material, a specific craft or the local history of a given location. To Sara there is always a relevant story to capture in order to ensure a strong visual story and enhance the characteristics of a given material. Her work is sculptural with a distinct rhythm and tactility.

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