Spacon & X is a Copenhagen-based design and architecture studio that works to create spatial identity across different mediums. Their cross-disciplinary work boasts a fusion between traditionally separated fields, contributing to a holistic physical brand experience. Chosen by ArchDaily as part of our 2023 New Practices, the studio works with an explorative approach to architecture, design, event planning, and production.
The studio is run by three partners who each come from different backgrounds: Architecture, Fashion Design, and Scenographic Design. In an interview with Nikoline Dyrup Carlsen, Svend Jacob Pedersen, and Malene Hvidt, ArchDaily delves into their practice, exploring their distinct skill sets and their collaborative and exploratory work ethic. The interview also goes beyond the practice, discussing their unique methodology and commercial business development strategy. Housing 25 employees with various backgrounds, the studio includes architects, carpenters, building constructors, and craft makers and is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of design and architecture.
Read on to discover more about their interview with ArchDaily for New Practices 2023.
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"You Can't Do Architecture Just with Architects": In Conversation with Oana StănescuThe partners explain their creative process in the interview, mixing different fields and melting the boundaries between them. Working across multiple disciplines and scales, the studio is committed to evolution. In fact, the partners explain how exciting the challenge of seeing how broad each project can become is. Their methodology allows more control of the entire process, allowing them to begin from an early concept to a final delivered space and continue developing the design until the end.
For the trio, creating powerful experiences requires a genuine and daring approach that evolves organically from within. They emphasize finding your own vision and beliefs, rather than mimicking industry standards, and creating a space that allows every team member to be authentic. In fact, they value personal relations and believe in approaching their work from a personal angle, generating innovative and bold solutions driven by passion and authenticity.
Through this process, more organic definitions of the practice are born. The iterative nature of this design process also allows the studio's work to be pretty collaborative. Instead of competition, the firm believes in beneficial open dialogues that add value to both parties involved. Giving the example of their relationship with carpenters, Malene Hvidt explains how having skilled craft makers on their teams sets them apart from the traditional architecture industry. On the one hand, the carpenter can teach the designers about decisions that can be made earlier in the design process, optimizing production. From the carpenter's end, unlearning traditional methodologies and stepping into this explorative design thinking process can also be educational.
The partners explain that "in a way, it is a bit of an educational studio." Hiring people from very different backgrounds and competencies, the practice prioritizes overall design and creativity exploration. As their team is very diversified, that shapes many of the projects the studio delivers. At their core, Spacon & X trust that the tie between their employees and them is an overall set of beliefs and shared values. In fact, one founder mentions that by hiring an expert weaver or clay caster, they can then be challenged to understand how this materiality can be a channel for the spatial story.
The partners acknowledge that people in now seek experiences rather than static spaces, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and material selection. In 2023, the physical space is evaluated based on the experience it provides rather than its sales potential per square meter. The partners recognize the need for spaces to engage, communicate, and connect with the user, whether they experience it in person or through digital media.
When asked about experimentation with materiality, the studio believes materials are essential for various reasons. Apart from the responsibility to be conscious about material use, questioning if these are the correct materials or the best application of certain materials, the partners believe that materiality can tell a story. Through creating branding and spatial identities, materiality can become the medium through which a user experiences the space.
Taking this a step further, materials give certain experiential qualities to the space. Moreover, through this application, it can become strongly related to an openness in the way things are designed or constructed. Moreover, when functions are bare and exposed, the user can experience the space and connect with it on a deeper psychological level. Whether it is a material, joinery, furniture piece, or an installation, it "must have a quality and a reason for being there."
We really enjoy entering each project as a form of collaboration and a journey. -- Nikoline Dyrup Carlsen
Birthed out of this organic process is a core reliance on collaboration. Each client that works with Spacon & X inherently has the urge to enter this journey with the studio. In fact, the team places a lot of emphasis on the work becoming partially embedded in the identity of the client or the brand. Known for their brand strategic approach, their design process allows space for collaboration and experimentation. The practice's perspective on telling stories about brands in physical spaces naturally creates various results with no fixed design aesthetic.
Overall, their journey as a studio has been marked by a dedication to remaining dynamic and non-corporate. They prioritize strong client relationships and are committed to challenging and improving themselves both internally and externally. Their ability to blend commercial viability with explorative creativity has attracted clients who seek transformation and innovation.
In summary, Spacon & X is a pioneering studio that seamlessly weaves together diverse creative fields, fostering a collaborative, explorative, and educational atmosphere. Their commitment to holistic design, personal relations, and continuous evolution sets them apart in the world of architecture and design. Chosen as one of ArchDaily's New Practices 2023, their work is a testament to the power of creativity, innovation, and authenticity in shaping remarkable spatial experiences.
