White

We create desirable, democratic architecture that empowers people

Annual & Sustainability Report 2016

2/10: CEO’s Statement

We want everyone to be able to relate to urban public space with a feeling of entitlement and ease. However the geopolitical situation of 2016 reflect a widespread uncertainty about sharing resources and growing protectionism. As architects and urban planners we take action and deepen our understanding through spatial, cultural and social expertise – especially as White expands internationally.

White performed very well 2016 – 900 million SEK in turnover and 7 percent in profit margin. This reflects the good work we are doing. So let’s keep it up and guide new and existing clients towards building a sustainable future.

Monica von Schmalensee
CEO / Partner / Architect

Read more about take action

3/10: Sustainability: A Holistic View

White is committed to remain at the forefront of the development of a sustainable society. Through the assignments we take on, our position in the debate and by minimising our own environmental impact.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals put our work in a global context and have inspired our new business plan. Through architecture, we can initiate change. For people, within the planetary boundaries.

Anna Graaf
Director of Sustainability

Read more about Promote Change

3/10: Sustainability: A Holistic View

Minimal impact starts with understanding the conditions, accepting them and making the most of them. We decided to transform the challenges of the harsh weather and steep slopes of the Faroe Islands into our tools and identity markers. Using timber construction and local sheep wool for insulation, the "eyes" are built to form inner gardens protected from the winds.

Read more about Eyes of Runavik Read more about Eyes of Runavik

4/10: About White & Our Team

We are Scandinavian pioneers in architecture and have been for 66 years.

Our employees are our most valuable asset. Their knowledge and engagement form the basis which makes our company a success. We are not just one star – but 1000!

We believe that diversity is necessary for tackling the societal challenges we are facing. This is why we have built our collective from multiple disciplines and a balanced gender representation. It is important for us to attract – and hold on to – talent with different cultural backgrounds.

Read more about white & our team

5/10: Sustainability for Us

Sustainability is a driver for creativity and good architecture. For us, it also means taking a holistic approach and a long-term perspective. Our aim is to create environments with people in focus for improving quality of life and wellbeing.

Fighting climate change is our obligation, now and for the coming generations. We have the opportunity for change every day, but we can’t do it alone. Engagement with our stakeholders is crucial.

Read more about a way of Life

5/10: Sustainability for Us

International competition winner, Skellefteå’s cultural centre and hotel is a beautiful venue open for everyone. The design, a contemporary expression and timeless quality, pays homage to the local timber heritage and will be the tallest building using wood frame construction techniques in the Nordic countries.

Read more about Skellefteå Cultural Centre

6/10: Exploring New Contexts Together

White nurtures innovative collaborators, not admirers. We are investigative and curious and our explorative culture is reflected in our investment – 10 percent of our annual turnover – in research and development. For us research is about challenging, for creating better architecture and a better society for all.

A great advantage of being a large collective is the amount of valuable knowledge we amass when combined as a whole. The key to using this knowledge is to share it, to build upon it and continually develop it.

Read more about Exploring new contexts together

6/10: Exploring New Contexts Together

The Museum of Making celebrates the history, present and future of making in Clerkenwell. Over the years this area has been home to a variety of industries, each employing skilled markers and craftspeople, often working in small workshops or factories. This temporary Museum looks back at these histories, presenting tools and artefacts and invites residents and visitors to engage in the art of making.

Read more about The Museum of Making

7/10: Inspiring Architecture with People in Focus

White has always had a human-centred perspective in designing neighbourhoods and buildings. As architects, it is our privilege as well as our responsibility to help create the best conditions for modern life.

We fully support the Global Goals objective to create democratic cities and urban public spaces where everyone feels welcome. We must ensure that each citizen has a place to call home and a place where they feel they belong. We wish to support human rights by creating healthy environments for all.

Read more about A Place for All

7/10: Inspiring Architecture with People in Focus

How do you repurpose abandoned industrial venues for residential use with the aim of creating a diverse area which breathes creativity? White is currently engaged in the transformation of Stockholm’s former industrial quarter Telefonplan, into Lilla Tellus, a new residential district which will be home to thousands of the city’s residents at a time when permanent accommodation is scarce.

The new vision preserves heritage buildings and creates new housing and public areas which reference the district’s industrial identity, creating a well-connected and greener area. The project contributes to the densification of the larger Stockholm and making the most of underused areas between districts. The ambition is to preserve the qualities of the buildings of historic value while developing modern attributes.

Read more about Lilla Tellus

7/10: Inspiring Architecture with People in Focus

The interdisciplinary project Public Spaces for Girls concerns the issues around usage of public spaces from the perspective of the teenage girl. Today, girls use public spaces to a lesser degree than boys; this continues into adulthood. The project aimed to highlight the inequality  issue and proposes a practical method to solve it.

Read more about Public Spaces for Girls / Stockholm

8/10: Challenge towards Zero Carbon

A sustainable life is one lived within our planetary boundaries. We need to take action on our use of planetary resources, in order to combat climate change. We take this challenge seriously and have set targets for ourselves and our clients to achieve zero carbon projects, wherever possible.

This amplifies the focus on responsible sourcing and the climate impact caused by building materials. Examples of this is the increased use of wood in our projects or an office interior consisting of 86 percent reused furniture.

Read more about Climate Action

8/10: Challenge towards Zero Carbon

The citizens of Växjö, Sweden, will get a new living room in the middle of their city in 2019. White’s competition winning design "Under one roof" comprises the City Hall and train station and creates a new landmark. Connecting the city’s different parts and qualities, the building is a hub open to everyone, from teenage girls and senior citizens to municipal employees and visitors.

Read more about Växjö Station and City Hall

9/10: Our Environmental Impact

True change begins with the individual. As such, we have an opportunity to demonstrate best sustainability practice through our own behaviour.

Every year we follow up our environmental impact, both in our own business and in our projects. The trend is very positive. For the past two years, we have decreased our own carbon footprint by 62 percent.

Read more about Our Environmental Impact

10/10: White in Numbers 2016

The results show good profitability and strong development of the company throughout 2016. Our obligation is to ensure a high quality of design in a world with heightened geopolitical turbulence at a time with intense demand for housing.

Thanks to the creativity and expertise of all our employees we are one of the leading influencers in the development of a sustainable society. This is evident in the projects we accept, how we lead and influence the public debate and also the steps we take to reduce our own environmental impact.

Read more about White in Numbers 2016

10/10: White in Numbers 2016

Vibrant, creative and beautiful are all qualities that characterise the new district Selma City. At the heart of the district, White Arkitekter has created a municipal building shaped like a three-dimensional stage with a facade like a billowing curtain. The mixed-use building forms a creative environment for inspiring collaborations between the citizens, the city’s cultural activities and the municipality.

Read more about Selma City