Interview with Snorre Stinessen

The choice of education was perhaps a bit by chance, but certainly by heart, in as much as I had no clear idea of what I wanted to do at that time. After graduating I also had some years where my main work was something else entirely. Today, however I feel I fully understand the privilege I have being a designer and architect and that is something I cherish every day.

For every design I start by gathering as much information about all the elements that need to be taken into account and then try to understand them in a manner that enables me to come up with a conceptual design or idea that is not only analytical, but is also about gut feeling or subconsciousness. The next step is to discuss the conceptual design with my client - where the goal always is to agree that we are on the right path. If I can not convince my client of the first idea it should be reviewed again.

I guess most will describe a design process as a bit of a roller coaster and of course it is. To me seeing the end result is rewarding if it really turns out as planned, but the most exciting part is the initial idea phase. All the phases in between are full of ups and downs, but fortunately for me I am mostly a very happy designer.

This is a difficult question, but I believe in trusting your gut feeling. The ability to keep calm under stress is probably also useful and probably enables me to focus more on the task at hand at any stage in the process.

To me the dream project is most likely my next new assignment - regardless of size, location or use. My main goal as an architect and designer would be to do as good a job as I can on any project.

Trust your instincts and believe in yourself - that is after all what makes you special and who knows that may be exactly what leads us into the future. For most there will be time needed to actually learn the trade and my best advice would be to actually be willing to learn and understand. Soak up as much as you can along your way, but do not let it get in the way of who you are.

To me design is a personal profession and process. The variety of personalities and approaches to good design is what makes it interesting, however I feel we should all remember to be humble in front of each new project or task we are presented with. Listen to our clients and to our surroundings and respect the nature.

I do not have too many routines apart from daily family life and try to keep it that way. Flexibility and new angles gives inspiration.

I find myself looking more backwards into history and trying to follow what others are doing. There is so much knowledge in history that is often overlooked or forgotten. Knowledge and experience that is lacking in many projects today.

Good design can be understood from so many different perspectives and individual approaches to it, but to me I guess thoughtfulness and care is part of it. There is also the famous x-factor to the best design.

To me the design, the conceptual design, needs to respond well to my gut feeling and all the choices of the continued design process needs to adhere to the conceptual design. At some stage you should restrain from over-designing, but to find that spot is of course very difficult, but a strong conceptual idea should also be able to absorb some things left to chance.

I guess Manshausen Island Resort probably is the project I have spent most time working on and at the same time been able to work on all details of the design from site planning to buildings to interiors and furniture. The key to success was the team we were able to put together who all had the same goal in mind. Although a larger project, I feel Narvik Arctic Resort that we are currently working has the same energy from all parties involved that should make it a very interesting project at the end.

There are many great architects out there, but I guess Sverre Fehn is one of my biggest sources of inspiration. However there are of course many others.

I live in Northern Norway, well above the arctic circle, and I guess the exposure and respect we have to nature living here also reflects in my designs. I travel quite a lot, either for work or with my family and love the inspiration from other places. Currently we are working on projects in several countries and to me it is a gift to be able to work in different cultures and with different kinds of people.

My experience has shown me what a true privilege it is to be an architect and designer. We are a very small studio with me in the office here in Tromsø while my assistant lives in Italy. This arrangement is partly by chance, but I am very conscious about retaining my freedom to work closely with all the projects we take on and the freedom to do what I actually love to do - design.

The A´Design Award is a potential great recognition on the work we are doing and good feedback is always welcome! It has also been a fantastic opportunity for exposure of our projects and a great window to the outside world. Receiving an award is not only good for the confidence in what we are doing, but it also gives you a sense of responsibility to do your best on all projects.

I did not have a clear goal of becoming a designer or an architect, but have always had an open mind and positive attitude towards both possibilities and challenges. I have for a few years also worked at the same time in a very different business and today that has given me the insight of truly appreciating every day I have the fortune of working as an architect.

It has indeed been a choice, although not always a very focused choice, definitely my own choice.

Architecture with the design of buildings and building environments - both small scale and larger developments. Regardless of size I believe strongly in the importance of planning both the interior and exterior of a building as a comprehensive process. I also do interior and even furniture design - both custom made for specific projects and for production.

Follow your own heart and your own ideas - that´s the only way to express who you really are as a designer or architect. Of course you need to learn and listen to experience, you need to study and you need to work hard; but you should always try to preserve the essence of yourself and your own approach to design.

A great design has relevance and depth beyond just eye-catching shape or design and a great designer in my opinion works hard to realise their ideas because they believe in them.

A really good design, in my opinion, give you a good stomach feeling.

Good design is well considered and a meaningful answer to a function or a desired expression. It may enhance the experience not just of the object or graphics designed, but also the very elements the design is made for.

If I had the opportunity I would love to design for children, objects or even schools, because I believe there is so much learning and inspiration to be given with an interesting and comprehensive design approach.

That would be designing a school where you work with talented teachers to create a comprehensive platform for teaching, learning, inspiring and social interaction with design as an integrated tool in all aspects. Just think of all the elements you can utilise and play with - how opening a door to a class room can be part of teaching and understanding mathematics, the room itself can give an actual understanding of the theoretics you are studying, etc, etc..

I believe in finding a strong conceptual idea that sits well with your stomach feeling (i.e. also subconsciously, not just analytically) and then build it stronger and not diluting it through the design process.

Find yourself.

My biggest supporters are my wife, children and friends.

I do not think of myself as a great designer, but hopefully I am able to design something which resonates well with other people and in particular my customers and which is an interesting answer to the individual task.

I am fortunate to work on several very rewarding and interesting projects - hope they all will become interesting :-)

To delivery my best work for all the projects that I am given and decide to take on.

There are so many ways to answer this. The main answer from me would have that when design is able to relay the importance of the object, function, etc that it is set in relation to, it enhances our cultural appreciations, understanding etc. In the ideal world it functions as a language more on the subconscious level than the outspoken.

Currently working on many very interesting projects, among these an alpine skiing resort in the city of Narvik that will be hugely important for the city itself.

Probably Manshausen, because there are so many visitors that understand the underlying thoughts behind the concept and design and at the same time just find their own peace when sitting behind the glass, floating above the moving sea.

To me it seems too easy to become fascinated by rendered digital images of an object/design, which makes it harder to discern and also value the true fundamentals of the design approach at the basic level.

Honestly I have not given such issues much thought. I am approaching design in my own manner and my focus is on my own creations and not what others choose to do. It is important to me that there are individual answers and designs and that this is respected. People will understand and see things differently and that is what makes the world go round :-)

Depends on the project.

Understanding the task, site/surroundings (if relevant) and the customer/client.

A useful tool.

I try to have an open mind and also be mindful of not repeating myself or my approach too much.

Fortunately I am not famous, but in a creative work it is truly appreciated to have positive feedback on your work. Awards are certainly a fantastic positive feedback, but it also sharpens your own awareness that the work we do can - and should be - important to many. It also inspires to keep on the hard work needed on the next project, and the next after that.

Working on interesting projects with interesting clients is all the motivation you need. The desire to find a good answer the the task or challenge I am given drives me.

It is originally a one man studio, but I now have a very talented assistant working from Italy. We undertake various kind of projects, but always with the philosophy of close interaction with the customer and a search for a strong conceptual idea which answers to both the clients need/scope and the site/surroundings.

Design to me is perhaps an individual or unique approach to both understanding and answering to a task, problem, product etc.

Comprehensive projects where I am involved throughout the design process. in terms of a building that is both interiors and exteriors and sometimes even furniture. Large or small is not important.

In product design Apple is an easy choice because they have been so design driven and focused - and partly by that so far ahead of its competitors. Now we see how an entire industry has followed. But, for me personally the architectural works of Sverre Fehn was an early inspiration.

Lamps and railing systems for a cinema.

Pen and paper

I try very hard not to be fall into routine, because I strongly believe intuition is important to find a comprehensive and interesting approach to my conceptual ideas. So, I guess anytime me and my subconsciousness is ready :-)

A clear conceptual idea.

I guess the same as anybody else; joy, frustration, joy, frustration, more frustration etc. But, I just love it when I feel I am on the right track - that´s a good a drug as anything!

If the end-result is as envisaged it is certainly a sense of completion; reaching the end of a long journey. But, as we don´t control everything to the end result there are certainly also often some mixed feelings.

In my mind finding and honing a clear conceptual idea.

I try not to judge others work. I know what I like, but that is also a personal thing.

Certainly trying to do your best work on every project. By that I also mean you need to be personally involved.

Difficult question as I also feel we should be careful to over-design everything, at least just for the sake of design. Nature is the best designer we have and it seems like there is a growing movement of including sustainable solutions, materials and even nature itself in both architecture and design. Hopefully that can continue as a guideline without trying to manipulate nature too much.

I was fortunate to have two projects exhibited at Biennale di Venezia last year.

My sources of inspiration may be many and varied, but specifically it should be site and customer/scope when designing a building.

I do not have any deliberate design style.

I live in Northern Norway, small town called Tromsø, and the closeness to nature and sometimes harsh weather conditions have certainly affected my thinking.

I am a strong believer of communication, listening and during the development of the process also discussing and agreeing on the way ahead.

My main advice would be the same as I would give myself - trusting your designer (or in my case the client); not blindly of course, but in a manner that you try to understand and appreciate the rationale behind their design or critique.

My process is most often one of trying to understand my customer or the scope as best as I can, and understanding the site if applicable; before I do allow myself to have too many ideas of the design itself. The goal is to find a comprehensive conceptual idea that me and my customer can agree upon. During the project development dialogue is important both to test what you are doing and also to make your customer feel at home with what you are developing.

Our water cooker by Frank Gehry, our B20 kitchen by Bulthaup, my tea cup found in Rome, my espresso cup from Tazza d´oro and

I try to keep my days as flexile as I can - also because we are a family of five and we all enjoy our time together. But, I too have office time, after which I shop for dinner and perhaps some wine, make dinner which we all enjoy together (often quite late by Norwegian standards to ensure all of us actually can come to dinner) and then I often work in the evenings as well. Work is certainly a large part of my life, but only because I enjoy it so much and have lots of interesting projects.

Try to find yourself and your own "language". It is the uniqueness of the individual approach that gives us great new ways of thinking and understanding. But, I also believe in studying and a respect and interest for what has been done by others, but from very old times and now in our time.

Mostly just positives, but I guess that is also my general approach to life ;-)

Finding the right conceptual idea.

Creativity, but also problem solving and analytical skills.

Pen and paper. My approach to software is very basic. I use VectorWorks as a software.

Working longer hours and not letting the stress get to me.

That varies with the complexity of the task and many other factors.

Many very interesting projects from small to fairly large scale. One of the most exciting is an entire alpine destination and resort in Narvik.

By phone or e-mail.