Our Values
Cities and landscapes are facing profound change. Climate shifts, biodiversity loss,and stressed ecosystems make the need for new solutions increasingly urgent.
Schønherr supports public authorities and private developers in turning ambitions into tangible transformations in the built environment.
We provide consultancy grounded in cross-disciplinary insight, long-standing experience, and a Nordic approach where nature, simplicity, and long-term resilience form the foundation. Our practice generates architectural value and measurable outcomes — socially, environmentally, and aesthetically.
We call it ‘Sense with Sensibility’— a design ethos where functionality, biodiversity, and cultural heritage are united in solutions that stand the test of time.
We show the way toward transformation over replacement — creating urban spaces and landscapes where both people and nature are given room to thrive.
Our values are rooted in the New European Bauhaus initiative and thereby reflect a broader collective vision for the future.Our values are rooted in the New European Bauhaus initiative and thereby reflect a broader collective vision for the future. We show the way toward transformation over replacement — creating urban spaces and landscapes where both people and nature are given room to thrive.
Our approach integrates beauty, long term durability, and community building — not as separate objectives, but as interconnected strategies in shaping places where people are invited to stay, participate, and belong.
Beauty
AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE
In architecture, beauty is not a matter of style — but of quality, care, and respect for site. It is what we sense when a public space or landscape simply feels right.
Beauty emerges in the intersection of people, nature, and culture, and in solutions that endure both aesthetically and functionally over time.
Beauty is a conscious investment in quality. It strengthens people’s sense of belonging and can evolve into a contemporary cultural heritage whose value grows over time.
At Schønherr, we treat quality awareness and skilled craftsmanship as tangible tools in planning and design.
We advise clients on creating places that connect the existing with the new — where reuse, material integrity, and detailing contribute to experience, identity, and sustainability.
Durability
TOMORROW'S NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE
Durability emerges when function, climate, and community are considered - together. Plan with flexibility, design in harmony with natural processes, and use resources with care.
Schønherr provides nature-positive consultancy that builds on existing assets and balances the need for development with the carrying capacity of the landscape and cultural context.
We prioritize transformation over new construction, reuse of materials, and spatial efficiency — creating room for nature, renewable energy, and recreational value.
Our solutions do not simply protect against climate change — they engage with nature’s forces rather than resist them.
Our approach is rooted in professional depth, interdisciplinary collaboration, and documentation. We measure, learn, and adjust — to ensure that what we build today will endure tomorrow.
Community
THE BEST SOLUTIONS ARE SHAPED TOGETHER
Strong communities are fundamental to both social welfare and sustainable development.
Creating physical and social environments where people thrive, feel heard, and take ownership is a shared responsibility.
At Schønherr, we work closely with clients, users, and local communities to deliver projects rooted in genuine dialogue and shared value. Engagement is never a formality — it is a strategic and meaningful part of the design process.
We design participatory processes with methodological clarity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a sensitivity to complexity.
Through facilitation, process consultancy, and inclusive development, we translate co-creation into concrete, durable solutions.
There's a conversation to be had!
THE SCHØNHERR METHOD
Schønherr has developed a thoroughly tested methodological framework that supports integrated value creation in complex architecture and landscape projects. The aim is to establish a shared direction in consultancy and project development, ensuring that all stakeholders — including clients, authorities, users, and collaborators — work towards a clear, long-term vision with measurable outcomes.
The Schønherr Method is structured around our three core values - Beauty, Durability and Community - which are inspired by the principles of the New European Bauhaus Initiative.
The method provides a structured framework for value-based dialogue and informed decision-making in the early phases of a project. Through analysis, facilitation, and co-creation, we focus on the conditions, dilemmas, and value chains that shape the project’s development and strategic priorities.
It also enables a coherent course for external dialogue and supports ongoing evaluation of project objectives.
This method is complemented by a wide range of analytical tools, such as Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), climate impact measurements, urban life analyses, and habitat mapping. This allows us to link qualitative values with quantifiable goals — translating vision into projects that deliver both architectural quality and documented impact.
