URBAN SPACES – EVERYDAY LANDSCAPES
"A good place allows us to be present – not as spectators, but as participants in its quiet rhythm." - Juhani Pallasmaa
Schønherr designs outdoor environments where function, beauty, and quality of life go hand in hand. We enhance the character of parks, residential and commercial areas, streets, cemeteries, and squares as sensory and functional urban spaces across scales and typologies.
URBAN SPACES
A good urban space does not need to explain itself – it is felt in the way people linger, breathe a little deeper, and find calm in the unexpected.
Schønherr develops contemporary urban spaces with respect for local identity, historical layers, and social cohesion.
Through detailed documentation and analysis of cultural environments - including architectural and landscape heritage, materials, and historical patterns - we establish a strong foundation for planning and design.
We map development potential and heritage values, supported by visual analyses and site-specific data that highlight the unique character of each place.
We revitalise or restore town centres, squares, parks, and former industrial or commercial sites using green and microclimatic design principles. Lighting, surfacing, and furnishings are often based on reused or locally sourced materials.
In doing so, we reinforce cultural heritage by anchoring design in historical traces - interpreted as layers within a contemporary narrative.
PARKS AND CEMETERIES
“Parks are the playgrounds of the heart.”
– Unknown
Schønherr develops conservation and development plans for parks, cemeteries, and cultural landscapes, with deep respect for local identity and historical layers.
Through documentation, analysis, and visual mapping, we identify heritage values and development potential in built and landscape environments, engaging in interdisciplinary dialogue with local archives, museums, and ecclesiastical authorities.
Our solutions integrate functionality, aesthetics, and site-specific interpretation, promoting biodiversity, social life, and climate adaptation. Parks are designed as recreational oases, while cemeteries are adapted to contemporary needs as places for remembrance and retreat.
We prepare masterplans with new burial typologies, integrated rainwater management, and long-term maintenance strategies that balance tradition and renewal. Material choices and planting schemes support reflection, community, and enduring beauty - with trees as the defining, living framework of each site.
HEALTH, HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL AREAS
“The best urban spaces are those where you feel like staying – without necessarily having to do anything.”
– Jan Gehl
Beautiful surroundings promote health and well-being - both tangibly and measurably. Schønherr facilitates early-stage needs assessments and opportunity mapping through co-creative processes in new construction and renovation projects.
We design masterplans for business districts that unite functionality, aesthetics,and climate responsibility, guided by the EU Taxonomy. Green structures, CO₂-reducing strategies, and simple, elegant spaces for logistics and social use enhance both workplace environments and corporate sustainability profiles.
In healthcare design, we apply restorative design principles to create plans and design for sensory-rich outdoor spaces - healing gardens and green retreat areas surrounding hospitals and care homes.
In residential areas, we focus on social sustainability and nature-based environments. We design shared spaces, pathways, and outdoor zones with an emphasis on aesthetics, stormwater management, biodiversity, and neighbourly interaction - supporting movement, well-being, and universal accessibility.
THE ART OF BUILDING AND DESIGN
“Buildings are details in the landscape”
– Torben Schønherr
Schønherr designs functional facilities such as outdoor classrooms, visitor centres, recycling stations, clubhouses, and technical infrastructure - serving as frameworks for functionality, experience, and learning.
Rooted in the site’s identity and cultural history, we develop durable architecture using reclaimed or otherwise long-lasting materials. Each building is shaped through in-depth site and cultural analysis and guided by the philosophy that buildings are crafted details of the landscape - anchored in the context and place.
We work across disciplines and manage projects from early needs assessment and programming through concept design, 3D modelling, and tendering. Throughout the process, we actively involve clients and users through participatory dialogue, visual tools, and co-creative clarification of needs.
