Uncategorized

Steensen Varming was well underway with its international expansion in the 1950s, but smaller local projects were no less special to the company. One such project was Varming’s House, a heritage-listed, humble yellow brick house located just north of Copenhagen that is celebrated for its iconic architecture and innovative engineering.

Designed in the 1930s by Steensen Varming’s founder, Jørgen Varming, in collaboration with architects Niels and Eva Koppel, the house was constructed as a private residence for the Varming family.

One of the most notable features of Varming’s House is its air heating system, which was a groundbreaking innovation at the time of its construction and has been preserved to this day. Despite its age, Varming’s House remains and exemplar of innovative design and engineering. The building’s clean lines and minimalist design are characteristic of modern Danish architecture, while its unusual engineering solutions have made it a source of inspiration to architects, engineers, and design enthusiasts around the world.

It might not come as a surprise that Varming’s House has a special connection to Arne Jacobsen, one of the most renowned Danish architects of the 20^th century. Jacobsen was Varming’s close friend and business partner, and it is said that Jacobsen was inspired by the design of the house when he created some of his own iconic buildings. In fact, Jacobsen himself was responsible for the first renovation of Varming’s House in the 1950s, which further solidified the building’s reputation as a masterpiece of modernist design.

Today, visitors to the house can still see many of the original features, as well as the updates made during a more recent renovation in 2014.

In this renovation, Steensen Varming was involved in the refurbishment, retaining the original control system. The renovation included upgrading the windows and adding additional insulation, resulting in a 50 percent reduction in energy usage.

Overall, Varming’s House is an important landmark in the history of modernist architecture and engineering, and its enduring appeal is a testament to the timeless elegance of its design.

After the end of World War II, there was a surge in construction projects across Europe, as nations sought to rebuild their infrastructure and economies. In this context, Steensen Varming secured the first engineering commission outside of Denmark, hired by Irish architect Michael Scott to work on a project that involved providing engineering services for the Irish National Bus Terminal and Headquarters for Irish National Transport Authority. The project was significant as it was Ireland’s first major building construction in the post-war period.

Steensen and Varming’s involvement in this project laid the foundation for their establishment of an office in Ireland. They joined forces with Irish engineers Sean Mulcahy and formed the Irish sister company Varming Mulcahy Reilly Associates (VMRA). This partnership specialized in building and process services and played a significant role in a number of notable projects in the commercial and public sectors over the years.

VMRA’s resources included professional engineers qualified in one or more engineering disciplines, which made it one of Ireland’s leading consultancy practices at the time. The company’s success in Ireland led to its expansion into the UK in the 1950s, where it continued to provide high-quality engineering services for numerous construction projects.

Overall, the Irish National Bus Terminal and Headquarters project was an essential milestone in Steensen Varming’s company history and marked the beginning of the international expansion. It also paved the way for the establishment of VMRA, which became a highly respected engineering consultancy firm in Ireland and beyond.

At Steensen Varming we are always ‘Looking Forward’, pushing our projects and ourselves to do, and be better. The integrity of what we do is more important than what we say and recently, our integrity was put to a test and recognized with the B Corporation Certification.

We are humbled by this recognition, which serves as a testament to our dedication to making a positive impact on society and the environment. The certification process involved a thorough assessment of our impact on our team, clients, community, and the planet.  We are proud to have achieved high scores across all areas, a testament to the commitment and hard work of our team.

As a B Corporation, we have joined a global community of like-minded businesses that prioritize sustainability and ethical business practices. We are aware of the responsibility that comes with this certification and are excited about the opportunities it will provide as we continue to leverage our business as a force for good.

We extend thanks to our team, clients and partners who have played a vital role in reaching this milestone. Steensen Varming remains committed to do and be better while on our mission to drive positive change in the world.

Find the details of our B Corp Certification here.

“500 Women in Property”, a campaign by Property Council of Australia, is aimed at supporting and promoting women in the property and construction industry. The initiative was launched in Australia in 2017 and seeks to identify and showcase 500 women across the country who act as mentors and role models for other women in the industry. The campaign also seeks to create networking opportunities and encourage more women to enter and advance in the industry.

This campaign is part of a broader effort to foster a more diverse and inclusive industry that offers equal opportunities for women to thrive and succeed. Steensen Varming is proud to sponsor one of our team members, Diksha Vijapur, who has been accepted into the program this year.

Diksha has been with Steensen Varming since 2008, where she started as a graduate engineer and advanced to her current position as a Senior Sustainability Consultant. In addition to her professional achievements, she is also pursuing a PhD focused on designing learning environments, which she can integrate with her work at Steensen Varming on projects that centre around schools. She is passionate about implementing the findings from her research to create more effective and sustainable learning spaces.

Diksha is excited about participating in the “500 Women in Property” campaign as an opportunity to gain new insights and collaborate with other women in the industry. With her wide range of experience and interests, she is eager to expand her network across different sectors that align with her various passions.

As someone who could see herself in a leadership role in the future, Diksha recognizes the need to continuously develop her leadership skills. She believes the campaign is an ideal steppingstone to achieve this goal. By participating in the program, she hopes to gain the knowledge and skills required to carry out the responsibilities that come with a leadership position in the industry.

In the heart of Aarhus, Denmark, stands the Aarhus City Hall, a stunning masterpiece of functionalist architecture. The buildings striking design is the result of a fierce competition to secure the contract for its construction, won by the visionary architect Arne Jacobsen.

Jacobsen’s determination to win the bid was evident in his phone call to Jørgen Varming, where he demanded that Varming secure the vote of an engineer to the jury. Jacobsen‘s persistence paid off, and he was awarded the contract to design the new city hall.

The resulting building is a triumph of functional design, with every element carefully considered and optimized for both form and function. As with all of Arne Jacobsen‘s work, the buildings aesthetic is marked by clean lines, geometric shapes, and an emphasis on simplicity and functionality.

Our team had the privilege of providing civil, structural and mechanical building services for this classic work of architecture. Every detail, from the concealed conduits conforming to strict ordering principles to the timber cladding allowing for light and air transmission, was intentionally designed for optimal functionality and aesthetics. This attention to detail has made Aarhus City Hall a timeless masterpiece of Danish architecture.

Aarhus City Hall is now both the administrative centre of Aarhus and a popular venue for cultural events and exhibitions. Its legacy as an architectural and cultural landmark is a testament to Arne Jacobsen’s vision and determination to secure the contract, ensuring his iconic design will inspire for generations.

Steensen Varming have throughout this week celebrated International Women’s Day and will continue the celebration of female empowerment throughout the month in acknowledging Women’s History Month.

We stand together with UN Women and the United Nations in celebrating under the theme of DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality. Despite progress, a persistent gender gap in digital access still exists, limiting women’s ability to fully leverage technology’s potential. Women’s underrepresentation in STEM education and careers remains a significant obstacle to their participation in technological design and governance. Additionally, online gender-based violence, coupled with a lack of legal resource, often forces women out of the digital spaces they do occupy.

The United Nations Observance of IWD recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education. It calls on governments, activists, and the private sector to continue their efforts to create a digital world that is safer, more inclusive, and more equitable.

The hashtag #EmbraceEquity is a good reminder of the long road ahead and the work that is yet to be done, equity is an aspiration that we must pursue every day.

Steensen Varming is proud of all of the women we have as a part of our team and the great work they contribute every day.

In continuing the International Women’s Day celebration and acknowledging Women’s History Month, we introduce Katrín who has been with Steensen Varming for a year as a Digital Designer.

Katrín tells us that she has always been interested in art and diverse ways of expression. Her mother nurtured this interest in her by helping her find various creative outlets from an early age. Katrin’s educational background is in fine arts and photography which she later expanded into graphic design, marketing, and communication and finally a degree in digital concept development.

Reflecting on her past, Katrín remarks, “When I was younger, I saw myself becoming an artist in a traditional sense. I do consider myself an artist in certain respects today, but my journey has led me down a path I would not have guessed a few years ago.” 

When asked about inspiring women in her life Katrín looks up to the women in her family and tells us about their support and pride in her accomplishments despite her life choices being vastly different from theirs, and says it is important to her to show the same support and enthusiasm to the young girls and women in her life. Katrín continues to mention the support system at the workplace, especially during her first months at the company. She says the women on her team always have each other’s backs and have actively helped in creating opportunities for her positive professional and personal development.

In the time Katrín has been with Steensen Varming, she consistently contrbutes by offering a fresh perspective and a keen eye for design and, is looking forward to continuing her work and bringing on new ways of expressing the Steensen Varming brand to both internal and external parties.

During our conversation we asked Katrín what advice she would give to young women embarking on their careers. Katrín emphasized it is acceptable to not have a clear-cut plan and not to view uncertainty as a hurdle to overcome. She shared her own experience of feeling pressure to have everything in order but, in hindsight, recognized the significance of the journey that has led her to where she is today. Katrín concluded by reiterating the importance of supporting younger women and limiting judgement of individual choices, acknowledging that such support can alleviate the pressure that many women encounter when making big life decisions.

International Women‘s Day is celebrated on March 8th every year to acknowledge the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women worldwide. It is a day to celebrate women and promote female empowerment. At Steensen Varming, we participate in this global celebration by introducing some of the strong women who contribute to the success of our global team.

Starting with Michelle, Michelle has been with Steensen Varming since 2007 and has held various roles within the company eventually growing into an HR role. Michelle was the first person in her family to earn a degree in the early 2000s, but her background lies in anthropology, sociology and British neolithic archaeology. At the time, she had no idea her journey would take her to where she is today and over the years Michelle has added various HR qualifications to her impressive list of studies.

One of Michelle’s biggest female inspirations belongs to the Steensen Varming family, a former business manager and Michelle’s first female boss at the company – Michelle admired her pragmatic approach to management and mentoring and has since used the experience as inspiration in her own work.
 

With engineering being a traditionally male-dominated industry, we asked Michelle how she thinks we can encourage more women to pursue a career in engineering? Michelle believes gender stereotypes have much to do with exposure during early years and that increased exposure to women in engineering roles might spark an interest within young girls and women. She continues to say Steensen Varming wants to help in creating this exposure by actively involving our female engineers in mentoring activities, both within and outside of the organisation. 

Michelle further emphasized  the importance of flexibility. Flexibility to support women’s career transitions as well as encouraging men to be more flexible and share responsibilities that are often female led. To help push these changes forward, Steensen Varming has policies and procedures that are updated on a regular basis, offering flexibility, and continuously improving the company to create an inclusive work environment.

Being in an HR role, Michelle’s work largely focuses on implementing positive changes and educating our team in present-day scenarios but looking to the future. Michelle hopes the work she does contributes to creating permanent positive changes in the workplace including the generations of women to come. 

Today, in celebration of Engineering Day, we are pleased to introduce Chris Arkins, our esteemed Director who is based in Sydney with active involvement in all our global studios. With over three decades of experience in the field, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge that he enthusiastically shares with our team. 
 
Chris discovered Steensen Varming early on in his engineering career, as an undergraduate in his final year of study. Although he has since diversified his experience, he has always remained connected to our company. Chris reflects on his time with Steensen Varming in the 2000s, specifically the inspiring focus on sustainability our company embodied during that era. Sustainable engineering solutions have become essential and increasingly demanded in the recent years, however, 20 years ago, this was not necessarily the norm in the industry at large. 
 
Chris first started practicing mechanical engineering, but over the years has developed a diverse set of skills that allow him to contribute to sustainability-focused projects from a technical and mechanical standpoint, and in this he ultimately found his niche. He takes pleasure in sharing his knowledge and expertise both within and outside of the Steensen Varming community, and as he has grown in the industry, he finds enjoyment in teaching others and engaging in activities that allow him to share his experience and expertise with those newer to our company and the industry.  
 
Chris is determined in delivering on the company’s promises as they align with his own ethos of always striving for the best possible outcomes. He emphasizes the significance of good and sustainable long-term design solutions, stating that Steensen Varming continually strives to work on the best projects with the best clients.  
 
Recently, Steensen Varming achieved a B Corporation certification, a testament to our company’s adherence to high standards of social and environmental performance. When asked about the certification’s relevance to the company’s plans, Chris stresses the company’s unwavering commitment to sustainability, ethical responsibility, and social accountability. He notes the B Corporation certification serves as a tool to hold ourselves accountable while demonstrating to others in the industry that we are genuinely who we say we are.  
 
Chris has been with the company for both the 70th and 80th anniversaries and when asked about the company’s upcoming plans in relation to this year being the company’s 90th anniversary, he is happy to see the milestone celebrated globally throughout the year with events in our different locations. He believes these celebrations will strengthen the bond among our studios, allowing them to celebrate together and ensuring everyone feels included in honoring our collective achievements over the years. Chris concludes by expressing excitement about reaching the company’s 100-year milestone. Having experienced and celebrated three significant anniversaries already, he feels the 100th anniversary will arrive soon enough and is eager to see what challenges and opportunities are awaiting to be revealed in the coming years.