JONAS BJERRE-POULSEN —

NORM ARCHITECTS

Finding the essence

The purpose of architecture and design is to

address our instinct to dwell and create a framework

for the essential human needs of safety, identity,

belonging, and purpose. In response to a noisy and

technologised world, essentialist design can then

serve as our sanctuary. It may seem easy and

effortless to create simple works. However, we

find

that eliminating the extraneous to emphasise

the important is often more challenging than

its opposite. There is nothing to hide behind.

We’ve slowly but surely been accustomed to

desire temporary pleasures and acquisitions, until

our lives are anything but simple. This has led to the

minimising of fundamental human needs such as

the connection to others, a sensory relationship with

nature, a feeling of security and clarity about our role

within the wider community. Ancient cultures have

always known that the human mind needs quiet

to focus on what is truly meaningful and joyful.

So perhaps the question we ask ourselves today

is quite simple: ‘What can I live without?’

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