People & Culture

All our staff participate in and develop professional forums of knowledge sharing, contributing to nurturing our joint creativity and skill set. This includes training session on the latest technologies, seminars on sustainable food systems, water-colouring, and hand-sketching courses and much more. Through mentorship, we actively nurture talent throughout the organisation, creating opportunities for continuous growth for the individual, for project teams, and for Schmidt Hammer Lassen as a whole.

Through morning swims in the harbour, our “SHL Days” study trips, annual summer, and winter parties as well as communal eating during lunch breaks, we encourage a culture of social connectivity. A workplace where people come not only to work but also to share meaningful moments and interaction with their colleagues.

Schmidt Hammer Lassen (SHL) was founded in 1986 in Aarhus, Denmark, by Morten Schmidt, Bjarne Hammer, and John F. Lassen.

Our portfolio comprises cultural and educational buildings, offices, commercial and retail spaces, adaptive reuse projects, and residential buildings, often integrated into mixed-use developments and complex urban contexts.

We undertake projects across a broad spectrum of scales, encompassing everything from interior design to conceptual plans, large-scale urban development plans, and landscape architecture. Our designs are rooted in Nordic architectural traditions and guided by principles of democracy, welfare, aesthetics, light, sustainability, and social responsibility.

Operating from offices in Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Shanghai, we offer skilled architectural services globally, backed by a distinguished track record as designers of international, high-profile architecture. Our firm is design-driven and client-focused, committed to producing extraordinary designs and delivering them with exceptional efficiency.

Through an innovative, sustainable, and democratic approach to architecture, our practice has attracted global attention, winning more than 100 national and international awards.

In 2018, our firm joined global architecture and design firm Perkins&Will, expanding our international reach while reinforcing Perkins&Will’s dedication to sustainability leadership and design excellence.

Learn more about our extended P&W family.

Perkins&Will was founded in 1935 on the belief that design has the power to transform lives. The firm is committed to creating a better, more beautiful, and equitable world through Living Design - an approach that integrates environmental, social, and design considerations to advance ecological health and well-being. With an international team of more than 2,500 professionals, the firm has over 30 studios worldwide, providing integrated services in architecture, interior design, branded environments, urban design, and landscape architecture. The firm serves clients across a diverse array of markets, including aviation, corporate and commercial, cultural and civic, health, science and technology, sports and recreation, transit, and workplace, to name a few.

London-based Portland Design Associates was founded in 1987 and is a leading place strategy, branding and retail strategy design studio lead by Managing Director Ibrahim Ibrahim. Portland was acquired by Perkins&Will in 2015 but has like Schmidt Hammer Lassen maintained its own brand and operates as an independent entity.

Portland is a leading strategic branding and retail design business and works on a broad range of projects including retail, F&B, consumer brands, shopping centres, airports, train stations, mixed-use developments and urban regeneration.

Portland’s understanding of consumers’ relationship with brands and their engagement with branded physical and digital environments lies at the heart of their work. This understanding is built through research and insights that drive future customer expectations. Portland places great emphasis on ‘future readiness’.

Learn more about Portland.

McLennan Design is a regenerative architecture, planning, design, and product design practice focused on deep green sustainability, community, and education. The firm was founded in 2013 by global sustainability leader and green design pioneer Jason F. McLennan. Its mission is to design socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative solutions to the most vexing design challenges that exist today. The firm brings institutional knowledge and expertise of the Living Building Challenge, and the host of related programs, unmatched in the A/E industry.

McLennan Design has led the sustainability strategy for such deep green projects as Climate Pledge Arena, designed to be the first Living Building Challenge certified arena in the world; the Seattle Aquarium; ASHRAE World Headquarters; and Yale University’s Divinity School campus masterplan. The firm is currently designing the greenest building in the state of Connecticut—HTMX Headquarters in Norwalk.

McLennan Design joined Perkins&Will in 2022, where Jason McLennan was appointed as Chief Sustainable Officer and managing director of P&W studio in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Learn more about McLennan Design.

Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates is a pioneering force in transportation planning and engineering, shaping vibrant, sustainable, and equitable mobility solutions since its inception in 1987. With offices across the United States, including hubs in San Francisco, Boston, and New York City, Nelson\Nygaard is at the forefront of reimagining urban transportation.

Dedicated to fostering accessible and inclusive communities, Nelson\Nygaard offers a comprehensive suite of services, from strategic transportation planning to policy development. Notable projects include the Downtown Brooklyn Transportation Plan and the San Francisco Better Market Street redesign.

In 2016, Nelson\Nygaard joined Perkins&Will further enhancing its capabilities to integrate transportation planning with urban design and architecture. Together, they offer a holistic approach to creating sustainable and resilient communities.

Learn more about Nelson\Nygaard.

Founded amidst the elegance of Paris in 1979, Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR) has distinguished itself for its unwavering commitment to excellence. Operating from its studios in Paris and Chicago, the firm has earned international accolades for its transcendent interior architecture and design projects, gracing the most opulent hotels, restaurants, and residences worldwide.

Celebrated for its lauded designs, PYR has left an indelible mark on the world’s premier hospitality brands—Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, Fairmont, St. Regis, Peninsula, Shangri-La, Sofitel, InterContinental, and a constellation of boutique hotels. PYR has crafted immersive gastronomic spaces for culinary luminaries, including Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse, Gérard Boyer, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

The firm has also overseen grand-scale commercial renovation projects for the Maison Boucheron and the Chopard boutique, both on the Place Vendôme in Paris, several exquisite residential projects including the Jade Signature in Miami, as well as various private residences around the world.

PYR’s design philosophy revolves around creating refined, comfortable atmospheres that exude elegance, providing a timeless backdrop for the evolving modern culture.

Collaborating with global artisans, each recognized for excellence in their field, PYR deftly weaves historical and contemporary references into its designs.

Learn more about Pierre-Yves Rochon.