Lunch with Lene Tranberg

Lene Tranberg is from Copenhagen, Denmark and is one of the Partners of Lundgaard & Tranberg Arkitekter A/S

She presented three lectures while in NZ, in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington (see the Futuna Lecture Series 2016 website for details) and the lunchtime event was a way to meet her and have a different kind of conversation.
Tickets were $80, which covers lunch, wine, great conversation, and a donation to the Friends of Futuna Charitable Trust.

image credits: www.ltarkitekter.dk

By Megan Rule, South Pacific Architecture Ltd

Danish architect Lene Tranberg describes how she started out in practice shortly after graduating from the Royal Danish Academy when she co founded Lundgaard & Tranberg with Boje Lundgaard in 1983, now spanning four decades. Lundgaard was an important collaborator and mentor who won recognition for his significant contribution to the Danish building industry in1995 with the Nykredit Prize. Tranberg won the same award a decade later in 2005. In the1990s they were recognised for their Energy plant designs. Lundgaard &Tranberg won the Danish Dreyer Award together in 2005 for ‘for their significant artistic work on many beautiful buildings in a very broad spectrum’

When LT Arkitekter celebrated competition winning designs for the Tietgenkollegiet Student Residence and Royal Danish Theatre in 2004, Lundgaard passed away. Tranberg describes the two of years after that time when she lead the practice as some of the hardest ‘I worked 24 hours a day. We became seven partners and after a couple of years we reconfigured practice/ management roles to share the practice lead role’

Tranberg identified how social culture and nature have had an important influence on her work through development in firstly their award winning Tietgenkollegiet project, a clever circular courtyard and multi storey 360 room residence. The project captured its community through a refreshing engagement with its traditional linear neighbours, and along with a series of responsive urban projects, helped to increase public social space in the heart of Copenhagen.

Scandinavian countries rate in the top 5 global countries for equity while New Zealand places 7^th. Tranberg says ‘there is an equal view to work opportunities, although parental leave is still not as supportive as desirable’ with 14- 52 weeks. In New Zealand, parental leave has just increased in April 2016 from 14-18 weeks.

In future there is mutual interest in establishing a regular Scandinavian/ Australasian exchange to strengthen associations and continue dialogue. Data indicates that females often make up over 60% of attendees at architectural retreats. If this opportunity is of interest do get in touch.

Futuna Charitable Trust A+W/NZIA Lunch + NZIA Futuna Talk