Meet Malan

What brought you to Henning Larsen?

After having completed my studies in Copenhagen and working in Denmark for a few years, I was intrigued by the possibility to work on projects on the Faroe Islands and the prospect of, at some point, going back to my home country. I started working at the office in Copenhagen, later switching a bit between Copenhagen and the office in Gøta, before finally moving back to the Faroe Islands in 2018.

What do you enjoy most about working at Henning Larsen?

Working on the Faroe Islands feels like working at a smaller, local office, where everyone knows each other – we are around 12-14 people – but at the same time being part of a large company with a global outlook and people with many different backgrounds and areas of expertise. In our small office up north, we often draw on the knowledge from and collaborate with our colleagues around the world. This mix makes working at Henning Larsen very exciting and diverse.

What motivates you in your work?

I am the only landscape architect in our small team, so I have the privilege of working on many different projects. From small scale streetscapes to larger urban plans. Although diverse in scale and theme, one thing that projects often have in common is the opportunity to make an impact. By making small alterations or interventions we can change how spaces are perceived and used by people.

Besides making an impact, I find the atmosphere at our office and the possibility to grow within my role highly motivating. 

Which projects are you particularly proud of and why?

In the urban design of Klaksvík City Center, the first phase after the competion was an apartment building and the areas surrounding it – a central square and a surrounding urban area, with streets, promenade, canals, and an ice-skating rink. This was very rewarding to be a part of and it was the first time I saw a larger project, that I had worked on, come to life. As with many projects, not everything ended up exactly as initially planned for, but the project has had a great impact on Klaksvík, providing the city with the central gathering point it was missing before, and it has been an instrumental stepping stone for many other projects in the area in the following years.

Looking back on your time with Henning Larsen, how have you grown in your role developed your skills?

One aspect of working in a small office, is that it requires that you be able to quickly adapt to different projects and clients, as well as being able to work on all sorts of scales, projects, and phases. The possibility – or requirement, to follow every project from initial sketch to implementation, gives you a great insight into every phase of a project and understanding of the local context and challenges.