Studio He, Sweden: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Studio He, a young architecture practice in Sweden, has joined the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios. The firm is founded by Xiao He, who recently completed this impressive timber dwelling Nabben in rural Sweden – the architect's own private retreat. 

Who: Studio He

Architect Xiao He was born in Wuhan, China, before her family moved to Sweden, where she has been residing since the age of four. Her studio was founded in 2019, following studies in Sweden and Hong Kong, as well as professional experience at established firms. 'In my earlier years, I was only driven by an unwavering quest for pioneering design approaches, constantly seeking to break new ground,' He says. 

'As my career progressed, I experienced a shift. I embraced and celebrated my Chinese heritage and seamlessly blended it with the Nordic design philosophy imprinted upon me during my upbringing, finding inspiration in its rich design elements. Additionally, with age, I have developed a deep interest in nature and sustainable materials. While acknowledging the complexity of achieving 100 per cent sustainability without compromising design aesthetics, I strive to incorporate sustainable principles as a vital aspect of my projects.'

It is this blend of cultural heritage, her inherent dynamism and aspirations, and desire for architectural experimentation that make He stand out. Working for her clients with the same passion she would apply to her own family projects, the architect seeks to create work that embodies a client's needs, brief and way of life. The powerful work of established female architects past and present has influenced her work – she lists Zaha Hadid, Lina Bo Bardi, Eileen Gray and Elizabeth Diller as examples. And when it comes to form, 'the architectural luminaries Alvar Aalto and Mies van der Rohe hold sway over my design ethos to the extent that I named my own son Mies as an homage', she points out. 

What: Nabben

The summer escape of He and her family, Nabben is a wooden structure that sits lightly on the ground of its picturesque site, in the lush archipelago south of Stockholm. The project brings together modernist architecture's Case Study Houses, 'old Norse feeling, and a touch of Chinese temples'. Lifted from the ground on small concrete plinths, the project uses stacked jackstraws of glulam beams. This lends the home a strong sense of horizontality, but also makes it feel entirely at home in its surrounding birch tree forest. 

'The house is made entirely of wood with seven different types of pine in its framework,' He explains. 'The supporting glulam beams are made of pine, the exterior walls consist of pine rules, insulation of wood fiber, windshield in pine plywood and a thermo-pine façade panel. The window frames are in solid pine treated with a teak glaze and the wooden deck is in heart-pine.' 

With timber dominating inside and out, residents remain connected with nature at all times – this is accentuated by the large openings and raised terrace (which was designed to accommodate existing trees growing through it).

Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture. 

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