Sander Schuur — 2025
A selection of work and writing by Sander Schuur, architect, head of computational design and founder of HOMR, the Place Grounds Health Platform and sthlmnyc.
Architect with over 20 years experience working in offices in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, New York and Stockholm in various roles such as lead architect, business development director, creative director, head of digital development, and member of the executive board.
“You have to cross the border to know where it is.”
CV
Archus | Head of Computational Design, 2024 – 2025
HOMR | Founding Partner & Head of Product, 2021 – 2024
The Place Grounds Health Platform | Founding Partner, 2019 – now
Place Grounds Health is a forum for informal discussions to foster dialogue between Europe and North America on the profound effect of the design of place on health and well-being. It is an incubator of ideas and advocacy at the intersection of environmental health equity and urban planning, architecture, and design.
Belatchew | Creative Director, 2018 – 2021
sthlmnyc | Founding Partner, 2014 – now
sthlmnyc is a collaborative platform between Stockholm and New York City to exchange knowledge, to discuss and to develop architecture and urban design.
WHITE | Architect & Director Business Development North America, 2010 – 2018
KTH Arkitektur Skolan | Teacher & Lecturer, 2011 – 2012
UNStudio | Architect, 2010
Carlos Zapata Studio | Architect, 2009 – 2010
Asymptote | Architect, 2007 – 2009
GROUPA | Architect, 2006 – 2008
UCX | Architect, 2005 – 2006
In 2024 and 2025, Sander was head of computational design at Archus Arkitektur developing new strategies to implement computational design methods into the existing workflow. Sander was responsible to follow new developments, such as AI, to formulate and develop critical strategies how to implement these in the everyday work of Archus.
“We describe buildings with code.
Not with drawings.”
view presentation online
HOMR developed a new housing product based on fully developed building components, their characteristics and relation.
founding partner + head of product
Each building component can be described as a parametric object, where a set of rules define the properties of the components and the various ways they can be combined. Different components have specific attributes: for example, rooms may vary in size but adhere to predetermined minimum and maximum dimensions, as well as reasonable intervals in between.
By working with these components, both design solutions and individual components can be developed, optimized, and refined across different projects. This approach enables the integration of the manufacturing process into the design workflow, helping us better achieve our goals in design, climate performance, and project economics.
A new design system not only manages components and their properties but also determines which components are needed, how they are combined, and the relationships between them. The design system incorporates current building regulations to ensure compliance and alignment with applicable standards and requirements.
The system includes a hierarchy where certain components are prioritized for changes and a threshold at which the design or assembly of components is adjusted.
60% reduced CO2 emission
45% shorter construction time
10% cost saving in the very first project
– JM & Afry –
Discus will be the first high-rise building in Nacka’s most central part, and will with its strong design contribute to Nacka city’s new identity. Discus clearly shows the architectural ambition of the the municipality for all future projects.
Discus will be a new landmark building in Nacka Stad. With its characteristically irregular silhouette it will will become an important symbol for the growing urban region.
lead architect design development | Discus is the winner in a design and built competition for Nacka’s most central high-rise
Discus will be 30 floors high and accommodate 450 to 500 apartments of various sizes. At ground level there will be various public functions to make the neighborhood an active and lively place.
“architects have sort of given up their role as poets in society”
– Suchi Reddy; Reddymade –
Sander | Let’s look around. What happened to architectural design? Do buildings all look the same? Do you even remember? Has architecture lost its connection to its public?
Architecture is more than the design of buildings; it is the art of shaping experiences, influencing behavior, and fostering a deeper connection between people and the places they inhabit.
The Architecture Matters conversation series, hosted by the Pittsburgh Platform and sthlmnyc in 2024, delved into the evolving roles and responsibilities of architects, exploring how the profession can move beyond compliance and technical expertise to become a catalyst for societal transformation and lead the way in creating a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient future.
The project “Flux” is a collaboration of White Arkitekter and Diller, Scofidio + Renfro.
The design for the cable car system in Gothenburg has a strong social focus considering the impact it has on all people, including the non-user who will never use the cable car but still encounters it on a daily basis – solving the functional aspects of urban transportation while contributing to urban space as a meeting space.
lead architect competition | initiator for both entering the competition and establishing a collaboration with DS+R
The design of the Gothenburg cable car must be much more than just a means of
transportation – it will communicate and connect people across the water, transform the skyline, enable new opportunities for living and working, and enliven the culture of the city day and night.
“there’s no such thing as a free lunch
– only free ideas”
– Linda Elers, M&C Saatchis –
Sander | One might argue that architecture has moved away from its roots of giving shape to public life and culture. Architects, perhaps by market demands and competition, have for too long drifted away from their core and there is an urgent need for architects to (re-)build trust with the public and clients by refining their narrative, to better communicate the purpose and value of their work, and to reinforce their role as shapers of society.
Interconnected small scale interventions allow the design to adjust, adapt and strengthen to its context, content and future uncertainties. By the ability to adapt, the development strengthens beyond resilient to storm events and socio-economic changes.
Small Means and Great Ends is a masterplan for Arverne East, an area that was hit hard by hurricane Sandy in 2012. The design aims to create a new home for the community, a lively and beautiful environment that interacts, rather than counteracts, with the sea and responds to its natural forces similar to how a surfer rides the waves.
lead architect competition | initiator for both entering the FARROC competition and establishing a collaboration with Gensler and Arup
By placing buildings closer to the street, a new social urban space emerges and more space is freed behind the houses to create large shared community courtyards and semi-private parks that have an important role for stormwater mitigation.
“projects that move away from the predictable patterns of technology-driven content, instead aiming to create experiences that resonate emotionally”
– The Great Exhibition –
Sander | The architectural profession has lost its way by becoming overly enamored with new trends and technological advancements, often at the expense of its foundational values.
Architects are very keen to adapt to new tendencies in society and technology and try to keep up, forgetting the core in the profession.
Situated between Tele2 Arena and the Ericsson Globe, Quality Hotel Globen has two entrances that welcome visitors from both venues. All guests pass through the spacious new hotel lobby where the iconic wrapping of the meeting space subtly guides movement and gives shape and identity to the space.
With Tele2 Arena and Ericsson Globe’s year-round program of music, cultural and sport events, Globen is a significant entertainment district in Stockholm. Increasing visitor numbers led to the commission for the new Quality Hotel Globen. Within its lobby lies a hidden jewel arising from parametric design experimentation.
lead architect | responsible for the design, communication with the manufacturer and execution of the project.
Parametric design thinking was embedded from early concept development to final fabrication strategies. The resulting space provides a variation of experiential effects for guests that change at different viewpoints, and at different times of the day.
“Not every building has to be or should be a masterpiece. Not every building should sing and dance.”
– Jerry van Eyck, !Melk –
Sander | A critical role of architecture is shaping the urban experience, highlighting the importance of creating buildings that harmonize with their surroundings rather than simply standing out as isolated masterpieces. This idea aligns with the metaphor of architecture as “orchestrating”, where each building acts as a singular “instrument” contributing to a cohesive and enriching urban environment.
The building frame integrates the three building functions with various
heights seemingly weightless floating aboveground level.
Essential to the design of the building is the creation of a pleasant, open and transparent working environment for Astellas employees, in addition to an agreeable and welcoming gesture to their international visitors. The organization and materialization of the building ensures clear views from each of the three areas within the main frame. Glass facades are employed to provide sufficient daylight, while also creating open visual communication throughout the structure.
architect
Lamellas are incorporated on each level of the façade in order to deflect direct sunlight. Color is introduced into the façade by means of a vertical variation in four contrasting tones inspired by Japanese Manga animation films.
“the architecture that seems most inspiring to me is contributing to the city or the place that it is first.”
– Brian Tabolt, DS+R –
Sander | We can’t stress the importance of buildings being rooted in their specific environments enough, enhancing the local character rather than imposing an external identity.
But sometimes, while the design doesn’t change, everything around it does, altering the significance and influence of an architectural project over time. How can architects design for such changes to come? New computational design methods and AI presents opportunities to work with whole new and unexpected data, identifying behavioral trends and culture changes to inform future design.
While the grid shell structure gives the building its image and form, it also serves an environmental purpose for the building by assisting in the stack effect of exiting heated air up and over the facades of the building. This complex geometric skin reflects the sky and surroundings by day, and by night is fully lit by way of a programmable LED lighting system.
The YAS Island Marina Hotel is a luxury 500 – room hotel situated above the Formula 1 racetrack. The architecture is comprised of two 300m long elliptical blocks covered in a steel and lattice grid shell structure that produces the now famous iconic image.
architect | responsible for design development and communication with the manufacturer of two bridges, the Link bridge and the Acces bridge.
A large free-span, fuselage like steel bridge, spanning the F-1 racetrack below, connects both hotel towers.
