Mette and Andrew: Partners in Life and Work
We are passionate about life, not in a bungee jumping kind of way, but in a ‘la dolce vita’ kind of way. We enjoy long walks in the woods, sitting in cafes sipping espresso and listening to the fire crackle. We like to savour life and enjoy all of its wonderful sensual pleasures. We are passionate about life because one day everything changed.
Mette and Andrew are partners in life and work.
Mette was introduced to architecture at a young age spending time in her father’s architecture office after school. Andrew found architecture on his own. As a freshman at MIT, he chose to live in a curvy brick dormitory because it just felt good to him to be there. That building turned out to be Baker Hall which was designed by Alvar Aalto – the great Finnish architect and one of the giants of 20th century modern design.
By the time they met, Mette had travelled widely, lived and worked abroad and was fluent in three languages. Andrew’s international travels had consisted of a one way flight from Panama to Miami and he had managed to learn exactly one language.
Mette and Andrew first crossed paths at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in 1998. It turns out they had many of the same down-to-earth values, based in part, on their shared Scandinavian heritage. Mette was born in Norway and her father is Norwegian and Andrew’s family has its roots in Finland and Sweden.
In school, they collaborated on many projects. Then suddenly, one week before Mette’s thesis review, she went blind in her right eye. She chalked it up to stress and Andrew helped her finish her final project. After graduation she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
It was a terrible blow to both of them as they were just starting their careers in a profession notorious for its long hours. In order for Mette to be healthy they had to slow down and find balance without sacrificing the work they wanted to do.
Mette and Andrew at Architizer A+ Awards
They started their own firm in 2007, when a potential client asked them to create an ambitious modern beach house in East Quogue, in the Hamptons. With their own business, they were able to create their own philosophy – designing lives for long term health and happiness. They believe that architecture has the ability to help people live better, feel better and be better. Ten years later, this venture has matured into an award-winning firm focused on creating beautiful modern homes for a nationwide list of clientele who share these same values.
