Biography:

Hans Sandgren Jakobsen - born 7 August 1963.
Færgevej 3
DK-8500 Grenaa
Denmark
Tel. +45 86 32 00 48
Fax. +45 86 32 48 03

E-mail: mail@hans-sandgren-jakobsen.com

Education:
- Cabinetmaker apprentice at Inventarsnedkeriet, Viby J, Denmark, 1986.
- Cabinetmaker employee at Rud. Rasmussens Snedkerier, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1986 and 1987.
- Student at The Danish Design School in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1986-1990.

Full-time employee at:
- COBO Design, Nagoya, Japan, 1990.
- Nanna Ditzel´s design studio, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1991.

Member of:
- The design group Spring 1991.
- Danish Designers MDD, 1993.
- Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling 1994.

Freelance assignments:
- VIA, Nevada, USA. (VIA Spring Chair)
- Stilling Furniture, Skjern, Denmark. (Jakob)
- Bondo Graversen, Herlev, Denmark. (Dialog I+II)
- Kohseki, Kyoto, Japan. (Eri), (Wakuden)
- Askmans Trævarefabrik, Vallensbæk, Denmark.(Trolley)
- Art Andersen & Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. (Viper)
- Fritz Hansen, Allerød, Denmark. (Viper)
- Kunstforeningen, Gl. Strand, Copenhagen, Denmark. (Gallery)
- Fredericia Furniture, Fredericia, Denmark. (Gallery), (Library), (Grandlit), (Flip),) Pingo)
- Arrebo Møbler, Haarby, Denmark.
- Axelsen, Glamsbjerg, Denmark. (Victor)
- Qumei Furniture, Beijing, Kina.(DL-serien (MCF)
- Furnipart, Hinnerup, Denmark (Arch)
- Werner, Haarby, Denmark. (Two chairs), (Butler)
- 1:6 Desgin, Nærum, Denmark.(Gallery 1:6)
- EH Møbler, Odense, Denmark.(Sensa)

Judge
International Furniture Design competition Asahikawa, 2002.

Censor
Arkitektskolen i Århus ,2000.
Danmarks Designskole, 2000.
Arkitektskolem i Århus, 2001.
Danmarks Designskole, 2001.

Exhibitions:
"Le Lin Création ´91",Musèe des Monumentes, Paris, France, 1991.
Haslegården, Århus, Denmark, 1991.
Talentbörse Handwerk, Munich, Germany, 1991.
Nikolaj Kirke, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1991.
Ønskemøbler, Århus, Denmark, 1992.
Farum Kunstforening, Farum, Denmark, 1992.
Gjethuset, Frederiksværk, Denmark, 1993.
Forma, Mosede Fort, Denmark, 1993.
Gammelgaard, Herlev, Denmark, 1994.
Den Frie Udstilling, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1994.
Trapholt, Kolding, Denmark, 1995.
"Living design in Denmark", Barcelona and Madrid, Spain, 1995.
Gallery Asbæk, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1995.
"Blå Fjord", Frederikssund, Denmark, 1995.
"Chair and fabric", Center for Dansk Kunsthåndværk, Herning, Denmark, 1995
Munkeruphus, Dronningmølle, Denmark, 1996.
"Chair at the library", Grenå, Denmark, 1996.
Danish Design & Craft, St. Petersborg, Russia, 1996.
"Design Nordic Way", Scandinavia, 1997.
"Eksponent 97", Herning, Denmark, 1997.
"Living Danish Design", London, England, 1999.
"Generation X", New York, USA, 2000.
"Danes on the move", USA, 2001.
"Unika", vandreudstilling rundt i Europa, 2001-2003.
"Arne Jacobsen - 100 ans un maître du Design Danois et ses héritiers", Paris, Frankrig, 2002.
"Dansk Røde Kors", Illum, København,2002.

Represented at:
Interiur Scandinavia 91.
Interiur Scandinavia 92.
West Week Los Angeles, USA, 1993.
SE - Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling, Helligåndshuset,
Copenhagen, Denmark, 1993.
Scandinavien Furniture Fair, Denmark, 1993.
SE - Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling, Helligåndshuset,
Copenhagen, Denmark, 1994.
SE - Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling, Salon Du Meuble de Paris, Paris, France, 1995.
SE - Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling, Bella Centret, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1996.
Orgateac, Köln, Germany.
SE - Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling, Kunstindustrimuseum,
Copenhagen, Denmark, 1997.
Furniture Fair, Milan, 1997.
IMM, Cologne, 1998.
SE - Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling, Kunstindustrimuseum,
Copenhagen, Denmark, 1998.
Orgatec, Köln, Tyskland, 1998.
IMM, Köln, 1999.
IMM, Köln, 2000.
Orgatec, Köln, Tyskland, 2000.

Prices and scholarships:
Cabinet-maker with silver medal (the highest category), 1986.
The Gurli and Paul Madsen´s memorial scholarship, 1988.
Work scholarship, Statens Kunstfond, 1992.
Scandinavian Furniture Award 1992, third prize.
The Danish National Bank´s jubilee scholarship, 1993.
The Danish National Bank´s jubilee scholarship, 1994.
Working scholarship, Statens Kunstfond, 1995.
"Chair and Fabric", Center for Dansk Kunsthåndværk, second prize, 1995.
The Danish National Bank´s jubilee scholarship, 1996.
Elmia Trö competition, Sweden, third prize, 1996.
"Bent Krogh award", honourable mention, 1996.
Working scholarship, Designfond, 1996.
Working scholarship, Statens Kunstfond, 1997.
3 years working scholarship, Statens Kunstfond, 1998.
Indistrie Forum Design Hannover - "Viper" nominated, 1998.
Rote Punkt - highest design quality for "Viper", 1998.
Idea Award, bronze for "Viper", 1998.
Asahi News Paper furniture contest - the first prize to "Wakuden" Chair.
The Architectural Review Award for product excellence at Spectrum, London, to "Gallery".
Idea Award, bronce, USA, 1999.
The Fosnäs Prize to "Gallery", 1999, Sweden.
Bo bedres "Møbelpris", Copenhagen, 1999.
Good Design Award to "Viper", G-Mart 99 in Japan.
International Interior Design Award to "Gallery", FX Magazine, London, 1999.
California's Interior Design Association's product award, "this year's top twenty
products" USA, 1999.
Industrie Forum Design Hannover, "Gallery" er nomineret, 2000.
Good Design Award to "Gallery", G-Mart 2000 in Japan.
The Architectural Review Award for product exellence at Spectrum, London, til "Den bevægelige",2001.

Study tours to:
USA, 1988.
USA, 1989.
Japan, 1990.
Barcelona, 1994.
China, 1999-2000.

Extended Curriculum Vitae.

After graduating from grammar school in 1982 I started as a cabinet-maker apprentice with the furniture company Inventarsnedkeriet a/s, Århus, Denmark. I got my certificate of completed apprenticeship in March 1986. My test piece of work for finishing my apprenticeship was a writing desk, it was awarded a silver medal (which is the highest category).

In a short period - before starting at Danmarks Designskole, Copenhagen (The Danish Design School) - I worked for the cabinetmaker´s Rud. Rasmussens snedkerier, Copenhagen.

I started at Danmarks Designskole in August 1986 and graduated as Industrial Designer in May 1990.

In spring 1988 I was awarded a scholarship of DKK 200,000 from The Gurli and Paul Madsen foundation - for studies abroad.

In the summer 1988 I was on a study tour to USA. The main purpose of this tour was to study the Shaker´s craftsmanship - an example of old American tradition for functional simplicity - which I had come acquaintance with through the design school. I was invited to live with the last existing shaker community at Sabbathday Lake in Maine for a period. The rest of the tour I travelled round and studied the many collections and exhibitions which deals with the Shakers and their way of making furniture. I found a lot of inspiration in their solutions. I stayed in USA for three months.

Just after graduating from Danmarks Designskole I went to Japan for the rest of the scholarship money. I worked as a volunteer for the Japanese design company "COBO design" in Nagoya. Through the work I gain an insight into the Japanese design process and I learned a lot about Japanese culture. I stayed in Japan for three months.

In the winter 1989 I joined an experimental interdisciplinary programme for students from Danmarks Designskole and another design school, two engineering schools and a business school. There where nine groups each working with a project for six months. My group developed an instrument to measure the humidity of wood. I learned a lot about interdisciplinary co-operation and co-ordination through this project.

The positive experiences with interdisciplinary co-operation let to a collaboration with the textile designer Inger Mosholt Nielsen. My degree project from Danmarks Designskole was a chair with a selfssupporting polyester fabric developed together with Inger Mosholt Nielsen. In February 1991 I also made a hammock in collaboration with Inger Mosholt Nielsen - to the International Linen Promotion Exhibition in Paris, France. The hammock is made with mahogany lamella like sailsticks to improve the comfort.

In 1991 the design group "Spring" was formed. The group consists of three textile designers from Århus and myself. "Spring" is a source of inspiration for us all. We inspire each other, help each other and we exhibit together.
In 1991 at the furniture fair in Bella Centret, Copenhagen the design group "Spring" exhibited. Inger Mosholt Nielsen and I exhibited our degree project - the chair with selfsupporting polyester fabric. We were then contacted by the American company VIA. VIA was interested in producing the chair. Since then we have collaborated on developing the chair - now called "VIA Spring Chair". Finally the "VIA Spring Chair" is finish and it was introduced to the American market in March 1993 at the furniture fair West Week in Los Angeles, USA.

In 1992 I designed a chair - called "Jakob" - and a range of tables for cafes and other public places. The chair and tables were designed on commission for the company Stilling Furniture, Gilleleje, Denmark. In 1992 Stilling Furniture introduced the chair and tables at the furniture fair in Bella Centret, Copenhagen.
In 1992 Inger Mosholt Nielsen and I participated in Scandinavian Furniture Award with the chair "Rokoko". The idea of the chair was that the selfsupporting fabric seat and the laminated back were dyed in the same colour. The chair was awarded a third prize.

In August 1993 Inger Mosholt Nielsen and I participated as guest exhibitor at Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling with a tatami chair designed for the company Kohseki, Kyoto, Japan. The tatami chair is used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony rooms where the Japanese normally not want furniture at all. Nevertheless the Japanese like to have the comfort of the chair and a simple appearance.
In September 1993 the design group "Spring" participated at the furniture fair in Bella Centret, Copenhagen in the east hall. Personally I showed a new bookcase system for Stilling Furniture. The bookcase system consists of a thin shelf element executed in laminated veneer. The stiffness of the shelf is caused by a lengthwise profile and a small height of arch. The profile and the height of arch together perform a double curved shape which make it possible to minimize the material consumption when producing a stable bookcase system which can carry books without problems.

At Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling 1994 I participated with the wendy house Mikkelborg. Mikkelborg is a three metre tall wooden sculpture with a pinched roof. Its striking design challenges and surprises while contributing to the beauty of the garden. Mikkelborg provides children with a lot of opportunities for play: for instance, two floors with a cave upstairs, a sitting-room downstairs and a swing outside. Just a few of Mikkelborg´s many possibilities.
In January, February and March 1995, the design group Spring exhibited at the art museum Trapholt in Kolding, Denmark. Among other things we exhibited the upholster furniture "Barcelona" which is a large interdisciplinary Spring project. The textile designers Inger Mosholt Nielsen, Mette Mikkelsen, Mette Dammand Jensen and the undersigned had designed eight different textile and metal solutions for the back and seat of the upholster furniture. The furniture is suitable for public rooms such as airports, dentists, receptions etc. where people wait. The furniture is suitable for both large and small rooms, and due to the system´s various components the furniture is able to fit the rooms´ current needs.

In 1996 I am participating with two new products at SE - Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling - a chair "Aunt Emma" and a screen "Viper". The top edge of the "Aunt Emma" chair has been an experiment with precompressed wood - how far can a plane piece of elm be forced? Is it possible to create a double curved top edge out of a solid piece of plane wood - and still maintain a good comfort for both back and arms? In that case it would be possible to avoid the glue pot and to save a lot of wood, and the fact that the wood can manage on its own is also very agreeable from an aesthetic point of view. In the construction of the chair is used as little wood as possible. All the curved subjects are bended out of precompressed wood - straight pieces of wood.
The screen "Viper" consists of a number of oval cardboard tubes which are connected and able to take on a lot of different shapes. It is moveable and very handy in offices, banks, exhibitions etc. The material cardboard is very honest and environmentally compatible, and therefore I find it very suitable to work with. Also the top and bottom mountings on the screen is quite special and suit the cardboard very well. "Viper" is manufactured and sold by Fritz Hansen´s Furniture Factory. The development of "Viper" has been supported by the Danish National Bank´s Jubilee Foundation and the Design Foundation.

In 1997 I exhibited a chair for a restaurant at SE - Snedkernes Efterårsudstilling. The chair was made in co-operation with the Japanese manufacturer Kohseki. The chair, which is made of elm wood, is especially made for a classical Kaiseki restaurant in the centre of Kyoto. The chair is meant to stand around tables of solid Zelkove wood and at a bar in a restaurant in which the use of wood is stressed. In restaurants chairs are mostly seen from the back that is why the design of the this chair is concentrated around its back. Furthermore, the narrow backs of the chairs make it easy to get to and from the chair.
In 1997 I also took part in "Eksponent 97" in Herning together with "Spring", here I showed the screen "Viper" and the letter tray "Pagode".

In 1998 SE I exhibited a stool and a folding bed. The stool "Gallery" is originally designed for the exhibition rooms at Kunstforeningen Gammel Strand, Copenhagen. The "Gallery" are manufactured by Fredericia Furniture, Denmark. Moreover My ambition has been to create a piece of furniture which is simple and in harmony with the room, so it does not take away the interest from the exhibition. At the same time, I wanted to create a product with a strong expression (it´s own character), so when people leave the room - they will remember it. I chose the stool because it does not "create a room" like a chair and a bench do. It does not have neither front, back nor arms, and therefore, the stool is suitable for the many different exhibitions Kunstforeningen arranges. On the basis of the veneer I have tried to find a new sort of moulding Principle which makes it possible to create new moulded products, and in that way add some innovation to the known stools. My stool is moulded out of a rectangular piece of veneer (530 x 1250 mm), and it weights about 4.2 kilos.
The stool can be used alone in for instance stairways, small exhibition rooms ect. However, the stools can also be connected to one another and thereby make a row of four stools. Because the stool has no front or back it can be seen and seated from all four sides. The stool is to provide rest, preoccupation, and a good comfort for the user - like a stump of a tree in the forest!
The folding bed can be used both for sleeping and as a stool - it can for instance be used by campers, as a guest bed or in refugee camps. The bed combines good comfort and mobility. It consists of two aluminium profiles with a folding mechanism, a rectangle of synthetic cloth and two stands.
At Orgatec in Cologne in 1998 I exhibited four products. The screen "Viper" made of aluminium with and without perforations. Both can be made with the following surfaces: nature, aluminium or black paint. Manufacturer: Fritz Hansen. The stool "Gallery" was exhibited in maple and with a coupling link which can control two stools. The bookcase "Library" was shown with and without roll-front which can be closed all the way up to the top shelf. The stool and the bookcase are manufactured by Fredericia Furniture, Denmark. Moreover, I showed the chair "dialogue" which has a double curved top edge made of a solid piece of wood which gives a good comfort for both back and arms. The frame is made of tapered steel tubes which are painted. Manufacturer: Bondo Graversen, Denmark.

At IMM in Cologne in 1999 the manufacturer Codex showed my furniture series "Victor". It consists of a simple chair with a slightly leaning back to which it is possible to get a loose moderately upholstered cushion. The tables are available in several sizes and with and without extensions for an extra leaf. Furthermore, sideboards in two sizes with doors and draws as well as a glass case are available within the series. "Victor" is made of solid wood and in a very high carpenter quality.

WALK THE PLANK In 1999, I participatated the project "Planken ud" (Walk the Plank). The purpose of this project was to provide Danish furniture design with new inspiration. 20 furniture designers were invited to participate in the project together with an equal number of cabinet-makers. Each pair of cabinet-maker and furniture designer was given a plank and the task of creating a piece of furniture to sit in! The result of my co-operation with cabinet-maker André Skriver was the two stools ROCKABLE and UNROCKABLE, two stools, visually inspired by a midwife´s stethoscope and the stamen of a flower. A functional as well as a visional pleasure! Created in a break from everything serious and mercantile. All pieces of furniture from Walk the Plank were exhibited in Kunstindustrimuseet (The Museum of Decorative Art in Copenhagen) and later sold at an auction held at the museum. The entire profit from the auction was used to establish a fund to which furniture designers can apply for grants to develop new prototypes.

At 2000 SE I exhibited the bed "Grandlit" manufactured by Fredericia Furniture, Denmark. What do you expect of your bed? A comfortable lying position, naturally. After all, you spend a considerable proportion of your life in it. Yes, but... does achieving that comfort mean that your bed has to be a heavy, imovable object? There is no need to try out "Grandlit"! It is just as comfortable as other good beds. Instead, consider its aesthetic qualities. And its flexibility. For example, the table and back support can be placed anywhere around the bed. And the two wheels make "Grandlit" very easy to move around.

At Orgatec 2000 The bookcase X-FILE was exhibited at Fredericia Furniture. The bookcase X-FILE is an expansion of the bookcase unit LIBRARY made in 1993 and put into production in 1998. I found my inspiration for the bookcase in the simplicity and functionalism of the American Shaker culture. The bookcase unit now has rooms for drawers, suspended archive files and trays for ring binders. The combinations are endless. For easy moving two castors have been fitted under the rear edge. Shelves, drawers and louvers are available in beech, cherry or maple. The bookcase X-FILE was first shown at Orgatec 2000.

DANISH LIVING (the DL-series)
In 1998 I was contacted by Qumei Furniture, the Chinese furniture company. Due to a growing Chinese interest in Danish furniture, QM was looking for a Danish designer to make a completely new series of products and to help giving the company a new image. I accepted their invitation to visit the company in Beijing. This visit started off a good co-operation with QM Furniture and the series of furniture called DANISH LIVING (the DL-series). In addition to designing new products I was also requested to be in charge of a new interior concept for the shops associated with the company. The good co-operation with QM has given the company a design boost, and today QM is among the foremost trendsetting manufacturers of furniture in China.

Werner & "Danes on the Move"
20001 was just the year for the two stools ROCKABLE and UNROCKABLE from the project "Planken ud" (Walk the Plank). It all started when I was contacted by Nils Robenhagen, the Danish export assistant of the Danish Consulate in New York. He was looking for pieces of furniture to represent modern Danish furniture design at a travelling exhibition in the USA. He had already selected VICTOR and DIALOG 1 and was furthermore very interested in having ROCKABLE at the exhibition. However, it was a prerequisite that the furniture was in production! I contacted cabinet-maker Lars Werner who just happened to be looking for more unconventional pieces of furniture for his production. Therefore, he was very keen on producing the two stools. This is how ROCKABLE and UNROCKABLE were somewhat accidentally put in production by Werner, Haarby in Denmark and at the same time joined the exhibition "Danes on the Move" in the USA!

ARCH handles, 2001
ARCH handles is a minimalistic and functional series of handles for drawers and doors, designed for the kitchen and furniture industry. ARCH can be used vertically and horizontally. The curved surface is accentuated by the cast steel profile, slender in appearance but a high quality handle.

GALLERY 1 : 6 In 2001, I was contacted by 1 : 6 DESIGN, a Danish company producing detailed models of classical Danish furniture in scale 1 : 6. The company wished to produce a scale model of GALLERY, my museum stool, however, they needed courtesy of Fredericia Furniture and myself. The thoroughness of the project appealed to me. The miniature model was to consist of four layers of knife cut maple or walnut veneer and two layers of cloth, handmade and shaped exactly like the original. The company soon received my permission. GALLERY 1: 6 is expected to be available in 2002.

At the Scandinavian Furniture Fair 2002, I presented five new pieces of furniture: SENSA, a conference chair (produced by EM -møbler), PINGO, a laminated chair with a matching series of tables (produced by Fredericia Furniture), and a series of hatstand with mirror (produced by Werner).

SENSA, 2002
SENSA, the conference chair was the result of a fruitful collaboration with EH Møbler (EH Furniture) in Odense. The continuing interest in testing the ultimate limits - both in terms of conventional production techniques and in terms of the potentials of the materials - was vital in the design proces and was crucial for the final result. The major challenge was the minimal radius and the bent ends of the seat and the back. They became important design elements that contributed to the unique expression of the chair. The two curved flaps are inspired by a wing flirting with light and shade. The wing catches the light but it also makes shadows, thus adding an important dynamics to the design, a decorative effect but definitely also a functional one. The wing of the back makes it possible to obtain a firm grip of the chair, whereas the wing of the seat contributes to making the chair very comfortable.

PINGO was my contribution to "A chair for crown prince Frederik", a competition arranged by Foreningen Dansk Møbelindustri (Association of Danish Furniture Industry). Dedication PINGO looks a little like his Royal Highness: modern in appearance but with tradition behind, simple, straight, confronting barriers, and rather good at what it is supposed to. It is created for the Danish people and intended for mass production. PINGO is already in production. It has been sold to an air port but can also be used in a church, since it has been fitted with a coupler as well as a shelf for hymn books. Specifications The seat and back of PINGO are made of one piece of cherry veneer, shaped under a pressure of 80 tons. The identical doubly curved "shells" are connected by an "eye". The frame is made of mat satin chromium-plated steel tubes, equipped with a coupler. The chair comes with suspension fittings, number indication, shelf for hymn book, desk flap, stacking cart, storage cart, as well as a series of tables with fixed or collapsible legs. PINGO is available with or without upholster and arm rests in the following woods: maple, birch, beech, and cherry. White or black laminate inside.

"FLIP" tables are designed in unison with PINGO, the laminated chair. They both signal simplicity. This series is based on several table tops with a light inner construction. As an example, the total weight of a 800 x 1600 mm table with collapsible table legs is kept at a mere 18 kilos. The ends of the table tops, where the (collapsible) table legs are mounted, are made of solid wood. To this series, a coupler has been designed, connecting tables in both directions or carrying a leaf in order to save table legs.

Specifications
"FLIP" tables are available in width 600, 700, 800, and 900 mm and in length 1500 and 1900 mm. Produced as collapsible table or table with permanent legs in wood and laminate. The series also include a table cart.