In this special Nordic Visionaries edition of the Innovation Storytellers Show, I am joined by one of the most influential architects of our time, Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG, Bjarke Ingels Group. From reimagining the clean port of Copenhagen to designing the first permanent human habitat on the Moon, Bjarke’s work challenges conventional thinking about architecture, sustainability, and innovation.

In this expansive conversation, Bjarke reflects on his early passion for graphic novels and how that artistic instinct evolved into a career that shapes skylines and societies alike. He introduces listeners to the Danish concept of form giving, the idea of shaping not just objects but the frameworks of human life. From Bhutan’s Galefu mindfulness city to NASA’s lunar base, Bjarke reveals how his designs are rooted in ancient culture and future potential.

Listeners will hear how nature, not as an ornament but as a collaborator, inspires Bjarke’s vision. Whether allowing vines to invade his home office or designing a ski slope atop a waste-to-energy plant, he demonstrates how sustainability and pleasure coexist. He shares his philosophy of “hedonistic sustainability” and makes a compelling case that what’s good for the planet can also improve our quality of life.

Bjarke also discusses material innovation, from using bacteria to brew carbon-free concrete to printing structures with moon dust. He explains how earthly or extraterrestrial constraints can unlock some of the world’s most transformative ideas.

This episode is more than a journey through architecture. It invites us to rethink how we design our lives, cities, and shared future.

About Bjarke Ingels

Name: Bjarke Ingels
Title: Founder and Creative Director
Company: BIG
LinkedIn | Website | Company LinkedIn Page |

Bjarke Ingels founded BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group in 2005 after co-founding PLOT Architects in 2000 and working at OMA in Rotterdam. Bjarke believes the architectural profession is best explained with the traditional Danish word for design: Formgivning. As the name suggests it literally means form giving. When you design something you give form to that which has not yet been given form – in other words you are giving form to the future. Because when you design a space, a building or a city, you are giving form the world that you would want to find yourself living in – in the future.

Named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine, Bjarke is involved in designing and building public institutions, neighborhoods and cities world-wide including The Prague Philharmonic, The Chinese National Natural History Museum in Beijing, Zurich Airport, The Woven City in Japan and Gelephu Mindfulness City in Bhutan. He is working with NASA and ICON Technologies to design the first permanent human habitat on the Moon.

Bjarke is a Knight of the French Order des Arts et des Lettres and a Knight of the Danish Order of Dannebrog. In 2021, he was made a member of the EU’s New European Bauhaus’ High Level Roundtable and since 2023 he has served as an advisor to the King of Bhutan. He is an Honorary Fellow by the AIA, the RIBA and the RAIC. Bjarke has won numerous awards including the Venice Biennale’s Golden Lion, The French Academy of Architectures Gold Medal, the Aga Khan Award and the Louis I. Kahn Memorial Award. The Wall Street Journal recognized Bjarke as Innovator of the Year in 2011, the same year he received the Danish Crown Prince Couple’s Culture Prize.

Bjarke has taught at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University and Rice University and is an honorary professor at the Royal Academy of Arts, School of Architecture in Copenhagen. He has spoken at 10 Downing Street, the Danish Parliament and the World Economic Forum.