With the current spotlight on Greenland, we invited our partner, Dr. Michelle Koutnik, a glaciology research faculty member at the University of Washington's College of the Environment, to offer her perspective to help illuminate some of the interconnected and complex issues that go beyond the media headlines. She kindly shared some relevant background, current information, and helpful resources as she prepares herself and her students for another Scan Design Foundation-funded trip to study the effects of climate change on the Greenland Ice Sheet this summer.

Since 2008 Scan Design Foundation has partnered with the University of Washington College of Built Environments to develop the SDF Interdisciplinary Master Studio program for graduate students. The program has been expertly led by UW Professor Emeritus, Nancy Rottle. Before each studio, students travel to Copenhagen, Denmark to visit the office of the renowned Copenhagen firm Gehl Architects and see the city through its people-centered urban design lens. In four past studios, students focused their projects on the Seattle Waterfront. 14 years after the studios, influence from Denmark can be detected in this new addition to Seattle's cityscape:

Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King is a public art project that debuted Summer 2023! Presented by Scan Design Foundation, the exhibition features six giant hand-built troll sculptures by Danish environmental artist, Thomas Dambo. This project celebrates the human experience of art by amplifying the connections of cultural heritage between Coast Salish tribal communities and Danish/Scandinavian traditions. The trolls are located on publicly-accessible sites around the Pacific Northwest, carrying with them an environmental message to share with their visitors.