Michelle Nolan: HELLE NEBELONG

18 March 2008

HELLE NEBELONG

On the 17th April, the University of Ulster presents Helle Nebelong, Landscape Architect, City of Copenhagen and Sansehaver, under the theme -
'Play: Exploring the boundaries'

Helle Nebelong is a Danish landscape architect MAA, MDL and Master of Public Management. Since 1994, she has worked for the City of Copenhagen and more recently, as a private consultant initiating and coordinating events relating to roads and parks, urban planning and design.

Helle is especially passionate about designing spaces for children and how to adapt and improve the city for everyday life, currently being responsible for developing an action plan to improve accessibility in Copenhagen. She has had her own private practice - www.sansehaver.dk - since 1990, with emphasis on the design of healthy, inspiring natural spaces for children, the young disabled as well as elderly and senior citizens.
Her work is well known both at home and abroad via lectures and articles both by and about herself. The essence is healthy, attractive and inspiring spaces where people’s well-being and creativity develop through a spontaneous sensual perception of nature, culture and architecture. Some of her best know projects in Copenhagen are The Garden of Senses in Faelledparken and the Nature Playground in Valbyparken.

Helle is President of the Danish Playground Association, Vice-president of IPA Denmark and a member of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children Leadership Team.
Since 2007 Helle has represented Europe in the design and planning field for the Leadership Team for the Nature Action Collaborative for Children, NACC, with the mission ” to bring together early childhood educators, representatives of environmental organizations, community planners and environmental designers to effect changes that make developmentally appropriate nature education a sustaining and enriching part of the daily lives of the world’s children.“

Mission

Helle Nebelong believes in the positive influence of nature and beauty on the human balance, physically and mentally. Living in this globally and technologically fabulous era, it is crucial that we maintain an inherent biological connection to, and knowledge of, nature. Helle is particularly enthusiastic when designing spaces for children where they can play freely, and making physical surroundings accessible and usable for all, including handicapped persons.