the numero uno guy

Tin Phan M.Arch. (b. 1989) is the head honcho of the company Tin.uno (est. 2016), with a long track-record in design and urban competitions - on analytical merits. He is also a research fellow at the Dept. of Property and Law, NMBU. His PhD focuses on proptech - specifically how digitalisation affects core practices in the real estate industry. Tin’s interests ranges from simple drawings, information design, architecture practices, business strategies, and property development.

He is an in-demand “fixer” on design proposals - usually writing the entire team bid, and in doing so, safe-guarding the design integrity, resolving logical inconsistencies, streamlining workflow, adding missing drawings/diagrams, give socio-economic reasonings. In short - doing the tasks nobody wants to do, or what is considered beyond the scope of the typical “architect”.

His efforts has in recent years shifted over to scientific contributions, but he does take on the occasional competition only if the proposition is interesting enough. As a result of Tin’s transition into academia, his competition portfolio has been consolidated as and transferred over to Air Studio - evidence based architecture.

  • Paper: The Norwegian Proptech Market
    Venue:     CIB W070 Conference
    Issuer: CIB - International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction

    Recognition shared with Knut Boge. Awards given to one or teams for their outstanding contributions to a specific field of research. These awards recognize excellence in original research, innovative thinking, and the quality of expected impact of published work.

    CIB W070 1/3 Papers Selected to inform ISO work surrounding proptech in an expert panel

    The proceedings to inform ISO/TC 267 WG6 Facility Management. The paper was selected to specifically inform the standardisation of digitalisation in the real estate industry.

  • Proposal: Grønlikaia Development
    Team: HAV Eiendom + LondonOn

    Category: International Future Place.
    Competitors:
    - Fáilte Ireland + Paul Hogarth
    - Fabrix + MVRDV

  • Parallel commissions: Ibsen Library & Lørenskog Station Area

    Probability:
    1,8% chance of being in two consecutive teams (1*5/1*11*100).
    0,1% chance as only individual (assuming there's 4 in each team).

    Tin & respective co. was selected on a national level, by NAL and the municipalities for the public parallel commissions. Other teams consisted of and Jaja Architects co. & Arkitema co. for Ibsen Library, and MDH Arkitekter co. & Holscher Nordberg for the Lørenskog Station Area.

  • Kapital Business Journal.

    For his body of work on coworking spaces. The list covers the most promising, influential and outstanding individuals, changing the landscape of Norwegian real estate. Tin was the 9th youngest entry, and the only architect to make the list.

  • For the master thesis, Coworking Spaces
    Venue: Oslo Urban Arena
    Jurors:
    Marianne Skjulhaug, institute leader at AHO
    Per Gunnar Røe, professor at UiO
    Elin Børrud, professor at NMBU
    Gunnar Bøyum, CEO of Aspelin Ramm

    Jurors remarks:
    “An entire real estate- and urban development industry, and research community are wondering and excited about how people work and their preferences, not least how young people either on their way in, or at the beginning of their career affect society. (…)

    The candidate has captured the essence of the city’s current development and courageously chosen a thesis that in many ways are groundbreaking. We applaud this courage, but more importantly, the precision and critical reflection in the thesis and presentation. Knowledge production and discussion on how we organise and plan for emerging challenges and ideals in the working society has just begun. Tin Phan’s master thesis has set this field in motion.”

  • Sixty Feet Under
    AHO master course.
    Jeen Chittapraneerat (co-author)

Distinctions

  • Proposal: Fyrtårnet

    Team:
    Haptic, Air (wildcard), Sweco.

    Competitors:
    - Ghilardi Hellsten, Hesselbrand (wildcard) & NODE
    - 3RW & Sanden Hodnekvam (wildcard)
    - Arkitema, Local & Cowi

    This competition resulted in a very public and lengthy badmouthing on Arkitektur.no. A lawsuit ensued as the Ghilardi Hellsten team was accused for breaking the regulation plan. A second lawsuit was filed against the runner-up team, Team 3RW. If this had gone through, who could say where that would have placed Team Haptic. Tin will not disclose the third lawsuit, as to whether his team did sue or not. He will disclose this: both SWECO’s pockets and legal dept. are deep and sizeable.

  • LondonOn Team:
    Haptic, Mae, Gort Scott, Morris+Company, Neighbourhood, Useful Projects, Periscope, Neighbourhood, Air Studio (as Tin)

    Competitors:
    - Helen Hard
    - LPO

  • Proposal: Growing a community
    Team: Air + Haptic.
    Open international competition.
    2nd most popular site in the entire Europan 16.

    The jurors remark:

    “The proposal has a clear and strong concept and is an interesting answer to the main question in the competition – to develop a new pilot neighbourhood on urban farming and social forms of living. (…) By placing the buildings on the outer edge and in the steeper angle of the terrain, the best land is saved for agriculture. The structure also improved the climatic conditions for farming, and underline that for the main purpose of living is saved for agriculture. Salimi’s walled garden as a connecting point and community building is good, appealing to both the social and agricultural aspects of the community.

    The architecture also emphasizes that this is one holistic community. It has a distinct expression, where the lowest part is a coherent wall of bricks in two floors. The wall is well designed for different functions and variation, and there is a good connection between outdoor and indoor activity. Light, slim wooden towers are placed on top of this plinth, and the towers are of different heights. All the living units follow this design concept. The architectural language is referencing other geographical areas than the archetypically Norwegian, and that is seen as a strength. (…) The development of housing units in steep terrain is interesting, and so is the variation of the unit sizes at different price ranges.”

    Read more!

  • Proposal: Kãvelyllã Metsãssã
    Team:     Air
    Competitors: 472 entries - open international competition.

    The jurors remark:

    “One of the most free-flowing entries in the competition that gives the future art museum food for thought. The entry is not burdened by the ailments typical of art museum architecture, such as “rigid” dignity, which has been replaced with joyful structural solutions that are enabled by modern building technology and a relaxed architectural approach. The building where the wooden framework is visible provides a refreshing alternative among the wide selection of competition entries, most of which have adopted a more conventional approach.

    (…) The entry is one of the most carefully studied designs with its numerous diagrams, examinations of details, and alternative schemes of the functions.”

  • Proposal: Artificial Turf
    Team: Nomad, NOPREC, Norwegian Trash, Tin.uno

  • Proposal: Nordland Regional Airport
    Team: Team Peab Anlegg AS (with Tin.uno a sub-consultant)

  • Proposal: Sterudkvartalet
    Team: NSW, Edit, Tin.

    Competitors:
    - Jaja Architects
    - Link Arkitektur
    - Reiulf Ramstad

  • Proposal: Penrose Stairs
    Team: Team Lab Entreprenør + Tin as subconsultant

    Competitors:
    - CF Møller
    - Haptic
    - Mad

  • Proposal: Knoppskyter
    Team: NSW, Tin, SLA.

    Competitors:
    - AART
    - Alab, Lala, Spacemaker AI
    - Niels Torp

  • Wildcard Team: Edit, Tin.uno
    Subconsultants: KOI Fargestudio, Transsolar, TØI ++

  • Proposal: Ibsen Library
    Wildcard Team:     AP+E (IE), De Gayardon Bureau (IT), Holt O'Brien (NO), Tin.uno (NO)

  • Proposal: Mission Oslo
    Team: Kima, Lala, Ledsten, Tin

    Competitors:
    Grape Architects
    Jarmund Vigsnæs
    Lund Hagem
    Snøhetta

  • Proposal: Busy Bosse!
    Team: Tin & co.
    Open international competition. The jurors statement was;

    "...The analytical approach explains the different suggestions for the site. The public spaces are carefully distributed and shared between the programs, and with a high emphasis on how they relate to the shorefront (...) The jury is positive to the mix of the different programs in the project, as well as to the research on the social and economic context. The understanding of the place and context leads to plausible arguments for the solutions chosen."

    Read more!

Competitions

  • Partner, founder.
    www.airstudio.no
    Evidence based architecture.

  • Head Honcho
    www.tin.uno
    academic activities + sole proprietorship (ENK)

Ventures

Education

  • Appointed Board Member.

    Tin was appointed by the residents, to sit on the board of “Kvindernes Boligselskab”, Norway’s first(?) women's-only housing cooperative, established in 1923. It was founded by Elise Seim, Europe’s first female Attorney at the Supreme Court, in an effort to enable women into the housing market. In the name of the women’s movement, the cooperative imposed a strict rule that only allowed financially independent, single women to purchase an apt. In 2010, a man filed a complaint against the cooperation, for breaking the law on equality and the discrimination. This resulted in the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Tribunal to overturn the bylaw, thus ending 90’s years of an antiquated “rule” (their words, not Tin.uno’s).

    As board member, Tin is responsible for the parking lot leases and updating the news section on the information screen in the main hallway. He also made sure that the restoration was in line with its historical period - mainly the treatment of the facade, balconies and the interior color choices. Coincidentally, he is also a resident, and one of the few financially independent single men in the building. Just to be clear, it was not him that filed the complaint back in 2010.

  • PhD Member
    NORA - Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium
    is a Norwegian collaboration between 8 universities, 3 university colleges and 5 research institutes within AI, machine learning and robotics. We are strengthening Norwegian research, education and innovation within these fields.

    NORA as a research school will organise various activities including intensive courses and exchange programs for PhD students focused on AI.

  • PhD Member.
    NORSI - Nordic Research School in Innovation and Entrepreneurship is the research school for PhD students in the Nordic countries within the field of innovation and entrepreneurship. It works to enhance and strengthen the Nordic innovation and entrepreneurship research education and community.

  • Deputy Representative for the temporary employees.
    LANDSAM - Faculty of Lanscape and Society - the candidacy applies to the interests of the temps in a research/teaching position at the Faculty of Landscape and Society.

  • Member: 2022 & 2023.
    The Advisory Board is to aid Oslo Business Region (OBR) identifying relevant challenges and opportunities in the business and startup ecosystem in the Oslo region. This intel will shape OBR’s strategies, activities and means to respond. OBR’s aim is to also contribute to more growth companies through attracting more funds, international profiling, increased public procurement.

  • Member: 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020.

  • Part of the professional resource group.
    Living premises was a pilot project between 2016-2018, with the aim of combating and preventing death in the city centre. The project was initiated and run by DOGA, in collaboration with Arendal, Lærdal and Tromsø municipality, a professional reference group, accompanying researchers from NIBR and a network of municipalities and actors who work with town center development.

  • Member of the web editorial.
    Magasinet KOTE is a magazine encouraging landscape, urban, architectural and societal discourses among students and other professionals.

Volunteering

Get in touch,

I won’t bite*

*unless there’s a free lunch involved.