Kategori: architecture

The extension concept draws its inspiration from the existing architecture – an added 3-storey solitaire connected to the lower 2-storey connecting building, similar to the Thristeinn building and gymnastics hall. The extension is distinctively new, but doesn´t outscale the existing complex. By its compact shape it leaves the school yard and parking largely intact.

The compact shape of the extension, with its central vertical communication space, limit the distances of movement through the school. Between the existing and the new main entrances the publicly accessible programs (library, arts and crafts halls ++) are situated, thus benefitting from its central position and multiple accesspoints. The heart of the building is therefore the existing connective space and the extension an attachment serving the heart of the complex.

The main communication space is an open atrium, extending all through the 3 floors. It Consists of one flight of stairs and one amphi between each floor, where the amphi serves as extra workspace during class hours and extra common space during the breaks. Such a multifunctional solution reduces the overall program requirements.

The school administration is placed as a new wing connecting Thristeinn and the exisiting main entrance hall. By replacing the existing connection, the new building includes ramps to make barrierfree connections on all floors. The teachers rest areas are placed here, too, withdrawn but stil in close proximity of the main entrance.

The new main hall and cantine is strategically placed at the most exposed spot on the ground floor of the extension, as a main focal point of the internal movement. It exposes itself to all three sides of approach and opens up with large glass panels in all three directions. When there is activity in the main hall it will be advertized by its use. Thick nontransparent drapers act as an accoustic and light controlling measure when neccessary to darken the main hall completely.

The existing built mass is revitalized in a respective way, mainly focusing on small changes and programmatic change within the existing structure. The built mass which is torn down should be reused onsite if possible, and the material flows in and out of the project evaluated to achieve a minimal CO2 footprint. Life cycle assessments should be implemented on both existing, new and waste. The volume to floor surface ratio is very good with reduced material use followed by a lower CO2 footprint.

All classrooms are doblesided naturally lit with a secondary daylight source from the central communication space. All classrooms open up towards this bright central space. The secondary classrooms (multifunctional) are mainly one-sidedly lit but also with the rooflight of the central space as secondary natural lighting. The abundant natural light reduces the need for artifical light and thus reducing the use of electricity.

The school yard is enlarged, with sheltered zones for entrances and outdoors exhibitions and dining, naturally created by the new extension.

Material reduction strategies are light construction with a cantilevered column – slab solution (bubbledecks), and thereby an optimal structural system with reduced foundation loads and costs. Light wood-based outer wall construction with fibre-reinforced concrete external panels (CO2-storage / low CO2 – footprint). Green roofs as spillwater retardation system to minimize environmental impact. Multisided natural lighting reduces the need for glass surfaces. Natural ventilation to reduce built volume and technical infrastructure costs – decentralized smaller units for heat redistribution locally.

The motto:X is the competition proposal for a new Pilgrim Centre at the medieval stave church in Røldal, Norway. The competition was concluded in February 2012, and with 182 entries it is the 3rd most popular Norwegian architectural competition to date.

X is created and confined by the existing elements of the site – rows of birch trees confine the pilgrim centre and the old stone walls of the churchyard extend outwards and rise to spatially define it. An atrium, as a modern interpretation of the traditional cloister courtyards, unveils as an unexpected quiet oasis for the tired pilgrim at the heart of the centre.

As the motto X indicates, the pilgrim centre acts as a meeting point on several levels. One can enter at all 4 sides. Each entrance has its own particular use, and the different parts of the centre are bound together by the atrium at its core. The atrium is a multifunctional space that opens up for the flow of people, especially in summer, when the pilgrims are many. The bigger communal spaces open up to the wider landscape and to smaller secluded gardens within the perimeter stone walls.

The interior spaces are created underneath flowing slabs, cantilevering out to provide shade and protected entrances and walkways. These «elevated meadows» can be seen from the adjacent mountain sides, and stand out from the neighbouring pastures by their seasonal flowers. As the slabs cantilevers towards one another, they form light slits that articulate the texture of the stone walls underneath. Their lines curve and indicate the movement through and the meeting points within the pilgrim centre.

A heavy construction and thermal masses, control of the sunlight and shading, low-emitting surface materials and a tight envelope are keywords for reducing day-night temperature fluctuation which make possible the use of natural ventilation even in a nordic climate. The choice of materials focuses on low CO2-emissions and aboundancy: The use of stone, wood and grass roofs have all been common building practise in the Norway.

The motto:Arken is a proposal for a new visitors centre and storage facilities for MiSF (Museene i Sogn og Fjordane) and SuM (Sunnfjord Museum), located at the premisses of the latter, a scenic outdoor museum facing the Movatnet lake in Sunnfjord. It was a competition proposal in an international design competition held in may 2011. There were submitted about 40 different proposals. The proposal was done in cooperation with SArkitektur in Oslo.

One of the main challenges of the competition was to locate the new facilities , either at a new public entry point at the north facing bog – or within the mountain separating the entry point from the lake Movatnet – or stacked at the back end of the hillside facing the lake as a backdrop for the current museum buildings. The sheer scale of the facilities would in our opinion outscale the delicate small buildings of the museum, and placing it within the mountain too drastic an approach for simple storage facilites on this site.

We settled therefore for an underground storage facility with the visitors centre as the only visible marker on top, as the new entrance to the museum. By placing the large volumes underground, the visible parts of facilities were downscaled to a recognizable size, suitable for the museum identity.

After entering the museum you would then connect to the old postal road which runs along the hill, making this historical landmark a part of the exhibition path. We also suggested to create a new lakeside path to an old settlement site, today in use as academic premisses, and further connect this back out to the postal road. This would make a «full exhibition circle» with the new facilities as the logical starting point for a new and more complete exhibition experience.

The Visitors Centre is placed on the ground and first basement level, and makes use of the storage facilities as part of the visitors exprerience. Both MiSF and SuM has their administrative facilities on the shared 1. floor, while the basement levels contain the individual needs of each museum entity, as well as the main storage facility. The Visitors Centre draws inspiration from local building traditions and building materials, but using techniques of today – massive wooden elements as slabs and roofs, stone clad walls and green roofs. The choice of insulation and other building materials focuses on a good energy balance and low CO2 emissions.