Nydalsveien 32B – “Huset”

Fiskars is the last of the original factories in Nydalen still in use as an industrial building. Now, time has come to adapt also this building to the future of Nydalen, not any longer as part of an industrial area, not as the current business area, a collection of largely autonomous programmes, but as an integrated part of the city containing a variety of interconnected uses and attractions.

Concept

The existing factory though made up as a series of additions and alterations, appears as one. The new transformation and addition of programme will in the same tradition create one building, one shape, one identity, extending the historical building vertically.

In the same way former industrial buildings have found new uses, the new design is a generic building, form follows form, programme is secondary. Housing with cultural production and workshops is illustrated, but also student housing, offices, hotel or school with workshops, theatre, sports, library or event space on the ground floor can be accommodated. The ground and upper floor programme is interconnected or disconnected following the demands of the chosen programme.

Environment

The flexibility of the shape will secure a long lifespan through Nydalen’s future transformations. In addition the building is planned for zero CO2 emission through a series of optimisations: in addition to local district heating this includes a compact shape, additional natural ventilation, sun rooms for pre- heating and cooling, timber construction and solar panels.

Programme

The ground floor is kept as one large continuous space, keeping the greatest asset of old industrial buildings, leaving maximum flexibility for future uses.
Above, the housing is organised around a central courtyard. The flats are designed with deck access not to interrupt the ground floor. The flats are mostly duplexes ensuring orientation and private balconies or sun rooms to both sides, and providing almost direct access from the front door to the courtyard. A traditional block typology ensures that almost any type of flat and mix can be provided.