Air+Haptic Runner-up in the Europan 16: Hjertelia-site for a Pilot Neighbourhood.
The young employees at Air Studio and Haptic Architects were awarded as the runner-up in the open international competition for a pilot neighbourhood in Hjertelia, Hønefoss. This site was the second most popular site of the entire Europan 16. The project was among others noted for its conceptual clarity and strength, new urban farming and social forms of living, the understanding of terrain and agriculture and not least, the exotic architectural references.
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.”
