Spikerverket Housing
SPIKERVERKET HOUSING
April Arkitekter
ARCHITECTS
April Arkitekter
PHOTOGRAPHS
Jiri Havran
YEAR
2012
LOCATION
Oslo, Norway
CATEGORY
Apartments
Text description provided by architect.
The site is located in Nydalen in the northern part of Oslo, a former industrial area which over the last years have been transformed into housing, offices and educational areas with the river Akerselva – a main recreational area in Oslo- flowing through the neighborhood.
The project is part of a transformation plan for Spikerverket (a former nail factory) by MAD arkitekter - developed by Avantor.
The master plan prepares for offices rising towards the urban side in the east, and housing towards the green low-rise areas in the west.
The office buildings are designed by MAD arkitekter, whereas April Arkitekter have designed the housing; the first step (buildings F + G) containing 40 apartments, all with access from a new square towards Nydal Street. Buildings F+G is the first two out of a total of five apartment buildings at Spikerverket.
The development of volume and facades of Spikerverket housing has taken its inspiration both from being part of the “seam” or “snake” (the concept of the complete Spikerverket transformation) as well as being located close to an established area of wooden single family houses.
The housing blocks share a common roof with the office buildings; a sloping green sedum roof.
Balconies are semi-retracted into the building volume. The horizontal movement of the “snake” on site has been pursued in the concept of the façade, where, in order to reduce the vertical effect of the balcony niches, the outer half of the balconies is drawn to one side, shifting direction every second floor.
The vertical wooden cladding is tilted, and is given two different overlapping heights, corresponding with the windows and floors.
The resulting horisontal lines also correspond with the wooden part of the balcony railings, and contribute to reduce the verticality and strengthen the overall horizontal concept, in harmony with the office buildings.
The chosen cladding; core pine is given one stroke of silicate mineral paint, which will gradually wear off so that the natural grey color of the wood will emerge.
The project consists of 40 apartments, from 46 to 160 m2, all facing south or west.
On the ground floor there are duplex-apartments with access both to the square and to the garden one story above.
All housing units are provided with private balconies towards the south or west. Additionally, the units on the top floor have generous roof terraces, cut into the green roofs.
