Rundeskogen

Single-family houses and small-scale housing projects dominate this region, creating a context that accentuates the exceptional height and volume of the project. The density and concentration of the project was developed to keep a required distance from a recently discovered Viking grave on the same hillside.

The organising element of the each tower is a star-shaped core structure of concrete, in which the fins are extended as separating walls between the flats. The prismatic shape of the plan is derived from optimising the layout for the best views and sunlight, as well as creating diagonal views between the towers.

On the ground floor, the fins and bracing elements of this stem-like core spread out as roots which integrate social meeting places, play facilities, generous entrance halls and communal gathering spaces.

These green spaces under the elevated apartments and between towers offer long views across the neighbourhood. They also create a connecting route between woods to the north and existing buildings to the south of the site. As a result, the project includes a mix of uses, unit types and community facilities with an agenda for social and energy sustainability.

The three towers were originally designed as timber constructions. Due to the client’s desire to build in a more conventional way, this solution was replaced with hybrid concrete/timber, so the core construction is concrete while secondary parts are made from timber framework.

Internally, each apartment has an integrated winter garden, which has fully insulated glass façades allowing for flexible, year-round use. Other environmental features include solar collectors on the roof, heat recovery from grey water and ground source heat pumps that provide heating. Every apartment was sold with a complimentary bike and the owners given their own fruit tree in the landscaped site.