ÅS no

sItE proposEd by

ciTy oF ås

oWnEr(s) of tHE sItE

odd TAndberg, Anne lene skoTTerud, ørjAn eriksen

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IntErvIEW

EuropAn norgE

presentation of the site within the context of the city development and in terms of strategy

Ås is a municipality on the outskirts of the capital region of oslo, and is now seeing clear signs of an expanding capital that lacks space for both housing and industry and is therefore putting increased pressure on its surrounding areas. among municipalities in the region, forecast population growth in Ås is among the highest, expected to double from approximately 18,000 in 2013 to approximately 32,000 in 2040. Ås’s population growth and the town’s adaptation creates two primary challenges: first to meet regional housing demand and second house without this to local conditions in Ås. Ås is the largest agricultural municipality in akershus and home to the norwegian university of life Sciences. an overarching objective for the competition is to better improve connections between university life and urban life in Ås town centre.

How can the site be integrated in the issue of the adaptable city and how do you consider this issue?

politicians, planners, developers and the university have joined forces in the europan competition to see how they can use a central plot to improve Ås further. how can this site become something different and unique, in comparison with the existing fabric? how can the site become a model for the future, balancing the demand for dense development with high-quality urban spaces? how can the site help to strengthen the connection with its surroundings and trigger the creation of a territorial network? how can the site contribute to better co-existence between Ås and the university? the municipality views the development of the site through four lenses: the growth city (the ability to absorb growth), the university town (to strengthen the relationship between municipality and university), the edge city (where rural and urban meet) and finally through the culture town (using cultural programmes as a tool for development).

At the time of sustainable development coupled to an economic crisis, have you already defined a specific strategy for the urban development of the site?

With strong national and regional pressures to focus population growth around train stations in order to strengthen public transport, the village of Ås stands on the cusp of great change. the small and sleepy village faces a turning point of challenges and possibilities. the municipality has received an impressive number of high-quality projects forming a corpus that can help Ås navigate in the future. the winning project by office ugo was well received by the site owners, municipality and politicians. the municipality has been in close discussion with the winning team on ways to implement the proposal.

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ugo | architecture anD urban DeSign ‘S-gravenDijkWal 125c 3021ek rotterDaM, the netherlanDS t. +31 639572859 Mail@office-ugo.coM WWW.office-ugo.coM

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Scenario 1

En, to, tre…rødt lys!

team point of view architecture can frame changes through space and over time as a means of defining an open field of possibilities, rather than being subject to the volatile demands of the market. the founding of a new civic dimension for Ås is marked through an enclosure, a boundary that identifies a space, providing a coherent frame for different potential speeds and intensities of development. Without strictly prescribing the quantities, programs and types of intervention, the project establishes a strategy of densification: three possible scenarios for growth within a field of possibilities. Such a strategy places the focus on existing resources, fostering a diversity of programs and subjects involved in the transformation and directing urban development while accommodating unforeseeable changes.

jury point of view the project manages on the one hand to create a frame for development and on the other hand shows awareness that urban planning today is not about designing and controlling but about responding and adapting to an unpredictable future. this is realised through a literal ‘frame’ construction that ‘will embrace an open field of possibilities’. the project proposes a development in phases. the first phase integrates the existing buildings, which may be altered to incorporate further additions. two more steps are described as possible future scenarios, with different levels of density.

Strategy

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Scenario 2 Scenario 3

alvarez ouburg architectS, gaaSterlanDStraat 5 1079 rh aMSterDaM, the netherlanDS t. +31 615298655 / +31 634504275 info@aoarchitectS.coM WWW.aoarchitectS.coM

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Hortus conclusus

team point of view in the near future Ås will transform from a village in a rural setting into a small town. the proposed urban strategy is to clarify the borders between rural and urban in order to strengthen the qualities of both countryside and city. a green cultural corridor makes a connection between the centre of Ås and the uMb. perpendicular to this, a high-density housing strip is proposed that will accommodate future housing demand. the project site is located at the intersection of these two new urban strips. on this site, the programmes of both uMb and the municipality will come together within a walled garden, a Hortus conclusus. the variety of functions form a beautiful composition within this new garden, a composition which, like tandberg paintings, is unique, but can nevertheless be painted and therefore transformed once more.

jury point of view the project is based on a clear and well-articulated spatial strategy to strengthen the relationship between university campus and Ås town centre by means of a green cultural corridor offset by a welldefined, grid-structured, high-density housing strip. Within the wider area strategy the project site becomes an anchor point between the town’s two new proposed axes and is envisaged as an inward facing, car-free, Hortus conclusus. a peripheral garden wall into a new urban ensemble unifies various separate urban elements, including the two historic wooden buildings.

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All eyes on Ås

team point of view uMb is linked to Ås town centre through a 1km long strip with facilities, offices, hotels and the new innovation centre. a second axis, parallel to the railway, intensifies the existing urban fabric with a residential program. all existing buildings on the site are preserved, each one functionally and morphologically characterising one of the four corners. a tangent curve integrates odd tandberg house with the new museum. the Mega building is converted to a housing block with a new facade. a domestic courtyard in the student house opens onto the central alley. a public plaza is carved out between Åsheim house and food lab. here, locals, commuters and visitors will find a vibrant nexus of art, trade, university and community. Ås will have the opportunity to intensify locally and expand worldwide.

jury point of view an intensified cross section with four strong and distinctive urban features and complementary programming, aims to generate and structure the future urbanization of Ås. the project argues that the vitality of student life in Ås operates on local community level while the university itself functions at a global scale for research and business. combining these potentials, the site is proposed as a ShoWcaSe for Ås to the outside world, “intensifying locally – expanding world wide”.

vieW of retail interior neW builDingS, exiSting oneS anD open areaS

reSearch & innovation hub MaSterplan

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straight line

team point of view our proposal cannot be restricted to the proposed reference plot alone, since a linear element needs to be added to guarantee connection between the university area and the city centre. this new urban component is conceived as a hybrid, an elevated transport infrastructure on which a bike lane coexists with a big university residence composed of small communities. on the reference plot, the project proposes a new elevated construction that provides continuity with the linear geometry while freeing up ground space for a big public square. this square will be partly covered to provide a protected space for a wide range of urban activities in rough winter weather conditions, whereas the roofless outdoor section will be southfacing to maximize solar exposure.

jury point of view the project gives physical expression to a strong proposed linkage between the university and town by means of an elevated linear structural element composed of a hybrid urban programme of student housing, cycle lane and public space. this singular linear element is envisaged as a series of linked communities, culminating in a new mixeduse high-density city centre, which is elevated above a big public square. this linear structure also articulates and frames the intermediate agricultural landscape in one grand but ultimately playful gesture.