A Juvenile Detention Center in the outskirt of Norway

from RAKSHA SINGH | Undergraduate Architecture Portfolio | 2019 -2023

Design Strategy

The juvenile justice system was developed with a goal of rehabilitating kids. Every day, ten of thousands of youngsters are detained in juvenile detention facilities, thousands more are incarcerated in adult detention facilities and jails. Imagine keeping a young child sequestered for days, weeks, or even for months in a tiny empty room, especially the harsh conditions that are all too common in the juvenile justice system. Children deserves better thus this juvenile centre aims at designing a semi open facility that gives students supervision & structure for 50 detailed children. The concept adress the lives of inmates & society overall.

According to Norse mythology, Forseti is the God of justice and reconciliation and the site selected for the juvenile detention center is located in the outskirt of Gelio, Norway, thus justifying the name Forseti Center. The design proposal represents three triangular blocks, separated yet connected both structurally and visually remarking the cycles of growth that lead to higher state of being.

Located in Buskerud, Southern Norway, Geilo is home to an impressive selection of attractions and experiences, with around 2,500 inhabitants. This small town is Best known for ski resorts and mountain trails. Geilo features a Subarctic climate with cold, extremely snowy winters and cool summers. The mean temperature in January is 8.2 °C and for July is 11.2 °C with 83% Humidity. The Wind direction is from North at a speed of 3 km/h. This town is adjacent to three lakes, Slåttahølen, Vestlefjorden, and Ustedalsfjorden

Our site is located near the lake with Latitude & Longitude of 60.5337° N, 8.2088° E, having a total area of 14.05 Acers with thick vegetation on the south eastern side and on the Northern end. The main entrance to the site is from the south eastern side via the 25 m wide highway. On entering the site we have a watchtower & parking on the south western side and then a water body on the south eastern side. The main building along with the staff’s quarter, located just behind the main building block is north south oriented and has windows on the western side to trap the solar heat to keep the inside warm. Multi functional courts are present on the northern side.