A team of young architects consisting of Marta Lata, Mateusz Pietryga, Guðni Asgeirsson and Sarita Poptani received an honorable mention in the Europan 17 international competition. From the proposed European areas requiring design intervention, the architects chose Norway and the municipality of Trondheim. Their project, appreciated by the jury, is an attempt to find a solution in the spirit of the idea of sustainable development and reconciling the needs of a growing city with the protection of ecosystems.
The theme of the 17th Europan was Living cities: CARE As we read in the description of the competition—care is explained by the organizers as accepting the intrinsic value of everything around us, from people to animals and plants, and recognizing that all have the right to exist and develop. It's not just about understanding, but also about action.
photo of the Østmark site
© organizers archive
sustainable regeneration
The international competition was aimed at professionals under the age of forty in architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning. In the Norway section, participants could choose from five locations in the municipalities of Karmøy, Larvik, Arendal and Trondheim as the site for their design activities. The task was to explore the theme of the location on multiple levels and at different scales.
visualization of the settlement
© Guðni Asgeirsson, Marta Lata, Mateusz Pietryga, Sarita Poptani
In the municipality of Trondheim, the competition challenge was to develop a solution for an area located on the Lade peninsula—the Østmarka area. It is known for its green landscape and varied topography, and nature under protection. Trondheim is one of the fastest growing cities in Norway, and as a result, the nature-filled Østmark area becomes a strategic area for urban density.
plan of the area and the projected buildings
© Guðni Asgeirsson, Marta Lata, Mateusz Pietryga, Sarita Poptani
The design task was to find a solution in the spirit of sustainability and reconciling progress and environmental protection. A denser city requires more services and housing. These decisions put pressure on existing green corridors and habitats. How to prioritize and how sensitive and innovative architecture can not only mitigate the negative effects of development, but also create regenerative concepts for the urban coexistence of animals, plants, as well as people?- the contest organizers asked the participants.
photo of the project area
© organizers archive
honorable mention for polish architects!
The works submitted to the competition were judged by a jury consisting of Ida Winge Andersen (chairwoman of the jury, architect of Rebuilding), Jacob Kamp (1:1 Landskab), Eli Grønn (Dyrvik Architects), Luis Basabe Montalvo (ARENAS BASABE PALACIOS ARQUITECTOS), Katariina Haigh (Asuntosäätiö), Ilkka Törmä (Outlines), Eili Vigestad Berge (Mustad Eiendom).
In the Trondheim part of the competition, First Prize was awarded to an Italian team for its project A Home for All. Second Prize went to the team consisting of: Alberto Roncelli, Nicole Vettore, Nathan Baudoin for the Østmark Therapeutic Landscapes project. On the other hand, both honorable mentions went to teams that included people from Poland! Recognized were Way to Care by Ada Jaskowiec, Michal Stupinski, Kinga Murawska and Zuzanna Sekuła (which we will write about in a separate article) and Østmark Re-enacted, by a team composed of: Marta Lata, Mateusz Pietryga, Guðni Asgeirsson (Iceland) and Sarita Poptani (Finland).
The project team, from left: Sarita Poptani, Guðni Asgeirsson, Marta Lata, Mateusz Pietryga
© authors
Østmark Re-enacted allows the existing landscape to dictate the layout of the buildings. The goal is to coexist with nature and to introduce residential complexes and care facilities in a balanced way. The buildings are placed at the edge of the site, creating an open landscape space on a north-south line. This is the only project in the competition where the buildings are located at the edge of the plot. The jury appreciates the authors' approach to the landscape and the proposed design directions and structure. In addition, the jury emphasizes the good analysis and presentation, the jury opinion reads.
Photo of the model, the authors preserved the park-like character of the area
© Guðni Asgeirsson, Marta Lata, Mateusz Pietryga, Sarita Poptani
concern for ecosystems
Lade is a unique peninsula, characterized by a green landscape, a diverse ecosystem and a park-like structure of space occupied by important urban institutions. This distinctive structure dates back to the days when the peninsula was occupied by farmland, and public institutions such as a mental hospital had open views of carefully arranged parks, strips of forest and tree-lined roads. Today, however, nature is increasingly being reduced by densifying urbanization, and the remaining ecosystems in the area are being pushed out and forced to share space. The lack of human scale, the priority for automobile traffic at the expense of pedestrians, and the loss of connection between people and nature, as well as between residents, are other problems in the area, the authors of the awarded project describe the challenges.
Østmark's Re-enacted project treats the competition area like a park, leaving and enhancing ecological connections in the area. The introduced comprehensive network of recreational paths invites visitors to walk towards the Lade coast, while dividing the area into a sequence of forest, meadows for pollinating insects, community gardens and alleys.
visualization of the nursing home
© Guðni Asgeirsson, Marta Lata, Mateusz Pietryga, Sarita Poptani
wooden architecture
Using timber architecture specific to the local topography, the team created facilities that foster a connection with nature while protecting the local soil and ecosystems.
A larger timber-framed residential building
© Guðni Asgeirsson, Marta Lata, Mateusz Pietryga, Sarita Poptani
The proposal balances the need for housing, a nursing home and green space by creating typologies that both regenerate, adapt to the site and foster a closer synergy between people and nature. Buildings are placed on the periphery of the site, creating a frame and sequential space open to the surroundings. This treatment, according to the authors, will support the surrounding forests, the identity of the historic healing landscape and the cultural landscape.
cross-section of a large residential building
© Guðni Asgeirsson, Marta Lata, Mateusz Pietryga, Sarita Poptani
The architects have proposed new buildings that are being constructed using a simple wooden structure on stilts. Residential blocks two to three stories high are covered with sloping metal roofs, creating a relationship with the Kanonhaugen hill. In contrast, a new nursing home of simple form is positioned along the western edge of the forest. Generous circulation spaces open to the forest and Kanonhaugen's northern hill connect with nature and create a framework that supports closer community ties. The lightweight design on stilts preserves as much ground as possible, maximizing the connection to nature, which will positively impact the health of the nursing home residents.
