Kjellander Sjöberg

Green active urban life with a natural setting by the waterfront

Commissioned by Wallfast, Kjellander + Sjöberg has developed two plus-energy houses with 53 rental units which create a green active urban life with a natural setting by the waterfront towards Norra Djurgården and Husarviken.

Two building volumes interplay with their respective proportions in height, width and length. The duo explores the neighbourhood's full architectural potential with lively inhabited facades that bring intensity to the joint interstitial space. The architecture is outgoing, clearly distinguishable along the harbour-promenade, while tacitly integrated with Northern Djurgården's landscape.

The point of departure is a strong plan geometry and structure, designed to be flexible over time. A clear inner core with a flexible outer zone, offers sub-dividable dwellings within a continuous gallery. The light, natural timber facades provide a backdrop to the longitudinal balconies on pillars, which invite the residents to cultivate and offers extended seasons throughout the year with its green-houses and integrated plant boxes.

The project responds to the City's specified requirements for an interesting architectural cutting-edge project in Norra Djurgårdsstaden's ongoing development in terms of housing-, energy-and environmental issues. The energy and the environmental criteria consist of net-heat, self-sufficient renewable energy, LCA-screening (life cycle assessment) and Green Space Factor. The buildings are maximized from an energy perspective, so-called plus-energy houses which are designed to produce an energy surplus, giving electricity back to the grid.