In the newly emerging housing district of Örgryte Torp, this tradition finds its continuation. Here, in close collaboration with a housing cooperative, the architects have designed the Studio 1 development, for which they were awarded the Kasper Salin Prize of the Swedish Architectural Federation in 2016.
In the two 4 – 5-storey blocks, not only are there 59 flats of various sizes available to residents, but also a basement garage and extensive communal areas. Studio 1 has a reinforced concrete skeleton-frame structure, with prefabricated columns and wall slabs. The facade consists of a steel-frame structure with facing brickwork, the use of which was specified in the urban development plan. The brickwork extends from ground level to the top of the parapet wall surrounding the flat roof and is drawn round window reveals, over side surfaces and even the underside of balcony slabs. Staggered in height and standing on a sloping site, the ensemble thus has a monolithic appearance.
Great care was taken in selecting the type of facings: a coal-fired brick in Flensburg format with a rough surface. The warm grey coloration varies in tone – sometimes paler, sometimes darker, depending on the firing process. This lends the brickwork a lively texture, so that it enters into an animated dialogue with the verdant surroundings.
Generally, the brickwork was laid in a random bond, but in the areas over the floor slabs a vertical bond was used, and stretcher bond in the intermediate areas of walling. In the communal realm, a perforated form of the grey coal-fired bricks was also used as an inner skin. In combination with the smooth concrete surfaces and the monochrome furnishings, an atmosphere of functional elegance was cre-ated that is characteristic of the overall design of this housing development.
