Future appearance - First sod turned for innovative housing transformation - C.F. Møller. Photo: C.F. Møller
5.11.2012

First sod turned for innovative housing transformation

A major social housing area of the Himmerland housing association in Aalborg is to be transformed from a run-down and inadequate concrete housing estate into a new, welcoming neighbourhood with new home typologies, varied wooden facades and improved outdoor facilities. The first sod for the ambitious project was turned last Friday.
Example of new facades - First sod turned for innovative housing transformation - C.F. Møller. Photo: C.F. Møller
New community space - First sod turned for innovative housing transformation - C.F. Møller. Photo: C.F. Møller
The estate was built in 1977, and consists of 186 apartments ranging from 39 to 105 square meters. It suffers from a number of typical technical issues associated with these constructions, and the housing layouts are inadequate in a contemporary perspective. Furthermore, the current facades with small window openings and massive balcony fronts result in dark and reclusive homes, and an overall appearance of monotony and decay. A new visionary masterplan for the transformation serves as guideline for the housing associations' ambitious aims, and is set to transform the area from a dull, low-slung standard typology to a more welcoming and varied neighbourhood, with different heights, views and relations between parts. Some of the top floor homes will be extended upwards, while other apartments are joined to create entirely new layouts and change the number of units. In this way, the former small and single-level apartment types are turned into a more townhouse-like typology, with larger and family-friendly homes. Most ground-level homes are also turned into fully accessible lifetime homes, and the end-gables of the buildings are opened up with new windows. The rooftop homes are designed as modern, bright and spacious maisonette layouts with terraces, open plans and large room-height glazing panels to frame the view. Replacing concrete parapets with transparent ones, and adding Juliette-type balconies, bay windows and protruding frames creates a more lively play of light and shadow on the facades, and brings variety to the overall appearance. As part of the sustainability strategy for the transformation, the new highly insulated facades are made from wood pre-fab panels, with an exterior wood cladding. The new rooftop homes are designed as pre-fab space modules which simply get hoisted into place. A new community space for the residents is placed centrally in the area, and will act as a meeting point for the entire neighbourhood as well as the Himmerland housing association's other nearby estates. The community building is designed to meet the strict future low-energy demands for 2020. The entire transformation, which has gained the support of the national construction fund Landsbyggefonden, will add up to approx. 350 mill. DKR, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.

More news

 
Show more news