,
Saving Erskine
An Example in Circular Heritage LÉO FRIEDMANN
KTH ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY TRITA-ABE-MBT-2081
→ Saving Erskine
An example in Circular Heritage Architecture
KTH School of Architecture
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INTRODUCContent
Introduction 2 - 5
Overview
61. Frame and Theory 10 – 35
1.1 A theoretical background
121.2 Two Erskine Estates
181.3 An Initiating Project in Växjö
302. Method and Process
36 – 75
2.1 Reuse to create anew
382.2 Create domestic atmospheres
522.3 Study fragments of identity
64Midterm
743. Project 76 – 111
3.1 Densifying the tower block typology
783.2 Housing for social encounter
943.3 Fragmenting the architecture
1004. Conclusion
4.1 An architect-specific method
114Foreword
A sense of urgency for a social and environmental duty dwells in the underlyings of this project, as buildings in attractive urban areas are being destroyed without consideration.
In their disappearance they take with them social and architectural heritage as well as precious natural resources that most likely will be sent to waste.
I developed compassion for these doomed buildings and learned about a Ralph Erskine project in Kiruna that is set for demolition, as well as an estate in Växjö about to be densified.
In an attempt to preserve these within the context of the city of Växjö, I wish to explore an alternative future towards circular architecture.
Overview
If you wish to get a short understanding of the project, I encourage you to read the next pages of the Overview or jump to the project chapter located from page 76 and on.
The first chapter will introduce the theoretical framework and present the two estates as well as illustrate a previous project that initiated this thesis.
Thereon, the second chapter will present the research method and design process will be presented, followed by an
illustration of the midterm presentation.
Lastly, you will find a complete illustration of the thesis project along with a
conclusion.
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Lassaskog, Växjö 1954 Ortdrivaren, Kiruna 1962
Where will all the material go?
Can the buildings be saved or reused?
Can moving the Kiruna estate to densify Lassaskog sustainably save them both?
When is the next renovation planned?
What is the future of the estate?
2017
In january 2017, the mining company LKAB buys the 138 owners’ apartments in
the Ortdrivaren coop. The block is listed for demolition
as part of the relocation of the city, despite it being categorized of cultural value.
1990
Damaged concrete facade elements are removed at Lassaskogen and replaced
by a white plaster finish.
Window seals and panes are also replaced, following with a change in coloring towards blue. Additional features like entrances are given brighter
colors.
Demolition planned as part
2024
of the expansion of the Kiruna mine.
OVERVIEW
→ Project Overview —
A peculiar example of circular architecture
This thesis is the story of a passion and nostalgia for the modern past, through two housing projects designed by architect Ralph Erskine and his office. The first building, Lassaskog in Växjö built in 1954, is an early example of industrialized concrete housing in Sweden. The other one, Kv.
Ortdrivaren in Kiruna was built some eight years later following Erskine’s utopian ideas for The Arctic City. Their architecture embodies a decade of rapid technological and aesthetical upswings in the architect’s but also in Sweden’s housing production. They also embody a challenging response to functionalism with care for color, human-scaled details, and an embellishment of the ordinary.
Looking back at these buildings is observing the definition of a new architectural language for the modern North.
With the help of a rationalized use of concrete, rounded corners and organic forms, forerunner bioclimatic designs, and attention for both the social and the colorful, these buildings have played an important role in defining romantic functionalism. Despite their architectural and historical significance, these two buildings are threatened today
In 2024, Ralph Erskine’s Ortdrivaren will follow the path of Kiruna’s City Hall and be demolished. His buildings of Lassaskog, Växjö, have not gone through any major renovation since the mid- seventies. They are perfectly located in the proximity of Växjö’s center to be the victim of hasty densification that is characteristic of rapidly growing university towns in Sweden.
This thesis is a reaction to these threats, it is a call for preserving and reusing.
The overarching question of this thesis is how can I sustainably save these two buildings?
The only solution I thought worthy of their architecture was to unite them. Rather than demolishing Ortdrivaren, I propose to deconstruct it and reuse it.
Therefore, I have made an inventory and I embarked on a journey to densify Lassaskog with a next of kin. The densification of the site will introduce a younger demographic with student housing and will preserve the characteristic landscape of the estate.
Its architecture will embrace this new context and weave the two histories together. Its architecture will blur the boundaries between reused and new.
My objective for this quirky enterprise is to find a methodology for preserving post- war housing estates and for conducting a circular architecture project.
Kiruna +
+ Luleå Boden +
Skellefteå + Umeå +
Sundsvall +
Gävle +
Uppsala + Stockholm + Norrköping +
Växjö +
Kiruna to Växjö — 1600kms of rail
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OVERVIEW
Collage — view from the southern park
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FRAME
→ 1. Frame + Theory
In an expanding town like Växjö, how
can one offer more housing by densifying
existing plots?
How can the open character of Lassaskog be preserved and
densified?
Can modernist planning principals be adapted to a
future with fewer cars?
What is truth and what is lie in architectural restoration?
Can radical ideas be sensibly implemented?
To what extent can Ortdrivaren be preserved?
How can the midcentury block-tower’s condition
be turned into a new urbanity?
What is the image of a city with newly introduced
layers of history?
To what extent can existing building be saved
and incorporated in new development schemes?
How can densification be seen as positive for the inhabitants of Lassaskog?
Can infill methods empower local inhabitants and prevent gentrification?
How does one plan for variety, diversity or
cohabitation?
Can ornament and color create a sense of belonging
and acceptance towards modern and contemporary
architecture?
What are the qualities and challenges of circular
architecture?
PRESERVING KIRUNA
Bringing a piece of the urban history of Ortdrivaren, through the work of Ralph Erskine, can somehow be seen as an action on preserving Kiruna.
The Kvarter Ortdrivaren is an iconic figure in the center of today’s Kiruna and by utilizing its parts and elements that are threatened to be demolished, I intend to sew together the history of two projects. In a sense, this can be thought of as a historical staging of the likes of Skansen, but in that case the continuity of function and performance of the artefact is at the core of its preservation.
DEVELOPING VÄXJÖ A few questions have been raised by the inhabitants of Lassaskog regarding the numerous changes in the city as well at the wave of densification projects within the municipal borders. Their worries, as well as the growing need for housing in this university town both formulate an interesting challenge. Incorporating parts of Kiruna within a new building on the estate will provide a frame to interrogate these two ideas : preserving Kiruna and developing Växjö.
skine definition and requisites of
conservation and cultural value. Secondly, we will discuss the notion of diversity in the evaluation of cultural value before outlining a potential solution for more sustainable building conservation policies. As a closing statement, we will open to the possibilities that such changes could offer.
According to the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building, and Planning6, cultural value gathers everything in the material world and environment which can be considered of value from a cultural-
historical, aesthetic and social perspective7. When it comes to what we call the cultural environment, this concerns the physical environment transformed and affected by human activities. This, in turn, does not suggest that all cultural environment has a high cultural value. According to these definitions, the cultural value of buildings is assessed with the help of the following three individual perspectives or their overlapping: the cultural-historical, aesthetic and social perspective.
Considering today’s knowledge and methods of measuring the emissions of material resources8, as well as the urgency to transform our economies to face global warming, one could question why the environmental
perspective isn’t included in the Swedish evaluation of cultural value. Something that most specialists could agree upon is to say that the definition of cultural value is complex, diverse and changing over time.
The notion of cultural value, or rather what elements compose cultural value, is widely pointed at as being a subjective matter9.
Therefore, it often requires lengthy case studies. A perspective on this issue could be to question the reliability or the relevance of the evaluation of cultural value and whether the current system allows addressing changes in society.
One must bear in mind that cultural value and cultural heritage, in their general definitions, encompass a variety of concepts, ranging from relics, facilities, and individual buildings to immaterial traditions or landscapes. Our critic of the judgment of cultural value will comprise of that which regards the existing building stock and the urban environments they affect. The question of diversity and environment in cultural heritage, when it comes to architectural heritage, appears to be less explored than in other fields of conservation with museological interests for example.
Facing the subject of cultural heritage is undeniably addressing issues of the image of a Nation and its citizens. As I strive here to define areas where the current system doesn’t comply with ideals of sustainable development, we need to devote focus on the notion of diversity and cultural value:
Although cultural heritage is
ofteassociated with conservatism and traditionalism, there lies a contradiction in the term, indeed one of the main objectives of heritage is to illustrate the present for the future. Here the history of Swedish heritage as a discipline becomes an interesting example for instance. Today’s Sweden is a diverse and multicultural nation with 24% of its population with a foreign background in 201810. And despite this increase of diversity in its population, starting from the mid of the twentieth century, one could observe the lack of representation of this diversity in the conservation policies regarding architectural
heritage. Interestingly, the beginning of historiography in Sweden started at the end of the nineteenth century, at the time when the question of the nation’s identity was at stake11. But while cultural heritage laws and recommendations
FRTheoretical Background
To keep, restore and never destroy
As an aspiring architect, I have grown a sense of environmental duty through my education as well as I cultivated and enriched the following praise for more socially and environmentally sustainable building conservation policies. Although the updating of current policies would require complete knowledge of law- making, this praise aims at planting the seed for reflection and debate around the high stakes of demolition contra restoration and reuse in the architectural field.
Indeed, as of 2016, the building sector in Sweden accounted for 21% of all greenhouse gases’ emissions1, which represents 12,8 million tones of CO2-e.
Together with imports necessary for construction, this number raised to around 21 million tones1, a value equivalent to that of all household transportation means in Sweden that same year2. Policy work has been done throughout Europe to reduce the use of energy in new buildings, through various incentives and updated building regulations3. Even at the domestic or at the community level, inducements and awards are put in place for the existing housing stock4, which demonstrates a growing awareness around energy consumption in households. But when it comes to energy consumption by the building industry, our concern lies in the intangible emissions that make up the lifecycle of a building and its materials.
Furthermore, this interest grew to see how these emissions are to some extent absent from the evaluation of cultural value in building conservation.
In this discourse, I decided to engage mainly with the notion of embodied greenhouse gas emissions, as they are relatively uncovered when it comes to regulations or conservation policies. This can be partly explained by their complex and relatively new methods of calculation.
For instance, new expressions have been coined
around these concepts together with the rise of understanding and appeal around the notion of circular economy. When applied to architecture, grey energy or embodied CO2 are terms that address the abstract emissions within our buildings.
They gather the sum of
emissions that are required by a building and its components, from the very beginning of the manufacturing of a resource through its installation. In our case, this applies not only to new materials in contemporary constructions but rather to the existing building structures that were built in the past and for which we have already consumed resources. Another concept that can be of interest for the development of our argument, because it also encompasses emissions for the use of a building, is the Life- Cycle Assessment (LCA, also known as Life-Cycle Analysis or cradle-to-cradle analysis)5. LCA is often generally
described is a method for gaining a comprehensive knowledge of the total environmental impact of a product’s life cycle from raw material extraction, through manufacturing processes and use to waste management, including all transport and all intermediate energy consumption.
The aim of this praise though is not to analyze or review thoroughly these concepts nor their methods, but rather use them as a background for a vision on what could be a future addition to building conservation policies. We will observe in the development of this text how these concepts and methods could play a key role in the future of conservation. But firstly, I will focus on explaining the
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FRAMESubtitle
address two issues for architects and conservation specialists: on the first hand, it addresses the subject of variation in urban settings but more importantly, it addresses issues of diversity in the image construction of the Nation of both the present and the future.
By ensuring the visibility of all layers of time one could easily imagine a variety in the urban landscape, which appears to be a growing concern when designing new housing estates today. At least if one were to base this on assumptions taken from the visual experience of recently built housing estates throughout Sweden19. A closer look at Helen Runting’s article20 or an analysis of the most recent housing fair at Vallastaden could also corroborate this strive for more variation and diversity in recent Swedish urban environments.
Furthermore, one could argue that an unbiased system of evaluation of cultural and aesthetical value could enhance the protection of buildings whose modest conditions would have otherwise been a factor of their demolition.
To conclude, I would like to advise the reader to consider this text as it is; a humble praise for the amelioration of the current policies. Such a process would require thorough research and deepening in the subject as well as in the models that allow for concluding. While this text, I hope, will provide an eye on the existing situations and will raise awareness of the value of existing buildings and their grey energy. In this praise lies the urgency of exposing a problematic situation that happens daily and despite our extended knowledge of the challenges of climate change.
1 According to Boverket and Statistiska Centralbyrån (SCB) 2 According to Naturvårdsverket, “Konsumtionsbaserade utsläpp av växthusgaser per område” with statistics from SCB 3 The French example of the updating of the thermal policy (Règlementation Thermique): RT2012 or Thermal Policy 4 France’s ministry of Finance has regulated the Crédit d’impôt pour la transition énergétique (energy transition tax credit) or Prêt à Taux Zero (Interest-Free Loans) for households to operate energy-efficient renovations. Local associations such as Le Geste d’Or have provided a platform for guidance addressed to homeowner’s associations and boards to renovate their properties with respect for heritage.
5 Reference to the book Cradle-to-Cradle, see extended bibliography
6 Editor’s note: National Board of Housing, Building and Planning here referencing to Boverket
7 The definition for Cultural Value is an adaptation from a text written in Swedish by the National Heritage Board (Riksantikvarieämbetet) as part of an online knowledge bank in complement to the Plan and Building law of 2010 (PBL Kunskapsbanken, en handbook om plan- och bygglagen).
8 ‘If everybody lived like we do in Sweden, about 4 planets would be needed’, extract from the Living Planet Report (2018) by WWF, see extended bibliography
9 “Kulturarv är inte något som uppstår av sig själv utan är en ovanifrån stryd process med en tydlig avsikt att skapa en viss sorts berättelse om samtiden”, extract by Qaisar Mahmood in
“Kulturarv, vems kulturarv?”, see extended bibliography.
10 Statistics sourced from the Swedish Institute for Statistics, Statistiska Centralbyrån, according to the definition of foreign background, which corresponds to individuals born abroad or born in Sweden from two parents born abroad.
11 “There were issues that aroused strong feelings, such as the union with Norway, which became increasingly problematic and finally ended in 1905. Internal political debates – demands for democratic reforms, general voting right – also involved issues of national identity.”, extract by Victor Edman in “How national is a national canon?”, see extended bibliography.
12 Editor’s note: Monument Act here referencing to Byggnadsminneslagen (1960)
13 Editor’s note: National Heritage Board here referencing to Riksantikvarieämbetet
14 Refer to Living Planet Report commissioned by WWF, as a recent example (2018) in the extended bibliography
15 See the article “Waste not want not: Sweden to give tax breaks for repairs”, The Guardian, in the extended bibliography
16 Refer to “The Macroeconomics of the Circular Economy Transition: A Critical Review of Modelling Approaches”, a report commissioned by the OECD (2018), in the extended bibliography
17 Nine out of the eleven studies suggest stagnation or increase in GDP
18 83% of Sweden’s municipalities reported a housing shortage in 2019, according to Boverkets Bostadsmarknadsenkät.
19 A glimpse around Liljeholmskajen, Älvsjö, Barkarby in Stockholm Region or Rosendal in Uppsala can be good examples of these observations.
20 Helen Runting (2019), “En flytande söm i dagens bostadsarkitektur”, Arkitekten, nr.1, 2018-9, pp. 46-47
address the question of diversity, the Monument Act12 solely base its function on what is called high cultural value, a denomination attributed by the National Heritage Board13. Although the relevance and knowledge of this institution are not questioned here, one could observe the systematic subjectivity of this Act, as we have presented its founding principles.
Considering the demolitions of numerous buildings that I have witnessed in the three years of my residency in Sweden and a well-documented worldwide
scarcity of resources14, I felt necessary to point at what is missing in today’s building conservation policies.
In the following paragraph we will speculate and advocate for an ideal solution against the social and
environmental discrepancies we observed in the current evaluation of cultural value for buildings:
In the interest of the preservation of the greenhouse gases emitted to erect existing buildings, a careful evaluation of their value should be made, and all measures shall be taken to conserve and restore the largest amounts of existing materials on a given site. As such, and with the help of tax relief incentives, the vast majority of buildings and structures that compose the fabric of urban, peri-urban and rural landscapes will be kept. This will, in turn, contribute to diversity and variance in built environments. Furthermore, this will ensure un-curated visibility and legibility of all layers of architectural history.
To counteract economic arguments towards new construction, a system of the likes of the polluters’ fee in other industries could be put in place if buildings are to be destroyed as part of redevelopment schemes. The evaluation of this new cultural value could be assessed by models such as the LCA, associated with a scale figure for each material. This objective system could not only ensure a decrease in resource waste but also satisfy the need for more diversity in the fabrication of architectural history for the future. One could hope that this solution is applied to some degree, or even to a larger extent than it has already been legislated when it comes
to electronic appliances15. After formulating this ideal vision for a renewal of building conservation policies, we could try to widen our discussion to the potential consequences of its implementation. To observe quantifiable consequences of what is essentially applying circular economy precepts to architectural conservation, one could analyze the results of a recent study16 of the OECD on circular economy. The eleven cases investigated, which model the complete change to a circular economy, show a decrease by up to 80% of resource extraction compared to business as usual. The study of these cases reveals that most countries would observe a stagnation or an increase of up to 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP)17, except for economies heavily based on resource extraction (Brazil, Russia or Canada).
Mitigation can be observed regarding these figures, as they model a society-wide change in the economy, for all sectors. Although one could draw tendencies from this case-study and could hypothesize on a widely neutral or beneficial influence of the new conservation policy, a look at the current data about the housing shortage in Sweden18 could also support these trends. When it comes to building conservation and its practice, one could speculate on the new demand for specific building crafts as well as technical advancement throughout actors and
professions in the building field.
Another interesting
consequence of this policy could be the formation of an un-curated architectural history. This could in turn
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Roofscapes
Curvature
An architecture to manage snow —
An architecture against wind —
Structure
Colors
A state-of-the-art approach —
A human and joyful architecture —
Facades
Embracing the development of building technics —
Balconies
An energy-efficient architecture —
Exhibition Poster — Analytical reading of Lassaskog, Växjö
FRTheoretical Background
Modular and flexible homes with Colourful Ornament
The following text is rooted in a critical history of Ralph Erskine’s housing developments. It aims at reflecting on the importance of colour and ornament as a forgotten tool of the architect. This was originally part of a catalogue for Flyings Panels, an exhibition put together with the KTH Studio Muddy and Motley:
Mass Housing for Millions of Homes.
The text unrolls with a series of facts and description followed by a personal reflection:
The original facade of the Växjö residence in 1955 displays a natural concrete grey tone from the panels’
finish. But in the 1990s, when a major facade renovation was undergoing and prefabricated elements were replaced by a plaster finish, a creamy white paint took over the existing hue. Window
frames and seals were changed, and light blue paint used to highlight them. The entrance porticoes were also subject to a colorful evolution when they were painted in bright red. The buildings in Kvarteret Ortdrivaren, Kiruna, are colored red, brown, terracotta, ochre and yellow. This coincides with previous color studies and vision paintings by Ralph Erskine that boast warm nuances to enhance sunlight in the snowy landscapes of arctic communities. I suppose the use of paint on the concrete elements in Kiruna can be attributed to an advance in technology, but the difference of status and therefore economy in the project (rentals versus condominiums) could also explain the variation in facade treatment. Ten years later, at the Byker Wall, color is the carrier of identity and marks a strong contrast with the early works of Erskine.
Brickwork is patterned and ribbed and can be read as solid-color expanses in earthy tones. Metal and woodwork, on the other hand, offer contrasting bright colors such as blue, green and red, allowing for distinct parts of the estate to be identifiable. Interestingly enough,
similar trends can be observed in later modifications of the dull grey Växjö project.
I believe it is important to advise the reader that the culture of architecture school is often oriented towards modernism and functionalism when it comes to looking at examples and ideals, at least in curriculums of continental Europe. This, in turn,
could explain the rebellious fascination of a student like myself for Erskine’s gestures of joy and color. Before understanding that such gestures that I perceived in his architecture fell under another historical category - romantic functionalism - I found new relevance in such human attention, in light of today’s aesthetic disputes in Sweden.
Current discussions between Arkitekturupproret and
Swedish architects are focused on visual aspects of classical contra modern architecture and on the idea that architects are only interested in the latter.
Another observation on the situation could suggest that members of the insurgency focus on the symbolistic character of buildings while architects might be refusing to look upon their functionalistic theoretical backgrounds to find common ground. The popular criticism of modern housing estates also raises the question of it’s rough and dull aesthetics. Considering Erskine’s chromatic
developments and in regards to this contemporary context, one could argue for the importance of a newly appointed necessity for ornament, color and the superficial, all in the name of acceptance.
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Type floorplan — Quality Analysis →
Data —
Location Architect Year Intuition
Växjö, Sweden Ralph Erskine 1954
The building’s organisation wraps apartments around a north-facing staircase. As a result apartments with only one orientation are facing south, while other have three directions.
FRAMETwo Erskine Estates
→Façade
Around forty different elements were used for the facade of the six units at the Lassaskog Estate. They boast a characteristic rib, an 8 cm thickness and are left with the color of concrete. All holes in the panels were made off-site, with peculiarities like ventilation grills already accounted for.
The panel presented here covers a surface of 3.9*4.2m.
→Color
The original facade of the Växjö estate had a natural concrete grey tone from the panels’
finish. But in the 1990s, when a major facade renovation was undergoing and prefabricated elements were replaced by a plaster finish, a creamy white paint took over the existing grey. Window frames and seals were changed, and light blue paint used to highlight them. The entrance porticoes were also subject to a colorful change when they were painted bright red.
→Curvature
Despite a very rational grid structure and simplified facade elements, Ralph Erskine
attempted to undermine the lee effect around his buildings by making use of this round corner piece. This was set to become one of his trademark design clue in later projects as he developed his understanding of wind-related discomfort.
→ Two Erskine Estates —
The Lassaskog tower blocks in Växjö (1953-54)
The Lassaskog estate is one of the earliest Swedish example of building industrialization where prefabricated concrete façade panels were
implemented.
In the scope of Ralph Erskine’s carreer one could consider the six towers as a test bed for the architect’s ideas. Rounded corners and suspended balconies all inform of Erskine’s care for climate comfort as well as his strive to define an Arctic architecture for the modern world.
The architect’s devotion to detail and his great attention for living conditions could explain that these buildings are still standing today and are widely appreciated by their inhabitants.
→Structure
The structure of the Växjö estate is made of concrete walls and slabs cast on site.
Before the prefabricated exterior walls are mounted on the house, the joinery is moved into their respective booths with the help of the cranes.
→Roof
Despite a form dictacted by a rational buidling system, Erskine accounted large for winter downfalls by shaping the roof of the Byker Estate like a reservoir.
→Balconies
Balconies were cast off-site and
suspended on cables from roof gantries.
This device reduces the structural contact of the balcony with the main building and thus the cold-bridging effect between an external element and the warm interior.
In 1975, these balconies were replaced as they were deemed too fragile, but later examples of such a design are still to be found in Sandviken, Sweden.
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1. An open hilly landscape, november 2019, Växjö 2. Entrance porticoes,
november 2019, Växjö 3. Socles with relief, november
2019, Växjö 3.
2.
FRTwo Erskine Estates
1.
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5.
“Jag befinner mig, en grå regnig novemberdag i 2019, i ett ursprungligt kök i vitt målat trä och metall när jag tittar ut genom fönstrets ram. Där står trädet, trädet vars stam skulle vara perfekt för att kedja sig till. Det hävdar i alla fall min 70-årig värd, motståndare till ortens förtätning, som har öppnat sina lägenhetsdörrar för min nyfikenhet. Lägenheten ligger några hundra meter norr om Växjös centrum och hundra sextio mil söder om syskonet i Kiruna, i en av sex Erskines funkissolrosor omgiven av ett öppet kulligt landskap. Med prefabricerade paneler, rundade hörn för lä, takhängande balkonger och ljusa fasader i alla väderstreck ställer Lassaskogs byggnader framför mig: en ensemble byggd 1953–54 där allt tyder på en prototyp ur Erskines utopi.”
4. Geometric alignment, november 2019, Växjö 5. Kitchen view,
november 2019, Växjö
FRAMETwo Erskine Estates
4.
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Type floorplan — Quality Analysis →
Data —
Location Architect Year Intuition
Kiruna, Sweden Ralph Erskine 1962
Diagonals and axes are enhanced by the partitions’ positions in an offset relation to one another. Life along the façade as well as perspective views are highlighted.
FRTwo Erskine Estates
inside. One can note that the roof gantries are absent in this project, one could guess an attention to the local frosty climate as a decision for their removal.
→Façade
In Kiruna project, most ground- floor concrete and detailing is in-situ cast with wooden sideboards. These boards leave a rich organic pattern on the surface of the material when removed. Similarly to Växjö, its facade elements are prefabricated off-site.
The pattern used here is more expressive and allows to curve the whole building into segments. As a result, the process is more demanding, where 13 panels are necessary to cover the surface 1 panel covered in the Växjö project.
→Color
The buildings in Kvarteret Ortdrivaren are colored red, brown, terracotta, ochre and yellow. Previous color studies and vision paintings by Ralph Erskine boast warm colors to enhance sunlight in the snowy landscapes of arctic communities.
→Curvature
As part of a wider utopic masterplan for the city of Kiruna, the Ortdrivaren Kvarter is shaped with lee effect in mind. Its heated groundfloors, the dynamic shapes of its composition as well as its South-East orientation make it a comfortable estate to roam around.
The Ortdrivaren block in Kiruna (1960-62)
In Kiruna in 1960, most of the early timber buildings from the beginning of the 20th century are being torn down. A competiton is organized for a new masterplan, which Ralph Erskine Arkitektkontor wins, but a later decision is made to build upon the existing cityplan drawn by Per Olof Hallman at the turn of the century.
Part of that masterplan is kept and set to become the Kvarter Ortdrivaren we know today. With its curved facade in prefabricated concrete, as well as its typical moulded concrete, the estate is a landmark of Ralph Erskine’s architecture.
Today, it’s existence is threathened by the expansion of Kiruna mine by LKAB.
The estate is planned for demolition in 2024.
→Structure
The structure of the Kiruna project is like a cornerstone in Ralph Erskine’s development towards the prefabrication of structural elements. While in-situ cast concrete walls act as bracing, precast columns liberate the facade from any structural function.
→Roof
The roofs of the Kiruna housing project are organised on two levels, stepping down to the north, creating pockets for snow and diminishing shadow masks in the courtyard.
→Balconies
In Kiruna, small balconies are designed as hanging racks for natural deep freezing of food during winter months. Windows are designed in such ways that they can be opened to form a wind barrier on the balconies, thus providing heat from
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1. Shades of ochre, february 2020, Kiruna 2. Lines and curves,
february 2020, Kiruna 3. A portico and a balcony ,
february 2020, Kiruna 3.
2.
FRAMETwo Erskine Estates
1.
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5.
6.
4. Totems in swow, february 2020, Kiruna 5. Mountainous horizon,
february 2020, Kiruna 6. Yellow chimney ,
february 2020, Kiruna
FRTwo Erskine Estates
4.
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Site Plan — The six blocktowers of the Lassaskog
Project Volume — cardboard model
10 50m
0
→
FRAMEEarly project This project was preceded by an
exhibition on the work of Erskine with prefabricated concrete housing structures.
A meeting with the local housing company in Växjö, as well as elderly inhabitants, shaped the project towards a restauration of Erskine’s joyful details and towards a strengthening of the social qualities of the estate. The original facade of the Växjö residence in 1955 displays a natural concrete grey tone from the panels’ finish.
The entrance porticoes were also subject to a colorful evolution when they were painted in bright red, today, they are in need of restauration.
The word restauration is here used with a certain measure, as one could see mainly a renovation or an extension of the Lassaskog Estate. But, following Viollet-le-Duc’s approach to restauration, decisions were made to not only repair Erskine’s entrances but also further develop their climatic and social functions. An attention to color was given, as a study of the architect’s work suggest that the anglo-swedish architect envisioned a colorful facade, which he later realized in Kiruna for instance.
The vision for this project is that of a respectful attitude towards the original buildings as well as a wish to engage and reinterpret the symbolistic and romantic aspects of Ralph Erskine’s playful architecture.
The result of this approach is a reasoned architecture of few elements that is careful about existing tectonic relationships. The inherent qualities of the estate meant that the intervention should be accupunctural. By providing common functions and by highlighting a new-found groundfloor potential for commerce, this small-scale project secures a sustainable future for the estate. In the scope of the wide array of million program areas
throughout Sweden, this project asserts the possibility of recreating urban qualities for the surburban tower-block typology.
→ Early project —
An portico and a lightwell
initiated the need for a larger
intervention in Växjö
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1. 120mm thick CLT panels are used throughout the extension.
They have a medium quality finish when unreachable and a high quality finish together with one layer of white stain when touchable.
2. The existing floor is extended with reinforced concrete and is insulated from the outside, as well as covered on the floor with either long lasting terrazzo or polished concrete.
3. The facade socle is insulated from the oustide with a timber frame covered with a colored plaster render. The socle is slightly recessed from the wooden panelling to create depth.
4. The main body of the facade is covered with colorful tar-stained plywood panels which are 600mm wide, according to industry standards.
5. The vertical window seals are made of the exposed stuctural CLT panels that form the walls.
Horizontal seals are made of plywood panels of fir that are finished with a colour indoor stain.
On the lower part of the windows, the socle extend as a convector cover that functions as a bench.
Interior view— A timber lightwell, A
symbolic storefront architecture daylit in two directions to illuminate the existing depth
20 100cm
0 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
FREarly project 1. CNC-milled cross
laminated timber panel protected with a colored oil-based stain. The form comes from original concrete porticoes designed by Ralph Erskine.
2. Coated metal joint to anchor the portico in the concrete foundation as well as to stop water capillarity from the floor to the timber.
3. Color-coated corrugated metal roof for weather protection.
The industrial sheets are screwed to timber sections, which are slightly angled for rain evacuation.
4. Industrial timber roofing sections.
5. Bed of white gravels for water collection on the existing grass mounts.
Entrance view— A reinterpreted portico for improved weather protection and social interaction
1.
2.
3. 4.
5.
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General view— A subtle but colourful intervention Bringing activity at the pedestrian level and life between buildings
FRAMEEarly project
Groundfloor Plan — The Communal Kitchen
1 2,5m
0
→
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METHOD
→ 2. Method + Process
E R SE U
AM
TERI
ALAND INCORPORA TE
ITRT CO T EA A E EW N .
EC R
RE
ATE
CONTEMPORA RY HO
USI
NG
Y T O P OG L S IE .
D RE
EV
ELOP ELEM
ENTS OFO RNAM
ENT A D N NTI IDE . TY
A
B
C
1. Collection in volume
1. Study in plan typology
1. Investigative illustrations 2. Detail studies
2. Living scenario simulations
2. Detail studies
3. Informative axonometries
3. Atmosphere studies
3. Informative axonometries Scales: 1:1, 1:100
Scales: 1:100, 1:50
Scales: 1:50, 1:10
The method of this thesis can be described as that of a circular architecture.
An objective is to achieve equilibrium, objectivity and sensitivity in the process of making a project. I believe that following a theoretical discourse as well as a balanced circular structure, which
ramificates into practice, will allow me to formulate a strong, engaged and relevant design proposal.
The use of categorization and ramification are key elements of my methodology and they ensure for the solidity of the proposal. Subjectivity lies already in decision making, design tactics. Therefore I believe the project, or case- study, to be the locus of subjectivity, exploration and dream while the discourse acts as the rational backbone. Thus strengthening the importance of this attempt at defining a method.
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Catalogue Visualisation — Cover
METHODReuse Inventory The Reuse Inventory is at the foundation
of this thesis project. The method for reusing Kvarteret Ortdrivaren is what will be presented in the upcoming pages, following a series of actions: measuring, redrawing, recording, categorizing with compiling a catalogue of elements as the final goal.
This catalogue aims at documenting and gathering reusable elements in the existing Ralph Erskine estate of Kvarteret Ortdrivaren in Kiruna, Sweden. Separated into three categories (Special, Vertical and Horizontal), all elements are measured and presented as if they were products of a manufacturer. This method and graphic disposition focuses on the challenges put against more circularity of building elements. We are adressing here the aesthetical and technical concerns by normalizing the elements and presenting them in a familiar and dare we say commercial way.
→ Reuse Inventory —
Compiling a Catalogue of Elements
Millions of imperfect
environmental actions weight more than a few perfect individual actions. I believe normalization of the aesthetics of reused elements is a first step towards acceptance of more circular building materials for the masses.
This catalogue will later on be a guideline and design tool for the conception of the façades of the new estate.
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Measuring is done on-site to calibrate archival drawings with the built reality. As the building is meant to be deconstructed, only main elements are measured rather than rooms or parts of the buildings.
Tools range from the analog measuring tape and notebook to lasers, cloud points could prove to be necessary before the detail/execution stage.
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10m 0
METHODReuse Inventory
REDRAWING (1:1→1:100)
Redrawing for this project consisted of making a two-dimensional cartography of panel modules in elevation based on archival drawings and a series of façade photos. Crossing documents of differents sources and eras insure that information takes into consideration the changes that might have happened through the life of the building.
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→ Balcony 1 — Ba1...10 units
→ Horizontal 3 — H3...54 units
→ Vertical 3 — V3...293 units
METHODReuse Inventory
Recording the reusable panels began as the construction of a 3D model and the creation of nomenclature for the modules.
The method of compiling this information was sequenced into different programs and entries. This could be improved by the use of building information modelling with schedules.
→ Balcony 2 — Ba2...10 units
→ Vertical 4 — V4...292 units
→ Portico 1 — P1 ...2 units
→ Vertical 6 — V6 ...47 units
→ Vertical 7 — V7 ...77 units
→ Vertical 8 — V8 ...25 units
→ Vertical 12 — V12 ...4 units
→ Vertical 13 — V13 ...31 units
→ Vertical 15 — V15 ...5 units
→ Vertical 17 — V17 ...16 units
→ Vertical 18 — V18 ...50 units
→ Vertical 19 — V19 ...9 units
→ Vertical 20 — V20 ...9 units
→ Vertical 21 — V21 ...3 units
→ Horizontal 2 — H2 ...52 units
→ Horizontal 4 — H4 ...41 units
→ Horizontal 5 — H5 ...17 units
→ Horizontal 6 — H6 ...10 units
→ Horizontal 9 — H9 ...26 units
Axonometric — illustration of the 3D modeled inventory
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Dematerialized Level
Cast In-Situ Concrete Aggregate — This is not unique to the site and could be sourced locally around the Växjö Area
B. New Concrete —
This can be used for foundation work.
A. Recycled Concrete tiles — Can be designed and used throughout the project.
Yellow Render Rough Concrete
Untreated balcony wooden boards
Yellow board concrete
Board-formed concrete
Wood Painted Concrete
Wood Painted Concrete
METHODReuse Inventory
CATEGORIZING
Categorizing in the case of this project is a three-level approach. The cast-on site concrete structure could be reused as an ingredient to form new tiles and new foundation concrete.
Prefabricated elements are easily identified and can be reused with the same function.
Some are almost unique elements while panels are found in thousands. Textures, as well as atmospheres, are also considered as part of the heritage of the building. Therefore, they will be translated into the new structure, this is what I call the dematerialized reuse.
Element Level
Rare elements —
They are unique (or almost) and bear the identity of the original building.
Symbolistic elements —
They bear the identity of the original building but their condition and their amount argue for a wider reuse.
Modular elements in large quantity —
Easily reconfigurable and reusable. Their collection requires labour but their number offers a large scale of potentials.
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Catalogue Extract — horizontal elements
METHOD
Catalogue Extract — vertical elements
Lastly, I compiled all this information in the form of a catalog, that will prove to be particularly useful as a design toolbox further into the process.
Reuse Inventory
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Catalogue Extract — vertical elements
METHODReuse Inventory
Catalogue Extract — horizontal elements
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Catalogue Visualisation — Cover METHODDomestic
This catalogue aims at documenting and gathering my personal influences and references when it comes to housing. The idea of a domestic atmosphere is also reflected upon through a research on color in Ralph Erskine’s work.
Ornament through functional detail can also be the locus of the domestic and the familiar and therefore is also a study topic for this thesis.
Light when studied through the lense of its qualitative and not quantitative aspect is for me associated with paintings.
The representation of light is done through environments and materials and therefore I have collected some influencial paintings for me.
Compiling a Catalogue of References
The process of cataloguing these references is an attempt at showing an honest but non-exhaustive mind map of designing. The culture of housing and interiors is personal and enriched through studies. The following examples are reprensenting my mind set of references for this very project. Most influences come from the site or the history of Ralph Erskine’s developments, but I cannot fully distance myself from some of the works of Aalto, Asplund and Josef Frank.
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Catalogue Extract — Housing References
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Catalogue Extract — Housing References
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Catalogue Extract — Housing References
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Catalogue Extract — Atmosphere References
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Catalogue Extract — Atmosphere References
skine METHODIdentity fragments
Gathering the elements that form the identity of both Lassaskog and Kiruna is a corner stone of this project.
Inspiration from original atmospheres and details is conducted as if it were a dematerialized reuse of the salvaged buildings.
This process is highly
subjective and iterative, and is based on photographs and archival researching. Redrawing and sketching as well as
analyzing potential failures of material for instance, were the main tools of this step.
Part of this project could be compared as the work of a building antiquarian, looking and documenting materials, textures and colors. In the case of this project, those were
Learning from the existing
digitalized and reused to visualize and design the new project.
New architectonic language is introduced in regards to the analysis of the existing romantic fragments, forming an
untangible relationship between old and new.
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New Erskine Blue
New Beige plaster
New Reclaimed tiles
New Kiruna Yellow Ceiling pine boards
Untreated balcony wooden boards
Yellow board-formed concrete
Board-formed concrete
Wood Painted Concrete
METHODIdentity fragments
COLORS
New tones, colors and materials blend and complement the existing. The additions are either repurposed, or
reused, or when specifically produced for this project they are materials with lower carbon footprint that allows for an easier reuse in the future.
Wood Painted Concrete
Grey Eterboard
White Oiled CLT
New Reclaimed tiles
Exposed CLT sides Yellow Render over light-concrete panel
Rough Concrete
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NEW Entrance — Entrance plan and view METHODIdentity fragments
Entrance halls of the existing Växjö estates embody the social heart of the buildings for the tenants, this is where informal meetings can happen.
Care was given to floor patterns and color composition. This was taken into consideration in the new design.
ORIGINAL Entrance — Archival material and sketches
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NEW Stairwell top Sketch —
Colourful recycled concrete tiles, off-white plaster and exposed CLT panels METHODIdentity fragments
STAIRWELLS
In initial sketches, Ralph Erskine
envisioned multiple color composition to create variation between the buildings, highlighting the importance of the common rooms as barers of identity for the estate.
ORIGINAL Stairwell top Sketch —
Black and White terrazzo, bright primary colors
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NEW A duo of porticoes METHODIdentity fragments
Ralph Erskine’s architecture of entrances and porticoes highlights the architect’s understanding of the need of temperatur adaption for the body. Practical in their function, porticoes became identity symbols of the estates, becoming entrance sculptures.
ORIGINAL Porticoes — Archival material and sketches
skine METHODMidterm
→ Midterms —
Presentation boards
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PROJEC
→ 3. Project
Kiruna, Kv. Ortdrivaren
Demolition planned 2024
Växjö, Kv. Lassaskog
No renovation planned
Inventory of the existing
Classification on site
Façade panels reuse
Classification on site
Reuse catalogue
Reuse is the new normal
Concrete is crushed
The product is brought back to being a component
New building material
Tiles made of concrete Deconstruction
Addition
Level 3*
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Site Location — The city of Växjö →
PROJECTDensifying
→ Urban scale — The existing : six
sunflowers in an open landscape
Existing site plan — Groundfloor 0 20 50m →
Despite what the structure of this booklet might suggest, zooming out to the urban scale was the latest and third stage of the project. A stage influenced by the initial perception and analysis of a visit made in a rainy november day in 2019.
The site is punctuated by six tower blocks, or six sunflowers in geometric alignment to the sun and shadow path.
These are a climate-conscious remnant of the crane’s way of urbanism and memory of Växjö’s rapid postwar development.
Where there used to be pastures were now modern homes standing in a landscape. Today, the area is at odds between their suburban condition and the dense block-and-grid structure of the town center.
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Site Volume — foam and cardboad model PROJECDensifying
Proposal site plan — Groundfloor view
→
The proposal adds corners and length to weave together these parallel conditions.
The scheme will create a background to the geometric figures in the sky, and further frame the open landscape while making it more easily accessible.
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BUILDINGS
Buildings will provide a clear visual edge for pedestrians that is aligned to the streetscape. Socles will be filled with communal and commercial activity.
Where metabolist colonnades now stand is room left to prepare for later stages of both the estate and the city’s development.
Site Volume — Axonometric of the proposal
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Entrances —
Entrances and stairwells link the street to the courtyard for the
inhabitants, they ask as a buffer from the street to the apartments.
Evacuation Stairs —
Necessary evacuation staircases are placed in gables and in relation to one another. They will serve as communication space for common areas.
Housing —
The two main bodies of the building are composed of apartment units
Common Rooms — Common spaces share functions for the inhabitants and links to body of buildings together. Different functions are scattered around the passage, towards the common roof terrace or along the street.
PROJECDensifying
Groundfloors —
Along the main road, active groundfloors follow the shape of the street. They prepare for future city developments.
Negative space —
Squares and open landscape areas are surrounded by newly built edges. This allows for more definition of the negative space.
Axes —
The main existing axes are strenghtened by use of paving as well as massing. A new pedestrian and resident access road is paved.
Aligment —
The existing towers act as stencils against the sky.
Therefore the additional buildings will also relate to this in parallel and perpendicular.
Low profile —
In contrast to the sculpural presence of the existing towers, the new additions will lay low and in length to create new extrimities for the open space.
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View from the park — New access and axes PROJECTDensifying
MOMENTS
The proposed densification introduces an urban built front to the streets and the park while the open landscape of the inner estate reaches out to the city with new sightlines. An accesible path is ramping up, through a forest of columns, leading to the gardens, staircases and paving merges with the presence of the existing trees.
View from the street — New paths and ramps
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Archival drawing — Neighbouring building, South façade PROJECDensifying
The meeting of the existing and the additions is that of siblings. Terrain differences are put to profit to align floors between the buildings while creating generous height for what is meant to become an urban ground floor in the new structure. New elements of corrugated metal mimic the rasterized texture of the original panels of Växjö, which nowadays were only left unplastered on the ground floor socle. The horizontal use of certain panels is meant communicate the switch from concrete to timber which implies slabs of 57cms where the original building had enough of the 3.2m panel to accommodate slab and interior space
H5 H4
H4
B1
H2 V4
V3
V1 V2 H3
Façade Composition — Harmony in context
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→1
0 3m
TYPOLOGIES
From the upcoming study of the domestic began the assembly of typologies in context as well as a reflection on the urban strategy. This, of course, has been an iterative process, alternating scales of design and interconnecting decisions. I formulated a principal, in which ground floors could be designed organically in response to context and where housing floors would rather benefit from repetition and modularity. This led me to develop a corner or L-typology as well as a slat or I-typology as I further investigated how to best answer and respect the existing site.
PROJECTDensifying
Type Section — A studio apartment
0 1m
1. Entrance Hall 2. Bicycle Room 3. Recycling Room 4. Corner Café 5. Small business local
1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
2.
