Snøhetta and developer Next Step have designed a green, walkable neighborhood near idyllic Landvettersjøen Lake in Sweden. The project will transform a quarry into an eco-friendly housing project called Wendelstrand. Wooden homes with green roofs will allow for slow living within a 15-minute drive from Sweden’s second-largest city, Gothenburg.
This is all a bit of advanced planning. Projected to open in 2024, Wendelstrand will make use of a quarry that is only now being put to rest. The south-facing, sloping landscape of the quarry will soon be transformed into housing that will cover 70,000 square meters of land, with 10,000 square meters reserved for preschools and senior housing. Walkable paths will connect play and recreation areas for families. Electric car chargers and bike storage and lanes are also planned to connect this development to the surrounding community.
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A public meeting place and restaurant called Lakehouse completes the neighborhood, giving residents spaces to connect and eat. The Lakehouse is a wooden, sustainable building that will blend seamlessly into its surroundings. The sunny west-facing plaza will feature a cafe and outdoor seating.
A natural creek running through the area ties the neighborhood together and outlines Wendelstrand’s residential districts. Townhouses will feature private gardens, and buildings of various heights will fill out the neighborhood to avoid monotonous high-rise apartments cluttering the landscape. Terraced housing will follow the slope of the west-facing hills, allowing for optimal sunlight through the day and beautiful views of the lake.
Nearby parking facilities have green roofs to accommodate sports fields and playgrounds. The roofs will also harvest the maximum amount of solar energy possible through photovoltaic solar cells. Any roofs facing north will be covered with plants and grass to encourage biodiversity and facilitate rainwater management.
“We hope Lakehouse will be an important catalyst for creating enthusiasm, attractiveness, and cohesion in the area and become an inviting destination for the entire region,” said Rikard Jaucis, senior architect at Snøhetta. “Furthermore, we believe that this project can be a model for innovative and sustainable housing development focusing on wood as a building material and in that way bringing down the carbon footprint.”
Via designboom
Images via Snøhetta
