Start semester
40 664 Timber Transformations: Co-housing concepts at Økern
Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS).
The prior knowledge must correspond to the same knowledge level as obtained after the first 3 years at AHO.
Students must master the use of Rhino and Autocad
This semester, Multi-story Building (MSB) and Timber Studio join forces to address the transformation of a former industrial area into a residential project.
“Standard Telefon og Kabelfabrik” at Økern will serve as a case to study the adaption, extension, and upgrade of existing buildings with the help of natural materials in order to house different forms of co-housing and to react to changing climatic conditions.
The focus will be on three themes to be explored by each project: 1. An urban strategy for transforming a former industrial area in Oslo into a residential project with increased density.
The project should be seen as V2024_MSB+TS_Timber Transformations.docx 2 : 2 part of the larger urban weave and of its more immediate neighbourhood. 2. Housing concepts in an urban context with a special focus on new forms of living together and on suitable ground-floor functions. 3. An understanding of the different life cycles of constructive elements and materials.
The continued use of the existing structures where possible, the choice of a suitable timber construction type in added parts, and their combination with other renewable materials will be a main interest
Knowledge:
• Knowledge of climate mitigation strategies regarding construction.
• Knowledge of timber properties, construction systems and products.
• Knowledge of timber-specific detailing.
• Knowledge of renewable building materials such as clay and hay.
• Knowledge of housing qualities and requirements (e.g. daylight requirements).
Skills:
• Situating architectural approaches within the discourse on environmental and social sustainability.
• Understanding the load-bearing preconditions of the existing building, and finding suitable constructive systems for additions and/or transformations.
• Understanding the different life cycles of constructive elements and building layers, and their role in circular building approaches.
• The development of a project with regard to constructive appropriateness, spatial and tactile qualities, functional suitability over time, environmental impact, and relating to the expression and materiality of a given context,
General competence:
• The development and communication of a consistent architectural approach and its materialization in sketches, working models, drawings and text.
• Understanding the importance of integrating a project’s load bearing structure in early architectural concepts.
Phase 1 / Review 1
Aim: Urban strategy for entire area, voting for a project to continue with, division into “plots”. Each student (group) will get a plot to work with for the rest of the semester.
Activities: Site visit, site analysis (groups of 4), study of reference projects, development of approach (groups of 4), build a shared model (all).
Phase 2 / Review 2
Aim: Housing concept + Constructive approach. Activities: Lectures about construction / materials / housing (each student writes one report), study of reference projects, development of approach (groups of 2).
Phase 3 / Midterm Review
Aim: Refine housing concept and constructive approach. Key details. (groups of 2) Activities: A first version of construction models or construction axonometries / detail mock-ups or 3D detail drawings / atmospheric illustrations and conceptual diagrams.
Phase 4 / Final presentation
Revise and complete the projects.
Activities
- Pre-task / wood workshop
- Lectures and readings
- Regular feedback sessions and pin-ups
- Work with hand sketches, digital drawings and physical models
- Midterm Review and Final Presentation with guest critic / external reviewer
- Exhibition / course book - Each student may get a small extra task that benefits the entire class (e.g. help with organizing the study trip or with the course book)
Group work We aim for working in groups of two students. Final deliverables (such as number of drawings and models or degree of detailing) will be adjusted to the number of team members in case of different group constellations. Deliverables at the end of the semester
- Concept description in text and diagrams.
- Drawings: site plan, plan drawings, sections, facades, details. These drawings will be part of your final digital presentation and must also be delivered in printable quality for a course book.
- Illustrations/renderings/collages/model pictures.
- Working model; model pictures. The model will be in use and under modification throughout the semester and is not meant to be beautiful, but useful.
- Final model; model pictures.
- Collective site model.
- Lecture reports, precedent analysis and other documentation of additional tasks where relevant. These will be handed in during the course of the semester after each task is completed and be included in a course book. They will not be part of your workload towards the final delivery.
Excursion:
Yet to be determined. Probably local day trip(s), and possibly a study trip to a European city / region. Those who do not have the opportunity to participate in the excursion will receive a task that replaces this
Link to course literature registered in Leganto
| Mandatory coursework | Courseworks required | Presence required | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presence required | Required | ||
| Annet - spesifiser i kommentarfeltet | Not required | Follow the course schedule regarding completion, presentation, and discussion of partial assignments |
| Form of assessment | Grouping | Grading scale | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project assignment | Individual | Pass / fail | Passing the course requires the active participation in lectures, workshops, group meetings and desk crits, as well as handing in the partial assignments (such as one lecture report per student). The steady development of the project with regular supervision meetings throughout the semester is important, and a general presence at the AHO studio space of at least of 80% of the time is desirable. It is mandatory to attend and meet the requirements of midterm and final review. |