Diplomprosjekt
Høst 2024
Institutt for arkitektur
This diploma aims to cultivate urbanism in Hovinbyen, more specifically through activating the edge zone between the industrial area and the residential neighborhoods surrounding it. The area is situated in Groruddalen, the valley in Oslo’s periphery consisting of a complex mix of housing, heavy industry, construction sites, and nature.
Hovinbyen is projected to be Europe’s fastest-growing district, with an estimated 70,000 new residents by 2050. To accommodate this growth sustainably, a strategic urban plan is essential to avoid repeating past developmental mistakes. Today, the area is on track to become Oslo’s densest ”housing machine,” putting pressure on existing and projected social infrastructure. Rather than filling every vacant site with apartment blocks, this project explores the potential of these spaces to become vibrant social arenas for the residents of Groruddalen.
Groruddalen has undergone significant transformation over the years. Historically, it was the agricultural heart of Oslo, home to large farms that supplied food to the city. Over time, these farms gave way to suburban and industrial development, with open fields being replaced by paved areas and infrastructure designed for cars. This diploma builds on an existing project in the area, the Green Ring, planned to begin construction in 2030. The initiative promises to provide green infrastructural anchoring for Hovinbyen, with proposed green axes, small roof structures, benches, and lighting. While the green ring is a conventional tried and tested strategy for urban development, it is lacking in local and historical anchoring. With this project, I propose to strengthen the green ring through a more comprehensive strategy that draws inspiration from the area’s heritage of food production.
Food lies at the heart of many social and cultural experiences, bringing people together through activities such as cooking, eating, gardening, and learning about cultivation. By facilitating these activities, this diploma aims to create spaces that foster social interaction and strengthening the sense of a community, forming a stronger green backbone, anchoring the rapid development of the area.
The project consists of four interventions, that each acts on a different scale of food production. From full scale production, to a casual harvest of wild growing plants. The projects draw from the area’s architectural identity and agricultural history, forming new nodes of social interaction in a continuously densified urban fabric.
Thelma Sømme / Thelma.Lill.Somme@stud.aho.no
Groruddalen has undergone significant transformation over the years. Historically, it was the agricultural heart of Oslo, home to large farms that supplied food to the city. Over time, these farms gave way to suburban and industrial development, with open fields being replaced by paved areas and infrastructure designed for cars. This diploma builds on an existing project in the area, the Green Ring, planned to begin construction in 2030. The initiative promises to provide green infrastructural anchoring for Hovinbyen, with proposed green axes, small roof structures, benches, and lighting. While the green ring is a conventional tried and tested strategy for urban development, it is lacking in local and historical anchoring. With this project, I propose to strengthen the green ring through a more comprehensive strategy that draws inspiration from the area’s heritage of food production.
Food lies at the heart of many social and cultural experiences, bringing people together through activities such as cooking, eating, gardening, and learning about cultivation. By facilitating these activities, this diploma aims to create spaces that foster social interaction and strengthening the sense of a community, forming a stronger green backbone, anchoring the rapid development of the area.
The project consists of four interventions, that each acts on a different scale of food production. From full scale production, to a casual harvest of wild growing plants. The projects draw from the area’s architectural identity and agricultural history, forming new nodes of social interaction in a continuously densified urban fabric.
Thelma Sømme / Thelma.Lill.Somme@stud.aho.no
