The competition, organized by the municipality of Örebro and the Swedish Association of Architects, initially had an ambitious and somewhat utopian goal - to create an eco-friendly residential area that stimulates the development of social ties within a modern city. Architects and landscape designers C. F. Møller called their project Trästad and proposed to solve the problem through close interaction with nature and the active use of wood not only in decoration, but also in the construction of houses.
A plot of about 18,000 m2 was allocated for construction in the Ernsru district, just one and a half kilometers from the center of the old town. Among the undoubted advantages of the new quarter are the proximity to the Swarton River and the abundance of greenery around. As a result, the project will unite several residential buildings of different heights (in total, there are about 200 different residential modules) with a characteristic hint of gable roofs in the upper part. They will be delivered freely, almost randomly, forming a variety of different public areas and paths. The main path will cut right through the quarter and connect the main promenade along the embankment with neighboring districts.
But the close interpenetration of urban fabric and nature is emphasized not only by the park surroundings of houses. As a constructive and finishing material, the architects logically but rather boldly chose a "socially close" tree, noting as advantages the possibility of reusing the material, a variety of textures and colors, the minimum amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere and the energy efficiency of such houses.
The start of construction is scheduled for winter 2017/2018, and by the end of 2019, the work should be completed. You can find out more about the competition and see the proposals of all 5 finalists on the website of the Municipality of Örebro.
