Tag Archives: Snøhetta

Snøhetta Builds A Timber School In Norway with 90% Energy Self-Sufficiency

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Kautokeino is located in Norway, north of the Arctic Circle, and suffers from extremely cold temperatures that can hit – 45 °C. Snøhetta was commissioned to build a brand-new cultural and education hub in this difficult location. A lot of thinking and attention to detail went into building this sturdy wooden structure which is supposed to be 90% self-sufficient in heating and cooling. Named, this building was constructed in collaboration with Joar Nango and 70°N arkitektur. The word ‘Čoarvemátta’ is derived from the Sami words for horn and root, which are the strongest parts of the reindeer’s antler. The hub is inspired by the local Sami culture and will be hosting the Sami National Theatre Beaivváš and the Sami High School and Reindeer Herding School.

Designer: Snøhetta

The structure occupies around 77,500 sq ft and is constructed mainly from wood. It features an impressive 53,000-sq-ft sloping roof that slowly moves towards the ground. The exterior was built using the slate from a previous school which has been demolished. The hub has a branching shape which creates surreal outdoor spaces. The south-facing space functions as the main entrance, and is protected by the dipping roof. The interior is equipped with theater and school areas, as well as a cool skylight inspired by a traditional Sami smoke hole. The interior is subtle yet beautiful, letting the natural beauty of the wood truly shine. The interior is also amped with traditional art by respected Sami artists. These pieces add hints of red and blue to the space, livening it up.

“The building is 90% self-sufficient in energy to heating and cooling thanks to 40 geowells drilled about 250 meters [820 ft] into the ground,” said Snøhetta. “The wells supply two heat pumps that both heat and cool the building, while exchangers for the energy wells dump surplus heat back again. On the coldest winter days, the system is supplemented with an electric boiler.”

The Čoarvemátta is in complete accordance with the requirements of the Passive House Standard – a strict green building standard that needs a high level of insulation and air-tightness. The hub also utilizes geothermal heating. The landscaping around the Čoarvemátta has been kept natural since Sami culture does not include creating parks and urban spaces. The soil that was removed from the site has been preserved, stored, and returned, ensuring the safety of the seed stocks.

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Snøhetta’s Newest High-Rise Maintains A Comfy Temperature Indoors Without Any Grid-Based Power

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Dubbed the Vertika Nydalen – this impressive high-rise is Snøhetta’s recently completed project. Located in Norway, this energy-efficient high-rise is truly one-of-a-kind! The studio merged an ingenious design with sustainable features to form a high rise that maintains a comfy temperature throughout the year, without the need for any grid-based power.

Designer: Snøhetta

The Vertikal Nydalen features an asymmetrical shape, and it includes two connected towers. The towers were selected to protect views for the neighbors, thereby leaving no nearby plaza in the shade. The exterior of the structure is finished in pine, and with age, the pine will convert from brown to grey. The building is marked with jutting steel balconies, which contrast perfectly with the warm and raw wood. The interior of the Vertikal Nydalen includes restaurants on the ground floor, with an office space above, and around forty apartments on the upper stories.

The high-rise doesn’t need any grid-based power to cool or heat the interior. It doesn’t even need it to ventilate the interiors, but grid-based power is used for lighting. To ensure a comfortable temperature is maintained, the studio used a “triple zero solution”, which basically uses geothermal wells buried in the ground. The wells circulate water through the high-rise’s clay walls and concrete slabs, whenever it needs to be cooled or heated. The roof contains solar panels which run a heat pump, which also contributes to the heating and cooling system.

A generous amount of glazing has been incorporated throughout the structure to maximize natural light inside. No fans are included, instead large vents have been placed, which open automatically when the need arises. The angled walls have been constructed to keep the interiors well-ventilated.d

“As traditional ventilation systems in office buildings often require a lowered ceiling of up to one meter from the slab, this natural solution without ducts and fans saves a lot of space – space that is better used for light and openness, and that can drastically enhance the spatial qualities of the rooms,” said the studio. “The angled facade is designed to create pressure differences that enable air to move through the building. The air enters through valves in the facade, which open and close as needed. When two windows open on different sides of the building, the pressure difference forces the air to move through the premises, so the air circulates.”

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Snøhetta Creates An Innovative & Compostable Light Made From Hemp

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Acclaimed Norwegian studio Snøhetta collaborated with lighting brand Ateljé Lyktan to design the Superdupertube – an innovative office lamp made using extruded hemp and sugarcane bioplastic. The hemp-based lighting is a contemporary update of Ateljé Lyktan’s Supertube which is an office light from the 1970s. It was made from extruded aluminum.

Designer: Snøhetta & Ateljé Lyktan

“[The Supertube] had finished production in 2010 or something like that, so it was iconic but sort of forgotten,” said Snøhetta partner Jenny B Osuldsen. “And it’s a tube. It’s not rocket science but it is what you need for a smart lamp in an office.” “We really loved it and think it has a lot of possibilities, so we wanted to upgrade it to a new level,” she added. The lighting design is made from hemp, and it can be industrially composed.

The extrusion technique used to create the original Supertube was developed in the 1960s, and both brands wanted to produce a lamp that was inspired by and pays tribute to the original design. But, at the same time, they wanted to lower the carbon footprint of the lamp and picked the most sustainable material they could find, which is hemp – a material known for being renewable and durable. They experimented with different materials, before finally picking hemp bioplastic to build Snøhetta’s first office lighting design.

Snøhetta and Ateljé Lyktan sourced the hemp used for the lights from the Netherlands, as the quality of the hemp from Swedish farmers “wasn’t quite there yet”, according to Gadd. The hemp used for the lighting design was sourced from the Netherlands, as they believed the quality of hemp from the Swedish farmers “wasn’t quite there yet”, according to Gadd. The hemp is then mixed with polylactic acid bioplastic which is derived from sugarcane, wood cellulose, and other minerals to form a fossil and gas-free composite. This material is then extruded to form the main body of the lamp, which also includes injection-molded louvers and side covers. The electric cables are covered in linen fabric. The lamp can also be composted in an industrial composter, or even recycled and transformed into pellets to build more lamps.

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Snøhetta Designs A Suspended Off-Grid Treetop House With A Serene Connection To Nature In Norway

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Designed by Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta in collaboration with engineer Tor Helge Dokka, this off-grid three-bedroom family home in Kongsberg, Norway is called House Dokka. It occupies 2045 square meters and is inspired by treehouse architecture. The home was created to share a serene connection with nature, allowing both to embrace one another. The house is also called Column House, and it was awarded the Architecture Prize for 2023 by the Kongsberg municipality.

Designer: Snøhetta x Tor Helge Dokka

The quaint House Dokka is deftly suspended over the stunning Norwegian landscape, as it is perched on large wooden columns, that have been firmly grounded into the rock, to minimize any kind of interference or disturbance to the surrounding environment. House Dokka was built using locally produced cross-laminated timber, and glue-laminated timber. Both the timbers ensure that the home can be easily deconstructed with minimal climate costs, whenever the life cycle of the home comes to an end. No nails were used in the construction of the home, which allows the materials to be easily sorted and recycled in the future.

Snøhetta’s goal of sustainability for the home is seen throughout the structure in the form of the large photovoltaic panels on the roof, superior insulation as well as a waterborne heat system that is linked to the ground via a source heart pump. In turn, the home produces more energy than it consumes in less than a decade! Besides generating energy for the house itself, energy is also generated for charging the family’s electric car, almost 75% of it.

The home has an eye-catching and appealing exterior which is accentuated by the black-stained timber paneling that clads it. The interiors of the home feature warm timber paneling and polished concrete flooring, which are paired up with massive black-framed windows that provide access to stunning views. The home contains two levels, with the upper floor housing an open-plan living and dining area, kitchen, master bedroom, hidden bathroom, and a timber outdoor terrace. The lower level accommodates two more bedrooms, as well as a home office, guest suite, lounge, laundry space, and a central shared bathroom.

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Snøhetta transforms alpine ski tower in Austria using modern + reinvented Tyrolean design

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Tucking away in the impassive mountains of Alpbachtal, Austria, and perched 2030 meters above sea level is a panorama room and tower built by Snøhetta. The project was commissioned by the Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau ski resort to celebrate its tenth anniversary. They commissioned Snøhetta to replace an old, out-of-style ski lift with a new chairlift.

Designer: Snøhetta

Snøhetta drew inspiration from the beautiful snow-capped surroundings and alpine building traditions for constructing the tower. Called, ‘Top of Alpbachtal’, the tower is located near the Wiedersberger Horn peak, and the Hornbahn 2000 cable car mountain station. It was designed to function as a landmark that uplifts and elevates the mountain experience of skiers and visitors as well. The imposing tower is connected to a narrow volume that rises thirteen meters above the ground and is clad in locally-crafted shingles.

A panoramic viewing room has been inserted into the tower, and it provides stunning views to not only skiers but summer hikers, snowshoe walkers, and ski tourers. The concrete base of the tower holds a lift control room, which is followed by a public lounge. The viewing room is located on the first floor of the structure. This format was inspired by the traditional parlors of Tyrolean farmhouses, wherein the lower sections would have a wooden wall paneling finish and an open roof similar to agricultural buildings.

The lounge in the tower has been designed in a modern Tyrolean style. It functions as an informal seating area for skiers and visitors to meet up and relax in. The room is marked by wooden seating platforms, giving visitors their own space to unwind in after a long day of skiing. The lounge is sheltered and protected from the wind, and visitors aren’t required to consume anything if they don’t feel like it. Massive panoramic windows provide surreal views of the stunning alpine landscape. The particular structural style was picked as it was suitable for both winters and summers. The peak of the viewing tower provides visitors with 360-degree views of the exquisite alpine scenery. The shingles on the valley station allow the structure to harmoniously merge with the landscape.

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Snøhetta designed these stunning red cedar-clad cabins and placed them on a cliff edge in Norway

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Norwegian studio Snøhetta designed four new wooden cabins called ‘Bolder Star Lodges’ on a cliff edge above Lysefjord, near Stavanger. The cabins have been equipped with a “front-row view”, and the panoramic windows placed in the cabins allow residents to enjoy the stunning view. The cabins are designed to be a unique and comfortable retreat for hikers to rest and relax in and truly enjoy their surrounding nature.

Designer: Snøhetta

The project was commissioned by local developer Tom Bjarte Norland. “Initially, [Norland’s] plan was to build a series of smaller hermit huts, but he realized that this natural plot deserved something better, something daring,” Vipp CEO Kasper Egelund. “We wanted to create something that would harmonize with the surrounding nature, playing on the natural shapes in the area and creating a sensation that the cabins are floating in the air, hanging over the edge of the mountain above the fjord,” added Snøhetta project lead Frank Denis Foray.  The four cabins are respectfully called Stylten, Myra, Stjerna, and Eldhuseteach. They have been clad in the same red cedar that is found in the surrounding landscape, allowing them to artfully blend with the nature around them. This also enables the cabins to grey with time, and merge even further with their rocky surroundings.

All the cabins feature an intriguing upside-down design and have been placed on massive concrete pillars, that delicately elevate them. This ensures that the cabins have a minimum impact on the land. They also have a compact footprint – each cabin ranging from 38 to 60 square meters. Wood and concrete were the materials of choice for building the cabins. However, the cabins are prefabricated, and they were moved and placed on the concrete pillars by helicopters to minimize the disturbance to the site.

All the cabins have been equipped with a double bedroom and bath, and an upper storey amped with a kitchen and dining area. The kitchen is quite well-equipped and high-tech. This was designed by Vipp, and in fact, they went for a rather “minimalistic design ethos”, which included the use of materials such as wood, marble, leather, and concrete.

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This circular community center for water sports clubs in Denmark references maritime construction

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International studio Snøhetta and Danish studio WERK Arkitekter were commissioned by the Esbjerg Municipality to create a community center for water sports clubs on the coast of Esbjerg, Denmark. Located on an artificial island, the community center is deeply inspired by boat construction and pays tribute to the maritime traditions and legacy of Esbjerg. Called the Esbjerg Maritime Center, the space was designed to be a ‘social hub’, one that brings together all the water sports clubs of the area into one standard location.

Designer: Snøhetta and WERK Arkitekter

“The brief was to relocate all the different clubs on different addresses in Esbjerg into one new building. We proposed a circular building to create an inviting building from all sides,” said project lead Frank Foray. The center features an intriguing circular form that has been clad in wood. It glows at night and hence is called ‘The Lantern’ colloquially. The upper storey of the center houses spaces for sports clubs such as rowing, diving, and kayaking. It also includes an education center and training facilities. A public terrace, which functions as the social heart of the space, is located on this floor as well and can be accessed via two staircases. The terrace provides mesmerizing views of the sea. The lower level of the structure holds spaces for boat storage, and workshop areas, which are connected directly to the sea.

The maritime center is constructed using wood and concrete, and it derives its power from solar panels on the roof, as well as electricity. This provides the center with a sustainable element. The base of the building was made using concrete, which was engineered in a manner that could allow it to provide protection against high tide, in case the water ever overflows the flood barrier. The building’s roof was constructed using heat-treated pine, and in a rhythmic and repetitive fashion, that is inspired by boat craftsmanship and the flow of water. The panels of the facade are arranged in an interesting pattern that mimics the shapes of kayaks.

“The chosen wood structure is from both the outside and the inside inspired by the rich culture of boat craftsmanship. The thermo-heated wood is reflecting the original deeply Nordic-rooted material for boat construction. It will turn grey in a few years,” said Foray.

The pine cladding was selected not only because it will eventually grey with time, but also because this material is used very frequently in the construction of boats. The interiors were designed to give  “the impression of being under a boat turned upside down”. Even the materials for the interiors were selected in accordance with this brief. Originally, the Esbjerg Maritime Center was supposed to open in 2022, although a bit later than its intended deadline, the space is finally open to the public!

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Snøhetta designs a minimal table from Tasmanian wood sourced from the bottom of a lake

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Architecture studio Snøhetta designed a beautiful table crafted from wood sourced from the bottom of a lake called Pieman Lake in Tasmania, Australia. Called the Intersection table, the minimalist table is constructed using Tasmanian oak which was sourced by Hydrowood – “one of the world’s first underwater forestry companies”.

Designer: Snøhetta

“As part of Snøhetta’s ongoing exploration of defining valuable use of new and forgotten material technologies, the worktable is the first exploration into wood aged at the depth of a lake for decades,” Snøhetta Australasia managing director Kaare Krokene.

In 1986 Pieman Lake was dammed during a hydroelectric project, and the Tasmanian oak has been submerged since then. Although a lot of the forests were logged before the project began, due to certain time constraints, a lot of the wood was left behind as well. By making use of custom-built barges since 2012, Hydrowood is rescuing “specialty timbers so scarce they were thought almost gone forever”. These specialty timbers include oak, blackwood, celery top pine, sassafras, huon pine, and Tasmanian myrtle.

“Starting from the concept of intersections, Snøhetta investigated the potential and limitations of materials unique to the Australian continent; juxtaposing textures, and intersecting planes,” added Kaare Krokene.

And the result is the Intersection table, a five-meter-long furniture piece that was designed to be a “one-off piece that does not pander to consumerism”. The table was created by Snøhetta’s Adelaide and Oslo offices and was in fact handmade via traditional woodworking techniques. The tabletop features an impressive torsion box construction, which mimics the wings of an airplane. This torsion box construction supports large cantilevers which provide rigidity and structure.

The Intersection Table boasts a form that is meant to represent “the endless Australian coast”, and utilizes a stunning natural material that was once considered lost for good. The table is an excellent example of how sunken wood can be harvested to create a furniture design that is functional, sturdy, and sophisticated.

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Sustainable tiles made of recycled glass gathered from old appliances are reducing electronic waste!

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Everyone is chasing the next sustainable material that will change the design industry, from seaweed to mushroom no stone (or plant) is left unturned given how urgently we need alternatives to combat climate change. But at the same time, very few are looking at how to recycle existing sustainable materials like glass that can give them a second life! Common Sands is a design project focused on just that – recycling glass from consumer electronics and turning them into tiles that would otherwise end up with electronic waste.

Glass is sustainable from its origin to its end. While the process of making it contributes to emissions like most things, we can counteract it by extending the life of the glass as it is infinitely recyclable rather than letting it go to waste only to make more of it. Sand is a crucial resource to our technology-focused society, it does a lot more than lay at the beach! We production of silicon microchips, fiberoptic cables, insulation, solar cells, and it is also the primary ingredient in glass which is used in the production of consumer electronic products such as fridges, microwaves, and computers.

Despite strenuous attempts to extract, transport, refine and process sand into complex electronic components, not much is done to recycle these components when the electronic goods are discarded after use partly because there are no clear directives on effectively processing glass from electronic waste. To address this issue, a Norwegian architectural design office called Snøhetta collaborated with Brussels-based Studio Plastique to research and explore the possibility of recycling as well as utilizing glass contained in electronic waste.

After multiple trials, prototypes, and variations, the team developed a standard process for recycling electronic waste glass components as well as an application that integrates its variable material quality – glass tiles! This is where Italian ceramic tile manufacturer Fornace Brioni came in and brought their experience, industrial know-how, production facilities, and potential for scalability to the project to the table. The team is starting with waste glass from ovens and microwaves to demonstrate the aesthetic depth, function, and potential of the recycled material.

Using recycled glass, the team made tiles in two different sizes that were both opaque and transparent. Each one had a unique pattern and look, but all the tiles showed a deeply complex, terrazzo-like material quality. This determined that they are suitable for a wide range of architectural applications, including both surface coverage and semi-transparent partition elements! Common Sands has now turned potential waste into architectural glass tiles that are scalable, infinitely recyclable, and effectively reducing electronic waste!

Designers: Snøhetta, Studio Plastique, and Fornace Brioni

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The Norwegian hotel that’s saving planet earth

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While we try to minimize our carbon footprint on the earth, Norwegian hotel Svart doesn’t really worry about its own carbon footprint of energy because it doesn’t generate one. The Svart actually generates more energy than it consumes, making it a powerhouse for sustainable energy. “Svart is the first building to be built after the energy positive Powerhouse standard in a Northern climate. Not only does this new hotel reduce its yearly energy consumption by approximately 85% compared to a modern hotel, but it also produces its own energy” says the architectural firm Snøhetta.

The design and materials for the Svart are inspired by traditional Norwegian rorbu (a seasonal house found in fishing villages). The hotel stands on wooden poles, just like a house close to riverbanks would. This allows the building to reduce its footprint and prevents the need for constructing directly on the land and impacting the flora around. The hotel generates its own electricity using solar panels and geothermal wells, making it 85 percent more energy efficient than traditional hotels.

Guests who visit the Svart will get a stunning 360° view of the land around, only to be highlighted further by northern lights that will punctuate the sky at night. Additionally, since the Svart sits on top of a water body, guests get the privilege of even seeing a second set of northern lights in the reflection on the water right below the hotel!

Designer: Snøhetta and Powerhouse for Arctic Adventure of Norway.

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