Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture and Design – Norway
people will either walk past or live their daily lives within these buildings, and it’s important to HRTB that the projects are a cause for happiness and joy in people’s everyday lives. “We always try to look closely at both the community and the surrounding buildings in order to develop something that will actually fit in with that community. Being as inclusive as possible is important to us – it’s that constant balancing act between being modern and forward-looking while also maintaining the utmost respect for the context and the wider community,” says Lone. When thinking of contemporary and innovative buildings, most people naturally also think of sustainability – and HRTB has a leader in this field. “Sustainability is at the forefront of what we do. We have to design and build in a sustainable way,” says Lone. The goal is to use as few resources as possible: firstly, by designing space-efficient buildings, and secondly, by developing efficient but elegant construction principles, then closely collaborating with building contractors to find sustainably sourced materials. But sustainability is not just a question of technical solutions; it’s also an architectural design approach. Environmental design is often a case of design integration, something that re-
Slemdalsveien Townhouses.
quires clear architectural organisation – and clear design thinking. “We try to almost integrate – or at least think – nature into the projects. This could, for instance, be expressed in the design of a roof garden, which is a wonderful way of bringing an element of nature into an urban environment. We have also designed one of Norway’s first biosolar roofs, an innovative solution that combines a green roof with solar energy technologies – nature and technology working together,” Lone explains. Thinking sustainably also means designing projects that use as little energy as possible. HRTB has designed and completed several building projects with BREEAM environmental certification and Nordic Swan Eco Label certification, as well as several Passive House, low-emission and ’massivtre’ (solid cross-laminated timber) projects. The firm has also designed cuttingedge pilot projects for the Norwegian Government, supported by FutureBuilt and Framtidens Byer (Future Cities) programmes, and won several competitions with a focus on innovation and sustainability – this across an ever-expanding range of sectors.
Web: www.hrtb.no Facebook: HRTB Arkitekter
Siloen Oslo.
Tjuvholmen 86, Oslo.
FutureBuilt project, Brynseng Skole.
November 2021 | Issue 136 | 47
