Ida Adervall + Selina Gottloeber

We believe that responsible architecture lies within the pillars of circularity and modularity of materials and spaces, where we utilize the full potential of materials throughout their entire life cycle as a starting point for a design aimed at optimizing the use of space, both within a program and along the extended life span of an ever-transforming building.

Based on this framework, we are proposing the idea of a modified design workflow to encourage a change in the way architectural designers approach environmentally conscious design. This workflow acts as a toolbox where each component is useful individually but even more so as a whole. We are testing our thesis on the Grieghallen extension in Bergen, Norway, a music hall, and cultural center in the center of the city. Looking at the circularity of materials, we commence by zooming in on our project's location. Identifying the country, region, city, and site of the project as well as its immediate context and topographical surroundings helps us get situated, to then analyze what types of resources might be in close proximity to the site and which materials could be harvested from donor buildings. We then developed a decision-making matrix that we call material matrix. In this matrix, we list which materials would be possible to use in our project based on predefined parameters such as adjacencies to the site, global warming potential, and overall life cycle. With those material choices made, we start mapping out assemblies of materials around basic interior volumes with essential programmatic sizes and let the constraints of the materials be the driver of the design rather than the bare massing. Modular layouts will then be implemented that allow flexibility, which can change daily depending on the use of space to optimize square footage and program requirements. Lastly, as the needs of building use change over time, parts get disassembled and reassembled in new ways to adapt to current needs, providing an ever-transforming building that does not have to be demolished and rebuilt to work for the future.