Fresh out of school
Europan 12 in Bærum explored how the post-industrial area Hamang in Northern Sandvika, could undergo a transformation. The highway E16, currently splitting the area, will be rerouted into a new tunnel, opening up for new use of this central part of the city.
Fresh out of school, Sigrid Urnes and Hanna Haukøya Storemyr won the competition with their proposal Social Riverscape where the river Sandvikselva is integrated in the strategy of revitalizing the area. We sat down with Hanna and talk about the Europan-experience.
Europan Norge: You worked on this project as your master thesis at NMBU, and were sort of thrown into a role as consultants for the municipality after winning – how was that?
Hanna Haukøya Storemyr: It has been incredibly interesting. Currently, we are developing our Europan proposal to a strategy for conservation and usage of Sandvikselva, which are going to be an input on the area zoning. We think that our commission has been well-suited for us as fresh landscape architects, a task to grow on. We have discovered the advantages of getting new contacts through the municipality and other new acquaintance and we hope it will lead us to more commissions. As a part of the commission we have organized workshops with youths in the area, where we have discussed possible activities and scenarios, and we have heard them out on their thoughts about living in Sandvika. It definitely lays a motivation in that method of working.
EN: And how would you characterize the collaboration with the municipality?
HHS: We are satisfied with the collaboration; they have allowed us to work within the frames we suggested in the beginning. They have been open-minded and receptive to our input. Our challenges have been concerning combining recreation and conservation of bio-diversity. It has been a real asset to be connected with a professional within this field working at the municipality. We have had a wide leeway compared to what was described in the commission statement.
EN: What are your dreams and ambitions for the future?
HHS: We started our small company Haukur landskap after we won Europan, as a part time workplace. In the longer term we imagine to cooperate with other architects and landscape architects to continue working with landscape urbanism.
Session: Europan 12
Location: Hamang, Sandvika, Bærum Municipality
Architects: Sigrid Urnes and Hanna Haukøya Storemyr (Haukur Landskap)
Site proposed by: Bærum Municipality
Owners of the site: Various private owners
Commission after work: Zoning plan. Possibilities for a building commission.