Lom - Gnist
Sustainable residential development
2022-2023
The rural districts in Norway, including municipalities such as Lom, are facing a new type of challenge when it comes to residential development. There is high demand for new housing for a diverse group of residents, both existing and potential newcomers. At the same time, rising prices in building materials does not offer an economically sustainable model for the private building industry.
The rural districts in Norway, including municipalities such as Lom, are facing a new type of challenge when it comes to residential development. There is high demand for new housing for a diverse group of residents, both existing and potential newcomers. At the same time, rising prices in building materials do not offer an economically sustainable model for the private building industry.
The project is a part of the DOGA initiative Gnist, an innovation platform for municipalities throughout the country, that aspires to develop new ways within sustainable local and business development. The key elements of a Gnist project are 1) User-based design with emphasize on interviews and data collection 2) Exploration of new sustainable economic models. To achieve this goal, we teamed up with the innovative minds at Natural State that have special expertise in mapping out and exploring new economic models in design projects of all scales. HZA operated alongside Natural State through every step of the way, from interviews with residents to a preliminary sketch proposal for a residential area on a site owned by the municipality. The sketch proposal introduces a housing structure that responds to the economic model of mixed ownership and sharing giving added value for the residents of the neighborhood and inhabitants in Lom.
Plot analysis
Housing principles
Community building which are based on the cultural landscape with a focus on sharing, ecology and cultivation.
Adaptable neighborhood with a varied offer of typologies that are adapted to the needs of the residents
Environmentally friendly homes with a low CO2 footprint using active, passive, and ecological measures.
View to nature and mountains
Daylight and indoor climate are extremely important in a deep valley with few sunny days
Circular buildings with short-lived and reused materials
Area concept
Kulihaugen has the potential to create a new community arena in Lom with a focus on ecological and social sustainability. To achieve this, "tun" development is proposed as a framework for the inner neighborhood and at the same time opens up public shared activities in the life between the houses.
Micro house
The proposal includes first-of-its-kind housing for seasonal workers with mobile micro-houses that can be moved between summer and winter tourist destinations. A circular communal house operates as a micro-house "docking station" that expands the living area into a large, shared living room. The communal house will function as a micro-house hub during the tourist season and neighborhood house for Kulihaugen off-season.
