Shaping cities
A-lab’s portfolio covers all typologies in a city; residential housing, offices, commercial spaces, urban floors and everything in between - big and small. We believe in transforming cities into the most nature-and people friendly spaces imaginable. The more complex, the better. We thrive on decoding the complexities of urban life for people and nature. We consider ourselves to be future-oriented and will always strive to find smarter and innovative solutions for a more sustainable future
«Multidisciplinarity is the key to solving urban challenges. We specialize in all types of buildings, landscapes and urban situations, but it's the way we bring these competencies together in each project that creates the magic. By connecting the dots across disciplines, we are able to create solutions that are future proof.»
Geir Haaversen, Founding Partner of A-lab
Rethinking
Back in 2024, we embarked on a journey to strengthen A-lab’s sustainability strategy. While our core pillars- nature regeneration, social responsibility, and emission reduction - remain the foundation, we felt the need to push further. Our goal isn’t just to get better at sustainability; we want to integrate it more holistically into our projects - not as a box on a checklist, but as a mindset.
As spatial designers creating for the masses, we recognize the responsibility we hold. Over the past months, we've invested heavily in expanding and updating our knowledge, laying the groundwork to break old habits and build new, better ones. But we also know we don’t have all the answers -and that’s exactly why we value collaboration. We’ve been fortunate to connect with some incredible experts along the way, and perhaps even future partners. Because sustainability isn’t just about making conscious choices; it’s about taking a stand and inspiring others to do the same.
Nature First: Our Deep Dive into “The Green City”
Our first focus area was urban nature, explored through workshops during autumn and winter 2024. As a pilot initiative, our leaders for sustainability and for technology both worked closely with selected projects to embed sustainability ambitions directly into their frameworks. Given the vast scope of "urban nature," we narrowed our approach to five key themes: biodiversity, climate adaptation,
microclimate, biophilic design and food security.
Eager to apply our learnings, we challenged ourselves to integrate these themes into real projects—allowing teams to select the most relevant and achievable aspects within their scope.
To expand our perspectives, we invited external experts to guide us in enhancing our projects with nature in mind. Over five inspiring lunch lectures, we explored new possibilities for becoming better allies with nature.
A huge thank you to LINK, Schmidt Hammer Lassen, Asplan Viak, Tredje Natur, and Trekontoret for sharing their knowledge and time with us! Your insights have been both informative and deeply inspiring, motivating us to take these concepts even further.
As we move through 2025, we are more committed than ever to refining our sustainability efforts and bringing these ideas to life. Stay tuned!
Kvartal 71 is moving along
The revised planning proposal for Kvartal 71 has a larger focus on sustainable transformation, re- use and re-building and was delivered late December 2024.
Pillar Bjerke is ready for construction
Stor Oslo Eiendom has managed to presell enough apartments in order for construction work to start, we cannot wait for this next phase, a step closer to the finishing line. The project is located near the race tracks in Bjerke and has forests surrounding in the south and west. The high-rise is a nod to the typology in the area and the apartments will have great lighting and view. Read more about the project here
An ambitious rehabilitation project
Our urban floor team is working on an ambitious rehabilitation project in Drammen. Now in January the social service office is moving out of their current location, leaving the building for new adventures.
Photo: Jean-Pierre Mesinele for A-lab
Living with the sea as your neighbor
Sjøkanten Park’s new chapter
What used to be an industrial area in Stavanger is now transformed into a lively urban area filled with residents and visitors. The project is part of the vision of an urban seafront in Stavanger and making this more accessible for the people who lives here and visitors.
Vulkan Student Hus is completed
Our latest project in Vulkan has finally been filled up with students. The project for SiO and was done in collaboration with LALA Tøyen landscape architects. The neighborhood is lively and fit for students as it is in a short vicinity to clubs and the food marked in Vulkan. Understanding the place, the street and the existing context surrounding it was crucial to achieve a project that not only blends well into its’ surrounding, but also functioning as an urban connector.
Render by A-lab. Image showing a future Kabel gata.
Nature’s principles
Towards a more circular practice
Time is running out for continuing with business as usual. There is an urgency to change path and adopt new practices. Circularity, a concept deeply rooted in nature is gaining more traction. We see this in our field as well. Our latest project has circularity in focus, this time in a larger scale with innovation in mind. Hovinbyen is a large area that consist of several boroughs, we wanted to look at how circularity would work in this scale. Together with Civitas, we have worked on a feasibility study that explores how this can happen in Hovinbyen.
Rewilding
Nature as part of the urban fabric
Urban development is going through a huge shift. Today we see the need to include nature into the cities to fight global challenges and make sure human beings get their much-needed contact with natural elements in order to strengthen both physical and mental health. Søndre street is an experiment in transforming hard concrete urban surfaces to lush green areas where all age groups can play and enjoy regardless of socioeconomic background.
Mitigating climate change
Towards net zero
Architecture can be a tool to accomplish energy efficient environments. Natural ventilation creates a comfortable indoor climate and provides plenty of fresh air while keeping the outdoor air clean. Thermal buoyancy and wind are the main drivers of natural ventilation. In Casa M, eco-efficiency is incorporated into the design, with an inner courtyard. The sea breeze, which is let in at the lower level, gradually rises up to the skylights and provides natural ventilation throughout the home. In the summer, solar radiation from the skylight is controlled by means of external solar shading, while in the winter it acts as an important source of passive solar radiation.
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