Kjelsåsveien

There used to be a gas station in Kjelsåsveien, squeezed in between single-family homes and row houses in an otherwise intimate and close-knit residential area. For years, the whole neighborhood had suffered from pollution, poor air quality, smells and car traffic. This project was far from developing a former apple orchard. When Bergskogen wanted to build row-houses on the lot, the result was a restoration of the neighborhood that gave huge improvements, not only for the residents, but for Kjelsåsveien as a whole.

The relative placement of the houses was a puzzle that required intense volume studies in order to map out how a combination of screened-off and open zones could be created. The goal was to give birth to a small community in an existing small house area. A seemingly irregular placement of the houses on the lot created an inner courtyard where children can play while adults can sit and read, sunbathe or socialize with their neighbors. On bigger occasions like the national day, they can flag, or even light a common Christmas tree during Christmas.

The units facing away from the courtyard, have a bench beside the entrance door where they may sit and enjoy their coffee in the morning sun while the children are playing. Here, the afternoon sun comes in on the other side, where they have sheltered-off recreational zones near the adjacent side roads. The result is a good living environment where each unit has optimal conditions for different functions and daylight.