tham & videgård arkitekter plans village of colorful timber houses for gothenburg

tham & videgård arkitekter has revealed plans for a series of new homes that will form part of a larger site at landvetter lake, in gothenburg, sweden. the project is a solid timber version of the ‘vertical village’ the firm designed for a site in stockholm in 2009. the scheme proposes an alternative to the row house typology, with each unit featuring its own private garden. this is achieved with vertical massing rather than horizontal, where compact three level homes sit in rounded plots defined by tall hedges.

all images courtesy of tham & videgård arkitekter

tham & videgård explains that the result is a green small scale urban environment with qualities close to the historical garden cities. a network of meandering pathways is shaped between winter green hedges. these pathways create a clear definition of private and public space and connect the neighborhood internally, as well with the wider community.

the structures will be realized in a range of different colors

in order to provide rich and varied urban spaces, the identical houses will be realized in different colors; red, green, black, and grey. the vertical organization creates a sequence of living spaces for each home: a social entrance floor with a private garden protected by the high hedges; more secluded bedrooms on the upper floors with views across the new neighborhood and natural landscape; and a top floor studio with a large sky light.

each home has 140 square meter floor area and offers 1-4 bedrooms

the entire project will be built from cross-laminated timber (CLT), and will comply with the highest environmental and energy standards through the use of high precision pre-fabrication and robust materials and fittings. the architects say that the scheme’s integrated greenery and landscaping will increase biodiversity and contribute to a sustainable neighborhood. each home has a 140 square meter floor area and offers 1-4 bedrooms. meanwhile, the top level studio can be fitted with an extra sleeping loft or roof terrace.

a network of meandering pathways is shaped between the green hedges

the entire project will be built from cross-laminated timber (CLT)

site plan

floor plans (l-r): level 0; level +1; level +2

section

aerial rendering

project info:

name: vertical village II
location: wendelstrand, gothenburg, sweden
architect: tham & videgård arkitekter
team: bolle tham and martin videgård (chief architects), simon nilsson, jonas tjäder
total built area: 2,550 sqm
floor area/unit: 140 sqm (150 sqm GFA)
number of units: 17
date: 2018 –
status: ongoing
client: next step group AB, wendelstrand