Diploma Project, AHO, 2025
This project explores the potential of adapting the inherently flexible 1990s office floor plan into residential housing without foreclosing the possibility of future adaptations. It investigates how all the different building layers can be planned for reconfiguration, and facilitates a continuous reuse strategy that allows the building to shift between programs to avoid future obsolescence.
Oslo is a fast-growing city. To meet this growth the government has stated that 20,000 homes are needed by 2030. At the same time, the Circular Economy Action Plan requires avoiding unnecessary demolition and reusing existing buildings and materials. When offices become housing, new rules and technical requirements are introduced, sometimes limiting reuse. These competing directives compel us to repurpose office buildings well-suited for change, and this project tests one of them.
When the need for other programs appears in large area transformations, the office buildings from around the ‘90s are in danger of being demolished. They are often considered too young and culturally insignificant to merit preservation. However, they possess great potential. As a typology these buildings have quite generous floor heights, they typically have a narrower building volume and less heat loss than older office buildings. Their structure offers flexible plans, with large spans or columns. They also possess a considerable amount of carbon embedded in the materials. Yet, these materials—such as custom glass panes, welded steel structures, and brick with cement mortar—are not always ideal for dismounting and may be of better use staying where they are.
The project uses standardized materials and a flexible furnishing system that could be dismounted and moved, and stored in the basement for easy picking and choosing. Finding ways to work with transformation, where valuable buildings outlive their original purpose, is one way of addressing climate measures in response to contemporary needs. The ability to oscillate programs over time can support the long-term relevance of a building.