Danish architecture firm C.F. Møller is bringing a new kind of urban section to Örebro, Sweden, with its Örnsro Trästad—or Örnsro Timber Town—development.
The design was born from a competition held by Örebro Municipality and the Swedish Association of Architects to create a visionary quarter in the heart of the city. The most important design stipulation of the contest was to integrate nature into the urban landscape.
But the Aarhus, Denmark–based firm didn’t just design a development that revolves around green space; the architects are incorporating natural materials into the housing, as well, by constructing the apartment buildings exclusively of solid timber frames. The renewable wood material boasts low energy consumption and a limited carbon footprint and contributes to Örnsro Timber Town's organic look and feel.
The 194,000-square-foot community will include a number of city parks and plazas for residents, as the developers hope to bring nature to public spaces to enrich the area’s social scene. An “activity route” featuring both shops and homes will connect the existing promenade sections along Svartån creek with the surrounding quarter. The development will include eight retail stores and 218 homes.
"We wish to create an inclu[sive] urban quarter in which the city's urban and social qualities interact with the parks' organic structures," said Ola Jonsson, the project architect at C.F. Møller, in a statement.
The property will be developed by Stockholm-based Slättö Förvaltning, and construction is set to begin in 2017. The first part of the development is expected to be completed in 2018 or early 2019.
