Good coordination is essential for the success of a 3D project. A BIM model contains all the information about the entire building, and the drawings are generated directly from the model. This means that all those involved, consultants and architects alike, need to have a common working methodology, which creates order.

At FOJAB arkitekter we have been working purposefully on this for several years. We have developed method sheets, prepared template files and built a library of good objects that can be used in many projects. Over time, a new area of responsibility has emerged within the project teams - keeping the model in order. The people who take this on are called Model Managers and they play a central role. Their work provides good conditions for other participants to produce the necessary documents quickly and safely.

Key tasks are to

• Raising the model from the early foundations that exist
• Setting up views for different types of work and reviews
• Setting up views for exporting information to other consultants
• Receiving and linking in documentation from other consultants and keeping it updated.
• Create drawings and drawing views
• Fixing errors and warnings in the model

Mårten Fridberg, CAD manager at FOJAB arkitekter, has trained more than 15 engineers and architects over the past year. Several of them now work in our assignments as Model Managers, which improves quality and saves time.

Three municipalities, Bollebygd, Härryda and Mark, are joining forces in a unique, unified effort in connection with the construction of the new main line between Borås and Gothenburg. Together with FOJAB architects, they have drawn up a development plan based on a new joint train station, half an hour from the center of Gothenburg. Here, the climate-smart lifestyle of the future will take shape in a region that invests in sustainable growth and infrastructure.

What would a new train station on the new main line between Borås and Gothenburg mean? Plenty, if you ask the municipalities of Bollebygd, Härryda and Mark. Together with FOJAB architects, the three municipalities have developed a joint development plan for what a station community would mean in terms of investments in housing, infrastructure, trade and municipal services. At a joint council meeting on June 3, the plan was presented for the first time to all three municipalities' council members.

- We are taking a joint approach to the development of the entire area affected by a new future train station between Bollebygd and Rävlanda, which can contribute to regional development. In this way, we show that we are united for future discussions with the Swedish Transport Administration," says Christer Johansson (m), chairman of the municipal board in Bollebygd.

The development plan is based on the three municipalities' existing qualities and growth in a 25-year perspective. A new station location between Bollebygd and Rävlanda will enable a population increase of around 8-10,000 inhabitants and eventually link the two towns together. There will be a wide range of housing, commerce and municipal services in strategic locations and proximity to nature and recreation. For this to be possible, major investments in climate-smart infrastructure are required in the area. It should be easy to drop off at school and kindergarten, take the train to work and shop on the way home. It should also be easy to change modes of transport from bus or car to train, or to get to and from the station by bike or on foot. This requires investment in commuter parking lots, roads and pedestrian and cycle paths. The focus is on creating the conditions for a functioning and sustainable everyday life.

- Good communication in an area is a factor that attracts residents and strengthens growth. The new commuter train station will be the center of the area, and with better roads to communities such as Hyssna, Hällingsjö and Hindås, it will be an important hub for the entire development area," says Annette Eiserman-Wikström (m), chair of the municipal council in Härryda.

Today, 80 percent of the residents in the area choose to travel by car due to a lack of attractive travel options. One of the key issues is to create good connections for cars, buses and bicycles, to and from the station area. A new road is proposed from Rävlanda and from the centre of Bollebygd both a new car road and a pedestrian and bicycle path are proposed, to connect both towns with the new station area.

Read the full development plan (PDF)

The Biomedical Center BMC in Lund has received an exclusive addition. On the roof of the old animal house, a building has landed that sparkles like water when the sun shines on it. It houses meeting and seminar rooms for researchers and teachers. The idea is to exchange thoughts and ideas in a relaxed lounge environment, above the noise of everyday life.

The Biomedical Center (BMC) is a prominent research facility attached to the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University. Ten years ago they built a modern new building with laboratories. A few years ago, it was time again. Mats Österberg of FOJAB arkitekter was commissioned to design a conversion of Klas Anshelm's old Immunolog from the 1960s into a student center for medicine.

The reception and entrance for visitors and students faces Sölvegatan while the seminar rooms are located deep in the buildings. The need to supplement with more centrally located meeting rooms has therefore emerged. At the same time, the popular terrace on the roof of the animal house was looked at with interest.

This led to BMC's latest addition, also designed by FOJAB architects: a new small house that elegantly balances on the edge of the animal house. Inside, it has the character of a single open room, but with compartmentalized functions. Fixed furniture and cabinets act as room dividers, with frameless glass connecting to the wall and ceiling. The impression is of a sophisticated academic environment but with a relaxed atmosphere. There is a fireplace, comfortable armchairs and a sunny terrace. The warm wooden interior is exposed to the BMC courtyard through large window openings.

- "The business wanted the building to shine like a lantern," says architect Anna Belfrage of FOJAB. The first idea was to integrate LED lighting into the facade. This idea failed because of the price. Instead, we chose a solution with structural glass and a galvanized, slightly shimmering sheet metal behind it. The result is a facade that gives the impression of water glitter when the sun shines on it.

Anna Belfrage, who has a background in Madrid working on elegant interiors, appreciates the high level of finish achieved on the interior carpentry. But the ambition to create a sense of a single space also presented some challenges.

- Controlling the sound between the different rooms was a journey. It ended with 5 cm thick specially designed sound cassettes that provided 45 dB attenuation between the meeting and seminar rooms. "It has become a wonderful environment where the choice of materials, sound and light contribute to an extraordinary quality," says Anna Belfrage.

Many municipalities have used the Strategic Premises Planning method, especially for planning educational premises. So what does the customer think? The question goes to Stefan Norrestam, Director of Education in Lund Municipality.

- I have used Strategic Local Planning both in Helsingborg and most recently in Lund. I would say that the method is a prerequisite for being able to plan at all. We get a good, common overall picture of what our use of premises looks like. This then forms the basis for concrete decisions on new establishments, renovations and relocations.

In Lund, FOJAB arkitekter has helped to investigate all upper secondary schools, the Culture School and Komvux. Stefan Norrestam says that Lund has a very high occupancy rate.

- We cannot afford to guess on the issue of premises. In the past, it has been dealt with locally, even at the scheduling level. But it is difficult for the scheduler to see the big picture, and this can lead to the use of less suitable premises just to accommodate daily activities. The search for new teacher workspaces can mean taking up classrooms or tolling common areas until it is no longer possible. With this method, we look at the bigger picture and get an overall view of the actual needs. We see the potential for connection and co-use. This is very valuable and saves time and money.

Stefan Norrestam explains that the different school units are like communicating vessels because they have similar programs in different places. It is therefore important that both politicians and managers get a common overall picture. Only then can you proceed with a local program, but you should not start there.

- It is not just a school. It is a workplace for perhaps 1200 people. And the issue of space use is not just a school management issue. The buildings are a tool to turn goals and visions into reality.

The new curriculum for upper secondary school, GY11, which came into force in the 2011/12 academic year, reforms the school with new requirements and objectives, says Stefan Norrestam. Strategic Local Planning will be a means to meet that mission.

- The method drives the question of how we want to work, for example with core subjects and character subjects together. Today, we mainly have separate premises for math and construction. Now we are planning for these subjects in the same spaces and have the overview that makes this possible. An important prerequisite is that the analysis is developed in collaboration with the business. This shifts the focus from finding rooms to be in to looking at how we would like to work, now and in the future. It is not just about premises but about operations and development - about how we can fulfill our mission.

On March 21, there was a moving-in ceremony in the new Rådhus Skåne in Kristianstad. To music and inaugural speeches, 700 employees and elected officials took up their new workplace. In a new building behind largely preserved older facades, Region Skåne and Kristianstad Municipality now meet on a daily basis.

The architect behind the project, Greger Dahlström of FOJAB arkitekter, was one of the opening speakers:

- The objective of the program, as presented, was: "an open and accessible meeting and workplace that stimulates renewal and opens up for engaging meetings for citizens and colleagues". Our translation of this into an architectural vision could be formulated as: A modern, efficient and flexible building, which externally and internally exudes openness, transparency and timelessness.

Behind the decision to locate Rådhus Skåne in the center of Kristianstad and immediately adjacent to the railway station is a desire to be close to the citizens. This attitude is also expressed in various ways in the architecture.

- The new entrance towards Stora Torg wants to be the opposite of the monumental entrance - an undramatic meeting with the visitor. The large civic window signals welcoming openness and transparency," says Greger Dahlström.

Once inside, visitors are pleasantly surprised. The block's classic, rather closed facades enclose a completely new modern office that is flooded with light.

- Just as important as daylight is the possibility of views, which allows you to feel the rhythm of the day and follow the changes in the weather. The open office and glass walls provide lines of sight both horizontally and vertically through the building to the surroundings," says Greger Dahlström.

Read more about the project

In March 2014, MAX IV in Lund won the Best Futura Project category at the international real estate fair MIPIM. FOJAB arkitekter was present in Cannes to receive the prestigious award. There were also representatives from Lund Municipality, Lund University and the developer Fastighets AB ML4.

- We are very proud and happy that the project has received this award, says Daniel Nord, CEO of FOJAB. Not least because the category was Future Projects. MAX IV houses cutting-edge technology and will be a workplace for researchers from all over the world.

In the facility, electrons are accelerated to near the speed of light. When their orbit is broken, radiation, called synchrotron light, is released, which is used to investigate material properties at the molecular level. The process requires precision and places great demands on the structure. Above ground, the building appears as a large, unbroken ring of smooth matt-brushed metal with a bridged, shimmering white office volume. This, in combination with the green roofs and the rolling landscape, will be a hallmark of MAX IV.

- It is important for us that the building has a strong architectural expression and a clear anchorage on the site, says Daniel Nord. "It is therefore particularly pleasing that we have succeeded in communicating the building's qualities to an international audience of experts in a tough competition.

The journey began with a parallel assignment in 2010, where FOJAB was commissioned to continue working on the design of the building together with Snøhetta, which was given responsibility for designing the landscape. This was followed by the design of construction documents for a building with unusually high technical requirements. With a total area of 50,000 square meters, the buildings are expected to be ready for use in 2015.

MAX IV - A design challenge (Youtube)
MAX IV - Environmental perspective (Youtube)
MAX IV - Staff perspective (Youtube)

The competition entry "In-Between Landscapes" has been awarded a prize in the international architectural competition Europan 12. Behind the proposal are Marco Pusterla and Edvin Bylander, both employees of FOJAB arkitekter. The team also included architecture students Madeleine Heckler, René Andersson and Emelie Dafgård.

The entry was awarded a shared 2nd prize, which in the context of Europan is referred to as 'Runner-up'. It was one of some 50 proposals submitted to the Kalmar competition area, where the task was to design a new district on the coast, south of the city.

Europan is the largest recurring architectural competition in the world. Architects under the age of 40 from all over Europe participate and the competition is held every two years, now for the 12th time. Participants could choose from 51 competition areas - sites - in 16 countries, including five in Sweden.

- When we decided to participate in the competition, we went through the different sites carefully to see which one we found most interesting. We settled on the one in Kalmar because we thought the potential and challenges were particularly high. The area is located between the current E22 and consists of wetlands that are often flooded. We wanted to highlight the qualities of this special place," says team leader Marco Pusterla.

Kalmar is growing southwards and the task was to design a new district for about 3000 inhabitants. A starting point was the municipality's principle decision that all neighborhoods should be integrated with different types of housing and services.

The team's answer to this is a neighborhood with an urban character and a strong relationship with nature. The wetland located between the residential areas and the current waterfront could easily become a border separating the city from the sea. The proposal instead makes it accessible and clear. The special nature becomes a zone that can be temporarily occupied by different arrangements for art, culture, recreation and outdoor life.

- 'We meet nature through culture,' says Edvin Bylander, Marco's competition partner. 'By adding various simple built elements such as footbridges, platforms and pavilions, we make the changeability of the site visible. In a hundred years, the sea level will have risen to another level. Then the housing we have added will be right next to a quayside, and this zone will be just a memory.

This is not the first time FOJAB employees have been rewarded in the Europan context. Four years ago, Marco Pusterla won first prize in Europan 10 in Lerum together with Jesus Mateo. In Europan 11, Anders Eriksson in a team with architecture students Egil Blom, Hannes Haak and Daniel Lindberg shared first prize in Simrishamn. The project in Lerum has, so far, led to a quality program developed by Lerum municipality together with FOJAB architects.

- Europan is a great opportunity to challenge yourself and your creativity. The competition is based on a concrete project, but it also contributes to the debate on architecture at an international level. It is very interesting to look back at past European competitions. Much of what we see in today's architecture is reminiscent of the competition proposals of 10-15 years ago," says Marco Pusterla.

Since 1991, the international real estate fair MIPIM has presented the MIPIM Awards to innovative real estate projects around the world. On January 20, it was announced that the MAX IV synchrotron light facility, as one of four projects, has made it to the final round in the "Best Futura Project" category.

In total, 28 projects in 7 categories have been selected by a jury of international real estate agents. The winners will then be chosen by visitors and the international jury and announced during the annual MIPIM real estate fair in Cannes on March 11-14.

In 2010, FOJAB arkitekter was chosen to design and plan MAX IV for Lund University with Fastighets AB ML4 as the developer. Snøhetta arkitekter was chosen as landscape architect. The project has strived for a symbiotic relationship between landscape, external building form and internal form.

The large experimental hall's roof lantern with its brushed aluminum surface, the office building's white metal cassettes and horizontal window shades, the white concrete facades of the other buildings and the rolling landscape will make the MAX IV laboratory a distinctive landmark at Lund's northern entrance.

MAX IV will become operational in mid-2015.

This is the groundbreaking ceremony for Helsingkrona Nation's new student accommodation.

Architect Mattias Hedberg Ek, FOJAB arkitekter, and Peter Runnerström, Proinspektor Helsingkrona, also chairman of the House Board, mark the historic milestone. Photo: Helsingkrona nation.

Read more about the project

Five quick questions for architect Robert Lavelid, new office manager at FOJAB Stockholm.

How would you describe yourself?
I am a passionate professional - an architect who is passionate about my profession. In this role, I particularly enjoy driving processes towards goals. Then, as a person, I am curious and ready for change - I hope...

Is there a building that makes your heart beat faster?
The buildings I have designed myself have a special place, of course. Right now they are the most recent ones, called Khimki, which are two large office buildings in Moscow.

One building I got to visit as a young student is Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Taliesin West School of Architecture. It is located in the small village of Scottsdale outside Phoenix, Arizona. The school and his winter home relate in a very special way to the surrounding desert and made a big impression on me.

I also find Le Corbusier's residential building in Marseille, Unité d´Habitation, very interesting.

What are your sources of inspiration?
One person I have followed all my life is Ulf Lundell - he is six months older than me. Especially as a writer but also as a musician he has influenced me a lot.

In architecture, there is a whole range of architects who inspire me. Le Corbusier of course. As a pure designer above all, not as a social builder. The Peruvian architect Henri Ciriani, based in Paris, is another source of inspiration.

Then all my life I have been a friend of Denmark. I have lived in Denmark, and Danish architects and architecture in general have influenced me a lot. One example from the older school is Arne Jacobsen.

One Danish modern architect I find interesting is Bjarke Ingels. He has managed to bring architecture out of the closet and make it accessible to a wider audience. He has a good way of presenting and explaining his projects. This is not to say that I think everything he draws is good.

The Danish architectural firm Vandkunsten has also been a great source of inspiration for me. Through social commitment, they have created great architecture with little money.

The FOJAB Stockholm - Malmö link, what can it bring?
In recent conversations I have had, a curiosity about FOJAB as a new, professional player on the Stockholm market has emerged. You may know the company by name but don't know much more. Stockholm is a different market with a slightly different approach. In Malmö there is more of the Danish view of architecture, and there is an interesting cultural connection that feels exciting to explore.

What are you doing right now?
I am sitting at Arlanda airport, in the gate of the Moscow flight, on my way to present an office project. It is an elaboration of a proposal for two office buildings to be located near a huge shopping mall - one of the largest in Europe - that is being built in the center of Moscow. The project is actually at a conceptual stage, but in Russia this means that decisions can suddenly be made very quickly. It's a completely different pace in Moscow, a strong drive that we are not used to in Sweden. But now I have to finish and get on board. We'll be in touch!

On Sveavägen 44 - as central as it gets. Behind the answer is a unique project. Landscape architect Johan Paju of FOJAB Stockholm is responsible for both the project and the explanation.

On Sveavägen 44 is an entire block that was originally Skandia's old headquarters, built in the early 1940s. The facade is protected and looks the same now as it did then. The interior of the block, which used to be a collection of many different buildings, has now been rebuilt except for two small atrium courtyards. In total, 65,000 square meters of offices, shops, hotels and housing have been rebuilt. The roof has basically become one large, continuous, flat surface with small holes.

Windy and exposed
The entire neighborhood will be Breeam certified and the project budget was based on a sedum roof solution. When Johan Paju got the assignment, the idea was to match the budget set, but still create added value.

- Sedum is quite boring, and it is not walkable. I thought: We do the opposite - we seed in a substrate, a shallow soil, and make a real landscape that is not a finished product. Up on a roof, it looks like a mountain, basically. It's windy and exposed, and almost no plants survive. So we chose plants and plant types from just such situations - mountain vegetation and outer archipelago vegetation. This will be the first wild park in Stockholm. And it will be completely untouched. We will only mow it once a year.

Like a big archipelago bridge
Three undisturbed habitat types are created: flourishing dry meadow, scrub forest - which is a marshy scrub forest common in the outer archipelago - and shingle fields with almost only stones and mosses. This is the foundation. Floating above this, a wooden deck will be built as a promenade with seating, about 500 square meters in size. It will be raised from the ground about 35 cm, so that you can sit comfortably on the edge.

- "It will be like a large archipelago bridge that you walk on, with a balustrade that reduces the wind speed and creates views," says Johan. The balustrade is shaped according to the roof landscape. You walk on the deck and only in certain places can you get out into nature. There is no effect lighting at all, only spill light from the surrounding city. You can stand there, above the city's rooftops in 3000 square meters of real nature. In the center of Stockholm.

Nature in Manhattan
Johan explains that there are some projects in New York City that are somewhat similar. One of them, Time Landscape by Alan Sonfist, is a piece of land in Manhattan that has been planted with native plant material. Because the conditions are the same, a forest is slowly emerging that tells the story of what nature was like in Manhattan in the 17th century.

The roof garden will be completed in spring 2014 and will initially be available to office tenants during the day. It is hoped to eventually open to the public at certain times.

Toy manufacturer BRIO's new office in Malmö, with architecture and interior design by FOJAB arkitekter, is competing for the title of "Sweden's most beautiful office" in an ongoing competition organized by Lokalnytt. Architect Anna Belfrage talks about the project.

- The raw attic at Malmö Central has been transformed into BRIO's new headquarters. Property owner Jernhusen had prepared the adaptation by restoring stairwells, re-roofing, reinforcing floors and preparing installations.

- We drew on the special character of the attic, with its brick arches and mighty wooden structures, and worked on specially designed interiors. Every nook and cranny was used to make room. This has led to both unexpected and exciting solutions, I think. Of course, there were also a lot of installations to take into account. Some are hidden but others have been integrated into the design in a fully visible way.

- The color scheme was also important. We laid a black and white, stark base and then added colorful display spaces for BRIO's classic toys. Playful foils were developed together with BRIO's own project team and Ideas AB. It has become an office that conveys the brand's identity to visitors and employees in a fun way, says Anna Belfrage.

This is what BRIO itself says about its new environment in the competition motivation:
"BRIO's strong identity has been carefully incorporated into the premises and details. Impossible angles have been playfully given new functions - there are now showrooms in every room and they can all be played with for real! With us, the journey starts right outside the door and continues by inviting visitors to take off their outerwear in our enlarged product: the subway set. Here there is room to create the new play of the future."

Pictures from the Brio headquarters can be found here

Friday, October 25 is the day. Galleria Boulevard in Kristianstad will open the first stage of three. FOJAB arkitekter, through Charlotte Kristensson, is behind the project. When it is completed in the fall of 2014, it will house 70 shops and eateries - a major addition to Kristianstad's central shopping area. As the name suggests, the mall has a central location in the city center, with one long side facing Östra Boulevarden and the other facing the canal.

In 2011, Steen & Ström bought the properties in a block that formed a dreary barrier between the eastern and western parts of the city. There was the obligatory Domushuset, a travel center and parking lots. Now, a building totaling 86 000 square meters is rising as a welcoming new front to the east. It will be the backdrop for a canal-side park with greenery and outdoor seating. On the other side, Östra Boulevarden is being rebuilt, reduced from 26 to 18 meters in width and becoming a more distinctive shopping street.

The shops on the ground floor have windows facing the boulevard and interact with the shops opposite. The façade above has been covered with a thin layer of perforated sheet metal and decorated with glass prisms. Placed in a pattern of varying angles, the prisms reflect sunlight and the colors of the surroundings down to street level.

- The large scale has clearly been a challenge to manage. Throughout the process, we have focused on creating a modern and beautiful building that is also in dialogue with the surrounding Renaissance town," says Charlotte Kristensson. "We have paid great attention to the details, and worked with a subtle color scheme, not least by allowing the character of the natural materials to take place. I see Galleria Boulevard as a proud new ring in Kristianstad's cityscape.

Even in the city center, shoppers need to park their cars. Since much of Kristianstad is below sea level, it was not possible to build an underground parking garage. Therefore, the parking for the 1100 cars has been placed on the upper floors of the building.

The first phase, which is now being inaugurated, has room for more than 15 new stores. When the facility is fully developed, visitors will experience a daylight-lit indoor square that extends over two floors. A given place for Kristianstad residents to meet and mingle.

FOJAB arkitekter and Tyréns AB offer a new, efficient way to work with room-related information in the design process.

While enjoying a fresh breakfast, we present RUDA, a web-based tool for creating room function programs, room descriptions or interior design lists. You will learn about functions, possibilities and also applications in a current reference project. The seminar is aimed at architects, interior designers, developers, project managers and all others who work with RFP and room cards. If you work in a BIM environment, there are direct links to Revit®.

Welcome to Architects Sweden on Thursday 7 November!

Breakfast is served from 8.00
The seminar runs from 8.30 to 9.30

Address: Storgatan 41, Stockholm

Registration is no later than 31 October to nina.pikulik@tyrens.se

Read more about RUDA basic (free) and RUDA pro at http://www.rudawebb.se.

Mobilia, one of Malmö's oldest shopping centers, has been transformed into an exciting new neighborhood. Heavy brick buildings from the turn of the century, once built for the textile industry, have been washed out from under layers of corrugated iron and now contrast with new buildings in steel, glass, brick and wood. What a few years ago was two single-story buildings surrounded by large parking lots is now a vibrant neighborhood with a variety of businesses. There are shops, restaurants, services, cultural and association premises, and in the middle of it all, two high-rise residential buildings with views of the entire Öresund. FOJAB + JAIS architects were responsible for the redevelopment and extension of Mobilia, and the transformation from a shopping center to a city quarter. The final stage of this redevelopment was inaugurated with a big party on September 26.

Women's workplace
The oldest parts of Mobilia have been in operation for over 100 years. Originally the area was used for the textile industry and the Manufakturaktiebolaget in Malmö. The new factories had large weaving halls under the broken sawtooth roofs, where more than 3000 people, mainly women, worked. In 1968, the buildings were converted into Malmö's first shopping center Mobilia, which today is the best-selling shopping center in the Nordic countries after NK.

When designing the new Mobilia, it has been important to preserve traces of the area's history. Collage has been a key word during the work. The facades have been designed as material compositions that link the present with history. Among other things, there is a variation of different red brick joints with almost textile qualities in the expression. The interplay between the newly built parts and the preserved buildings gives the project its unique identity:

- By mixing modern materials and expressions with traces of the area's history, we have managed to create a very special atmosphere, which really distinguishes Mobilia from other shopping centers and districts in Malmö, says Mats White, responsible architect at JAIS arkitekter.

Graphic betongue
Photographs have been used in various ways to convey the history of the building. On the facade of the parking garage, an old photo of cotton handling at the Manufakturaktiebolaget has been rasterized onto perforated sheet metal. Many of the interiors get their character from the photo enlargements that cover several of the walls. Perhaps the most special feature is the female figures in graphic concrete, which are placed under the new screen ceilings as if they were caryatids.

- Early on, we made contact with a company in Finland, Graphic Concrete, which, by translating photographs into molding patterns, could transfer the images to concrete. When I was thinking about suitable motifs, I was reminded of one of Malmö's female models, who is a good friend of my family. The cards were full of life and with beautiful clothes from the 50s. No motifs could fit better in an old textile factory than these," says Per-Aage Nilsson, lead architect at FOJAB arkitekter.

A proven concept
JAIS Arkitekter was contracted in 2007 by the developer Atrium Ljungberg as a result of a parallel architectural assignment. The purpose of the assignment was to show future expansion opportunities for Mobilia, and to provide design proposals. JAI's winning plan proposal is based on building on the existing stone city and integrating the shopping center into the urban fabric. This will make the area a vital and accessible part of the city.

- "Now that it has been inaugurated, it feels like the original ambition has been fulfilled in a good way," says Per Aage Nilsson and is supported by Mats White. And when you think about it, cities have always been built in this way; people have met at trading places that have gradually become permanent and generated the need for housing and services. This has taken shape in buildings, streets and squares - almost like Mobilia.

Mobilia CDE
Year of construction: 1899
Year of conversion and extension: 2010-2013
Renovation and extension: approximately 65,000 square meters of GFA.

Developer: Atrium Ljungberg through Anders Murmark, market area manager.
Architect responsible for the project: Per-Aage Nilsson, FOJAB arkitekter and Mats White, JAIS arkitekter
Other contributors: JAIS Architects: Mathias Persson, Ulrika Essner, Karl Johan Holmberg, Jonas Johansson. FOJAB Architects: Andreas Jentsch, Alfred Årfelt, Nina Lindén, Kristina Fors, Anna Neuhauser, Lars-Aage Nilsson.

For more information contact:
Viveca Rosencrantz
Architect SAR/MSA, Public Relations Officer FOJAB arkitekter
viveca.rosencrantz@fojab.se
+46 (0)761-16 81 10

Karl Johan Holmberg
Architect SAR/MSA, press officer JAIS architects
karljohan.holmberg@jais.se
+46 (0)42-14 92 33

FOJAB architects is one of the country's largest architectural firms. We are 100 qualified employees, organized to meet our clients' needs. Our activities include design, planning and project management of areas, buildings, premises and interiors. Our vision is to use our passion for architecture to create a sustainable city where people and businesses grow together.

JAIS Architects is one of Sweden's leading architectural offices. The office is located in the center of Helsingborg and currently employs 15 people, working on all types of projects.

The post-yellow exhibition pavilion, designed by FOJAB, has been festively inaugurated.

It is located on what is currently a clay field but will become a new residential area just east of Limhamn's limestone quarry. Visit the pavilion and take part in the exhibition that shows the emerging Elinegård!

FOJAB arkitekter, together with our architect friends, is hosting the World's Best AfterWork.

We invite you to an evening of film and architecture at Media Evolution City in Malmö.

Come and mingle with us!

Registration and more information at facebook.com/events/515444401868656/

One of Sweden's largest architecture firms, Malmö-based FOJAB arkitekter, is now opening an office in Stockholm. It will be led by Robert Lavelid and Johan Paju.

- With our 100 employees and many exciting projects, we are big on the regional scene in southern Sweden. It therefore feels like a natural step for us to establish ourselves in Stockholm, which is a dynamic market," says Cecilia Pering, CEO of FOJAB arkitekter. "We want to collaborate with talented individuals who strengthen our common brand. Therefore, it feels extra fun to build the business with Robert Lavelid and Johan Paju, who both have a high architectural profile and a culture that matches our own.

Robert Lavelid comes from Tengbom, where he was responsible for the business area architecture. Johan Paju has run Paju Architecture and Landscape and is one of Sweden's most renowned landscape architects.

The sun beams in through the adjacent window as Helena Bülow-Hübe, PhD and Head of Environment and Energy at FOJAB arkitekter, talks enthusiastically about her area of expertise - daylight, solar heating and glass in facades. She talks about the great opportunities for development and improvement, both economically, technically and aesthetically. But according to Helena, a change in attitude is required to get there.

- We need a more active approach to these issues. It is common to write a general U-value requirement for windows. It then applies to all facade surfaces, regardless of the direction of the wind, sun/shade conditions and room function. In line with this, the same solar control glass is chosen for the entire facade and usually the entire building. Nevertheless, there may only be a small part of the facade that is unshielded and has a large passenger load, for example with a conference room behind it. But that situation still becomes the design basis for the whole building.

Sunscreen glass is used indiscriminately
- Technical performance facts are often discussed in the design process. The ventilation consultant calculates a g-value, solar transmission, for the glass. This is then written into the documents as a general requirement for the building's windows, perhaps at a stage when it is difficult to see the consequences. What will be the technical performance? What is the impact of this requirement on the aesthetics of the façade and the availability of daylight indoors?

We discuss the importance of taking a holistic approach and using solar shading intelligently. Helena Bülow-Hübe says that solar control glass is often used carelessly. This can result in facades that give a dark and sad, even rejecting impression and she highlights a concrete example: "An office building was designed with a glazed entrance with a reception behind it on the ground floor. The intention was of course to give an inviting and welcoming impression. But the same effective solar control glass had been used throughout the building, and the result was that visitors only saw their own reflection when approaching the entrance.

- This can unfortunately also be seen in commercial contexts, with shop windows that reflect more than they provide daytime visibility, and thus do not serve their purpose, says Helena. The solution lies in working with sun protection and the choice of glass in a differentiated way. Different conditions in different parts of the facade may result in varied solutions. You do not have to meet the higher technical requirement where it is not needed and thus have the opportunity to bring in daylight. This allows the glass to have the transparency that was intended.

There is much to gain
- Where the load is high, choose a suitable surface-mounted sunscreen. This can be blinds or fabrics. In one project we used insulated sliding window shutters with great success. This makes it possible to choose a clearer glass that lets in daylight, which also reduces the need for artificial lighting during the day.

- Sometimes you want both internal and external sun protection. The interior can be used in winter to take advantage of the solar heat gain. In some situations, the internal sun protection is also needed as glare protection because the external sun protection is not really sufficient.

Working in a differentiated way with glass and sun protection in the facade means a design challenge and the possibility of more elements to play with. FOJAB arkitekter has the expertise to work in this way, both with technical analysis and design. There is much to gain in terms of comfort, energy and aesthetics. And hand on heart - who is really interested in paying for product features that have no function?

FOJAB arkitekter and Tyréns AB offer a new, efficient way to work with room-related information in design. While enjoying a delicious Raw Food breakfast, we present RUDA, a web-based tool for producing room function programs, room descriptions or interior design lists. You will learn about functions, possibilities and also applications in a current reference project.

The seminar is aimed at architects, interior designers, developers, project managers and all others who work with RFP and room cards. If you work in a BIM environment, there are direct links to Revit®.

Welcome to FOJAB arkitekter on Thursday, September 19!

Breakfast is served from 8.00
The seminar runs from 8.30 to 9.30

Address: Hallenborgs Gata 1A, Malmö

Registration is no later than September 12 to nina.pikulik@tyrens.se

Read more about RUDA basic (free) and RUDA pro at http://www.rudawebb.se.

The lower level of the new Triangle Gallery was opened in a festive atmosphere. Stakeholders and curious customers mingled and had breakfast.

See the pictures from a unique and colorful mall, signed FOJAB. Anything but plain.

The Helsingkrona Nation has received a building permit for its plans to build a 13-storey student accommodation building by the lake Sjön in Lund. Around 140 students will live in the new building, which is located a stone's throw from the nation's existing housing.

A prerequisite for the construction of a new building on this site was that the building should be a strong, independent volume. A new sculpture in the LTH Park that would stand out from the existing rectangular buildings. The building rights in the zoning plan were to be completely round, which placed demands on the layout and design of the building.

- Finding a functional floor plan that is based on the conditions of the round house and at the same time provides good and space-efficient floor plans has been the project's key issue. Add to this the requirement for rational and cost-effective production and you begin to understand the complexity of the project," explains Mattias Hedberg Ek, the responsible architect.

The house is not completely round. Instead, each floor is divided into six almost identical pieces of cake. Each piece of cake becomes a buddy apartment where two students have their own bedroom, but share a kitchen, toilet and a small living room.

- "The round shape has actually been very good for the buddy apartments because you can fit a shared and very bright living room between the two bedrooms," says Mattias Hedberg Ek.

In addition to housing, the building will also have common and more public premises both on the ground floor and at the top, where a meeting room with a view of central Lund will be the icing on the cake. In addition to Lund, you will be able to see Malmö, the bridge and all of Copenhagen on a sunny day.

Read more about the project

Sunday June 2 saw the opening of Malmö's first solar car park, where motorists can charge their electric cars using energy from the sun. The inauguration took place in connection with the finish of the Oresund Electric Car Rally, the world's largest electric car rally through two countries. The solar car park is a joint initiative from FOJAB arkitekter, Parkering Malmö and the City of Malmö, and is located at the beach parking lot at Scaniaparken in Malmö's climate-smart district Västra Hamnen.

- "We are pleased to be able to make it easier for Malmö residents to make climate-smart choices such as choosing an electric car, thereby contributing to cleaner air and less noise," says Anders Eriksson, who is in charge of the project at FOJAB arkitekter:

- For FOJAB arkitekter, sustainable urban development is a matter of course, and with projects like the solar cell parking, we are making a difference together with the City of Malmö and Parkering Malmö.

FOJAB arkitekter also has other commitments in Västra Hamnen. Among other things, the company has designed parking garage Fullriggarenwhich has a clear environmental profile with its photovoltaic facade, green wall and birdhouses.

Free charging around the clock
The solar car park, which can accommodate two cars, is a steel structure with south-facing solar panels in transparent glass. Charging will work around the clock and is free of charge, with motorists only paying a parking fee. The power output is estimated at around 2600 kWh/year, which is enough to drive an electric car for around 2000 miles. A gasoline-powered car emits about two tons of carbon dioxide over the same distance.

The inauguration took place in connection with the finish of the Oresund Electric Car Rally, the world's largest electric car rally through two countries, with some 60 participating vehicles. Among the participants is famous rally map reader Tina Thörner. Inaugural speeches will be given by Mayor Karolina Skog (MP) and Tomas Strandberg, CEO of Parkering Malmö.

Architect Marco Pusterla is giving a guest lecture this week at the University of Piacenza.

- I will talk about how we at FOJAB arkitekter work with sustainability in buildings and urban development. I think it's important to make the issue concrete. Therefore, I will show current projects, including Lomma harbor and center, and Aspedalen in Lerum, a project that won 1st prize in the European competition.

Everyone talks about having the customer's perspective at the center. But how do you do that when you are building a house and many people are involved? Some who know are the Bogranskarna, who review and analyze a number of homes every year.

Why do you only talk about skirting boards?
Architect Ida Stavenow not only designs homes at FOJAB. She is also one of six "Bogranskare" who give their opinion on newly produced homes in Sydsvenskan. How does it work and what goes on in the mind of a Bogranskare?

- We make 4-5 trips per year, looking at two sites at a time. The group consists of a landscape architect, an energy consultant and four architects. Two of the architects are linked to academia and the other two work in architectural offices. I have been involved for three years now.

- We look at both apartment buildings and typical villas, and we look at objects ready for anyone to move into, not specially designed homes. The key question we ask ourselves is "Is this a good home?" from the perspective of the ordinary housing consumer. So it's not just about architectural qualities but also other things like material finishes, energy issues, workmanship, etc.

- Because of this mix, my architectural colleagues are sometimes skeptical that there is not enough focus on architecture. Why do you only talk about skirting boards?

Ida Stavenow explains how the discussion can, for example, be about upper cabinets that are placed like dust collectors in the middle of a wall, even though they could have been better integrated into the room. Something that can be perceived as a trivial discussion about a lack of attention to detail can reveal something more fundamental in architecture: that you have not succeeded in creating a whole, a beautiful room where the light flows and which is perhaps part of a good spatial relationship.

- The quality of housing in Sweden is generally very high and has also increased in recent years. There are fine materials, spacious and accessible, good appliances, low-flow taps, fully tiled bathrooms. There is very little that is very bad, but there is also not much that is very good.

The country just right
- Many people think that we are a bit lame in our criticism, everything gets a three. But that's because the vast majority of things are very reasonable - and unfortunately the same. This is an issue that is discussed a lot in the group, and we ask for new thinking. As architects, we also have a responsibility to show alternative solutions.

Most people have an idea of what to expect from a newly built home; they want an oak parquet floor, because it's fresh and uniform, and a white kitchen and open plan, because they've seen it in different contexts. But you don't know what you could get and there aren't really any alternatives because the market is so uniform.

- You can't produce something that nobody wants, and nobody wants something they don't know about. This is why we need brave souls in housing production who dare to invest in different qualities to get the ball rolling. The archaeologists also look at the basic idea. What kind of life is lived in this home? It would be great if there was room for different kinds of lives. We are all different!

Sometimes only a doorway is needed
- Quality of life can mean different things to different people. A lot of other basic things can be decided - whether you want children, whether you want a car, where you work, what you eat. But everyone should live in more or less the same way. There is also less and less variety as the old housing stock is phased out. With a culturally mixed population and new family constellations, there should be room for more variety.

Ida Stavenow's thesis was about this. She looked at variations in housing and structures that can give residents greater opportunities to influence themselves. One idea was to design residential areas with smaller individual plots in favor of common areas. The villas would have a basic size that could be expanded over time with extensions within a given framework. Another ideal project was a row of terraced houses with internal connections and a kind of intermediate link that could be flexibly connected to adjacent homes, for example for intergenerational living; when grandma and grandpa can no longer use their upstairs, the neighbor can take it over, and they can continue to live in a slightly smaller area.

- I believe in flexibility over time and a new form of collectivism where the collective is an offer, not a demand. Another example I came across was two single women with children, who every other week opened up and lived a large family life with each other and the children, and every other week closed down and lived a single life. All it takes is a doorway! And a little courage.

Ida Stavenow herself lives in a 3-room apartment with a balcony.

- "We made the architectural choice to move to an ugly house overlooking a nice one," says Ida. The apartment had such qualities, especially the light with large perspective windows over the corners. The floor plan and lighting must be in place from the start, but otherwise a lot can be fixed afterwards if you know what you want. In the kitchen, we removed the dining area and made a really big stainless steel countertop for cooking. It was a way for us to adapt the home to our lifestyle and interests.

A jubilee in development. Pildammsparken is one of Malmö's favorite places to play. We jog, feed ducks, go to the theater, get married, do gymnastics and picnic. We have been doing this and much more for almost 100 years. 2014 marks the anniversary of the Baltic Exhibition, which was the very reason for the park's creation.

Because of this, the City of Malmö has invited FOJAB arkitekter, as one of three offices, to come up with ideas and proposals on how the park can be renewed and developed.

Architect LAR Sara Schlyter, who worked on the proposal, explains:

- The park is basically a classicist structure with long axes and sight lines that form exciting intersections. One of the park's most central such places is next to Margareta's flower street and is currently used as a parking lot. In our proposal, the parking spaces are moved to a location along the access road. Instead, we create a clearly defined space with water features, magnolia trees, seating walls and a visitor center. Our idea is that it will be experienced as the heart of Pildamm Park. From here you can then move around the main axis of the park on a new footbridge, which leads across the large pond to the water tower.

In contrast to the park's grandiose axes, other places with a more secretive character and surprising experiences are proposed. Sara Schlyter draws a parallel with the Park of Versailles where, if you leave the strict baroque layout, you will find similarly romantic and slightly secluded places.

- For example, the proposal includes a bamboo maze that lands in a tower with a suspension bridge. And a rose pergola that forms a portico to the rose garden from Baltic Road. We also want visitors to have a clearer experience of the water in various ways. Both by getting closer to the pond and through sound and light effects. So our hope is that the anniversary will be the start of a new century of recreation for both Malmö residents and visitors.

The new part of Triangelgallerian opens in June. Facing south towards Triangeln station, a completely new and colorful mall will open, 12,000 square meters on two levels. Triangeln station is expected to be Sweden's third largest station, and the idea is to create a square for the many people who commute and are on their way. But also for those who want to relax in a pleasant environment that is small-scale, dense and intense.

- Nya Triangeln will be like the new Malmö, neither restrained nor smoothly structured. There should be a sense of urban bazaar, of colors and materials creating a social scene for life and shopping," says Viveca Rosencrantz, design manager at FOJAB arkitekter for the mall.

NCC has high ambitions for Triangeln. The feeling of a square is central - it should simply be nice to just be here. The expansion is on two levels and is connected both to the existing mall, which is being rebuilt and expanded, and to the new sunny facade facing Triangeln station and S:t Johannesplan.

The shops are accessed through portals in three winding aisles at street level to create variety and enhance the urban feel. The central square, which opens up through both floors, is formed by playfully placed shop boxes. The visitor will encounter an abundance of impressions where color and material choices contrast rather than harmonize.

At street level, the feel is darker and more variegated, with patterned granite-ceramic floors, copper-colored ceilings and high-gloss entrance portals, becoming lighter in the open square in the middle and on the upper level.

- To take a position, the brand must be supported by architecture and interior design. So much of the brand's communication is in sound, light and choice of materials. What we wanted to reinforce here is a hustle and bustle, in line with the pulse of the city and Malmö's scenography," says Viveca Rosencrantz.

FOJAB's Marco Pusterla has designed Villa Enestigen in Veberöd, which has been recognized at the Architecture Gala.

"I accompanied Andreas and Vibeke on several house viewings over several years. They never found the house they wanted, but they became more and more aware of their requirements and expectations. They saw a dilapidated summer house in their dream location, a peaceful forest plot not far from Lund and Malmö. I drew up a sketch and after a slow, stress-free planning process with many wonderful discussions, this house was born."

A dark brick façade rests among the trees, allowing the forest atmosphere to dominate the site. Glazed volumes break the simple shape of the long axis and create three unique rooms in the house. There is a consistent choice of quality materials and solutions and a completely inorganic frame. The exterior brick walls are half a meter thick, and the roof is covered with small flat brick tiles. The basement walls as well as the floor are cast-in-place concrete. The ventilation system is integrated into the frame, harnessing solar energy through the building's large openings to the south and the thermal inertia of the materials.

The exterior of the house is virtually maintenance-free, and will age beautifully. Many details have been specially studied in a way that evokes the art of old buildings. Despite its location in the forest, the interior is bright. The softness of the windows brings the glass to life and daylight flows freely into the rooms. The interior lighting is there to enhance the architecture, not to be seen.

The layout is thoughtfully prepared to accompany the different phases of life. Longitudinal and transverse lines of sight and room heights between 2.26 m and 6.5 m add dynamism to the spatial experience.

FACTS:
Architect: Marco Pusterla, FOJAB arkitekter; Lighting: Viveca Rosencrantz FOJAB arkitekter.
Designer: Tomas Gustavsson, T.G. konstruktioner AB
Building contractor: MW Bygg, Södra Sandby.
Plastering contractor: Stuckaturfirman Hans Räthel AB
Developer: Private
Gross area of house: 286 m²
Year of construction: 2011-12

ABOUT THE ARCHITECT:
Marco Pusterla, born in 1975, educated in Milan (degree 2001) and Erasmus at LTH.
Active at FOJAB arkitekter since 2003.