Political will, more co-creation and more opportunities to transform dull, unused buildings and fill them with life and beauty. That's what FOJAB's Head of Sustainability Anders Eriksson Modin hopes to find under the tree this year. Here is his wish list: 

1. I want ambitious national target limits!

In Sweden, we are good at implementing major changes when there is a clear political will. When politicians in the 1960s set the ambitious target of building one million homes in ten years to tackle the housing shortage, business and society rallied behind the goal and made it happen. What if we had the same political drive to reduce our carbon footprint and comply with the Paris Agreement measures to reduce global warming?

The construction industry needs a concrete goal to work towards. Something that encourages, challenges and drives us to think in new ways and challenge conventions. We don't even need to reinvent the wheel, but can be inspired by our neighbors in Denmark, who have taken the lead when it comes to the construction industry's climate transition.

At the top of my wish list, therefore, are national target thresholds that will help us achieve a significant reduction in climate impact. We should look at the whole life cycle of the building and also include retrofit projects and landscape/landscaping.

2. I wish for more transformation projects!

Our cities are not static but constantly evolving. At the same time, needs change. Where there used to be industry, there may be offices today, and in the future there will probably be some other function - but the building may be the same.

There is nothing more satisfying than taking a poorly functioning, unattractive and empty building, filling it with life, activity and beauty, and adapting it to a new era with new demands and aspirations. If my wish is to come true, it will also require a cultural change in the industry, because for many years the norm has been to demolish in order to build new buildings with more square meters - out with the old and in with the new. The most sustainable house is already built, even if it struggles with low ceilings or insufficient shafts.

Do you have a vacant building that has seen its best days? Let's have lunch!

3. I wish for more knowledge sharing and co-creation!

It is perhaps the most worn expression of our time - that we need to cooperate and collaborate. "Together we reach further". I remember a panel debate in Almedalen a few years ago, where a panelist killed it with the comment "If you say collaboration one more time, I'm leaving the stage!". At the time, that comment was appropriate. At the same time, we can now see the results of a deep recession with fierce competition and tough market conditions that have made us more protectionist. I feel that the industry is holding on to knowledge and skills more tightly in the hope that this will give it a competitive edge in the hunt for new contracts.

Today, many architectural offices develop their own digital tools for climate calculation. In this case, it is an advantage to be large and able to bear the development costs. The consequence is that the smaller offices risk falling behind and that we do not reach as far in our joint efforts to reduce climate impact. Imagine if we instead shared the software and gave tips on smart ways to achieve the greatest possible climate benefit per invested krona.

FOJAB wants to go against the grain and show that another way is possible! We share our climate calculation tool "Leaf Cutter Ant" open source - free for everyone to use. The program is developed together with IVL, Warm in the Winter and Tyréns and is meant to be used in the early stages where you make the crucial decisions for geometry, frame selection and materials. This is our way of living up to the company's vision of creating architecture for a better world.

Read more about Leaf Cutter Ant here: Climate assessment in early stages

FOJAB, together with Kudu and NCC, has won a land allocation competition in Stångby outside Lund. The site will be used to build a characterful, small-scale neighborhood with its own courtyard and roof. According to the jury, this is a well thought-out and ambitious proposal with good quality architecture.

Stångby is one of the places in Lund municipality that will grow the most over the next 20 years. Around 3,000 new homes are planned. Today's single-family homes will be supplemented with apartment buildings, everyday services and trade, with the small town and garden city as a model.

Six teams were selected by Lund Municipality to participate in the land allocation for four blocks in western Stångby. The real estate developer Kudu Projekt AB, together with NCC and FOJAB, won the tender for the Högaffeln block. In its motivation, the jury highlighted, among other things, the high sustainability ambitions, both social and economic in addition to the environmental.

The block contains a combination of terraced houses and apartments with "terraced house qualities", totaling 31 new homes. Each ground floor apartment has its own terrace facing the courtyard, and at the top of the buildings the apartments have correspondingly generous roof terraces. In the center of the block there are common areas where residents can meet, socialize and grow in greenhouses and containers. Recessed entrances in the terraced houses provide space for greenery and interaction with the street. Brick, wood and crossed gable roofs hold the design together.

- "The dimensions of the homes are well studied and the floor plans are space-efficient," says architect Martin Montelin. The townhouse apartments can be supplemented with a loft that provides that extra space that may otherwise be lacking in modern apartments.

The proposal includes a number of measures to reduce the project's climate impact. These include the use of a mix of timber frame and climate-improved concrete, windows with recycled glass and facades with recycled bricks, as well as customized materials to reduce waste and transport. The ambition is also to create a home with reduced car use.

FOJAB is one of thirty players in Malmö's civil engineering sector to sign up to improve representation in the industry. The goal is a civil engineering industry that reflects all of Malmö - within a generation.

Who interprets and shapes our common living environments? Do Malmö's architects reflect the city's diversity? Not enough, the City of Malmö has found in an extensive survey.

After two years of preparatory work, some thirty actors in Malmö's urban planning industry have now come together to launch the Urban Academy platform and sign commitments to actively contribute to a more inclusive urban planning industry. Each member organization undertakes, among other things, to carry out specific actions and to measure and report on the progress towards improved representation within their own organization.

The model is taken from LFM30, Malmö's local industry initiative for a climate-neutral building and construction sector. The hope is that the initiative will grow like LFM30, especially among Malmö's community builders, but also to other cities.

FOJAB, through architect Haydar Alward, has been involved in the Urban Academy since its inception two years ago, including various pilot projects aimed at children and young people to open the door to the architectural profession.

- The journey to becoming an architect is not only about individual will, but is deeply connected to societal structures, education systems and networks. Let's work together to ensure that dreams are not only born but also realized," says Haydar Alward.

The Urban Academy was initially an initiative of the Malmö City Planning Office, but will from now on be a shared responsibility between the members, with a steering committee and various working groups.

The Urban Academy was initially an initiative of the Malmö City Planning Office, but will from now on be a shared responsibility between the members, with a steering committee and various working groups.

"For FOJAB, it is obvious to be involved in driving change," says Marketing Manager Magdalena Hedman, who also participated in the preparatory work on the platform:

- "FOJAB is the largest architectural firm in southern Sweden, which means both a responsibility and an opportunity to lead the way and hopefully inspire and challenge others to make a change," she says. "But above all, diversity and inclusion are important competitive factors for us as a company. We see that a variety of perspectives and inclusive leadership leads to innovation to a greater extent. It is therefore crucial if we are to continue to evolve and be relevant to new audiences and customers.

The Urban Academy is about ... 

... to use all of Malmö's expertise
... the built environment should reflect the needs of all groups in Malmö
... as an organization, harnessing the power of innovation by having multiple perspectives

In the fall of 2022, work began to find out which groups are underrepresented in Malmö's architectural profession, identify barriers and find ways to overcome them so that more people are given the chance to train, be employed and practice as architects.

Based on the lessons learned, it was concluded that the entire built environment sector needs to be involved to bring about change. A cross-sectoral platform is established to which actors from the entire built environment sector can join.

The goal is a built environment industry that reflects the diversity of Malmö within a generation. This will be achieved through regular measurements, joint actions, training and follow-up.

Susan Schack, formerly Head of Sweden and CEO of Arkitema Sweden, joins FOJAB. Her mission will be to support the management and develop the growing company.

FOJAB is one of Sweden's leading architectural firms with offices in Malmö, Stockholm, Helsingborg and since 2023 also in Gothenburg. Since the turn of the year, FOJAB has recruited almost 30 new employees and is now a total of just over 170 employees.

Now the management team is also being strengthened. On November 1, Susan Schack joined FOJAB. Susan comes most recently from Arkitema Sweden, where she has been active since the start in 2007. Her role there has been to build up the business in Sweden and develop strategy, organization and competencies. In recent years, she has been both Head of Sweden and CEO.

Susan's mission at FOJAB will be to develop the growing organization with the aim of strengthening the company's market position.

- "We are very pleased to welcome Susan to FOJAB and to benefit from her knowledge and experience. We are in the middle of a restructuring of our business areas where Susan's experience will be valuable, not least when it comes to developing processes and ensuring coordination between the offices, says FOJAB's CEO Daniel Nord.

- "I have had a good impression of FOJAB for a long time, it is a stable and well-managed company with sympathetic values," says Susan Schack. "Not least the inclusive culture attracts me. The fact that staff turnover is low is a sign that people are happy. And it is of course a good basis for creating good architecture, when the employees are safe with each other and where knowledge is utilized and allowed to grow.

Born and raised in Denmark, Susan Schack graduated in economics from Copenhagen Business School, with a master's degree from Bocconi University in Milan. She then studied architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture in Copenhagen.

Growing e-commerce and increased demands for sustainable consumption are two powerful trends that are radically reshaping the conditions for commerce. We delve deeper into the future of retail and how architects can contribute to the development of sustainable retail environments.

The city as the main arena where people meet, socialize, shop and enjoy themselves - it's hard to imagine anything else. But what happens to the city when we increasingly choose to shop for food, clothes, gadgets, furniture, art, etc.

If we want to continue to have visitor-friendly and lively city centers, knowledge of the conditions and needs of physical trade is crucial. This is the opinion of Fredrik Kjellgren, architect and interior designer at FOJAB, and Carl-Johan Viklund, architect and retail expert who collaborates with FOJAB.

- "There is often a desire for vibrant ground floors and shops on every corner, but not every location is suitable for retail," says Carl-Johan. Where does commerce need support and stimulation, and where should content be changed? How should premises be designed to be flexible over time? How can we work with all the senses to create attractive environments?

A destination for everyone
It was really only during the pandemic that online shopping became a real challenge for physical stores. Both malls and city shops are trying to find their new roles. City stores are moving towards a more niche offering, sometimes with a more exclusive content, more experiential shopping than convenience shopping.

At the same time, it is important that the city does not only become a place for a certain type of consumer, but also a place for ordinary people, says Fredrik.

- "Our mission as architects will become even more important in the coming years if we want to keep the city as a destination for all," he says. "We need to study the places in cities where positive things are happening today, and emulate them when we build new ones.

Concepts for reuse
Alongside the rise of global online shopping, there is a trend working in the opposite direction. Carl-Johan Viklund and Fredrik Kjellgren have conducted a study for Alecta on how shopping centers can be developed in the direction of more sustainable trade.

The study resulted in a concept called Loopen, a commercial platform that supports the growing reuse trade. Today, many of the players in the more circular economy are small and lack the resources of the larger chains. The Loop helps these smaller players to collaborate and reach out. By being located in a shopping center, they can reach more people, not just customers who already shop second hand.

But the Loop is more than just retail. In addition to shops selling recycled goods and clothes, the concept includes a low-waste restaurant, a co-working space, a cultural area with library services, courses and an art gallery. There is also a workshop for the public to repair, renovate and upcycle.

Joyful design
It was a challenge to set the design for such a wide-ranging concept and mixed target audience. The overall theme was reuse, but the identity of the project had to suit both the masses and the already initiated.

- When it came to expressing this in the design, we felt that it wasn't enough to make it sustainable and beautiful, but that it needed to be fun and enjoyable too. Sustainable design tends to be a bit too boring and serious. We wanted to do something that broke with that," says Carl-Johan.

The result is an expression that is accessible yet has a deeper dimension. The inspiration comes from the Italian Memphis group from the 1980s and their bold color combinations, sensuality and dialogue with history.

- Sustainable trade has become something desirable and we see that the Loopen concept is highly topical and relevant. A pioneer for the future of retail," says Fredrik. "It is here - in the physical trade - that we as architects can bring together people, experiences, identity, places and goods.

Mörrum's new school has been awarded Karlshamn municipality's urban design prize. According to the jury, the design is playful and well thought-out and promotes learning. The school was also 10 million cheaper than budgeted.

Mörrums skola is a primary school for grades F-6 with room for 630 pupils. The school is permeated by the children's perspective - from the design of the physical environment to influence, participation and follow-up feedback.

The architects at FOJAB have been involved from the initial idea stage to the finished building, interior and outdoor environment. Being involved early in the process is an important success factor, says Charlotte Kristensson, the architect in charge. She also emphasizes the close cooperation with officials, educators and the students themselves. The schoolyard, for example, is designed according to the children's wishes. Over the course of a whole semester, the pupils worked out their thoughts and ideas for the "Dream Schoolyard of the Future".

- Mörrum's school is the jewel in the crown, one of the finest school projects we have completed. It has been possible thanks to cooperation and participation from start to finish, smart sustainability solutions and a design that contributes to the children's learning, says Charlotte Kristensson at FOJAB.

To bring the large school building more in line with the children's scale, the large building volume has been broken down into smaller interconnected two-storey buildings. They are simple and clean in expression, like small red monopoly houses. The school environment is rich in experiences with a palette of different kinds of rooms in different sizes that meet different educational needs.

The square meters are used to the maximum. For example, there are no corridors, almost everything is a learning environment. The school also came in 10 million cheaper than the 230 million budgeted - and on schedule.

The jury's motivation reads:

"Through preserved trees, broken volumes, staggered gables and consistent use of the red color, the building shows that a large and modern building can be built in a small-scale environment with respect for both its surroundings and for the children who need a safe home.  

Based on Blekinge's building tradition, the new school in Mörrum has been given a playful and well-thought-out design both inside, in terms of volume and in the outdoor environments. Together, this creates an inspiring teaching environment that promotes the learning of today and future generations."

How do you succeed in building a school? Find out more about the recipe for success behind Mörrum school and FOJAB's concept for knowledge environments.

Read more about Mörrum school here.

Science Village in Lund is to become an international hotspot and a creative research center that can compete with similar places in the world. The architectural firm FOJAB was commissioned to take a holistic approach to the design. The planning program has now been sent for consultation.

Central Science Village is located between the two research facilities MAX IV and ESS in Brunnshög in northwest Lund. The 22-hectare area is being developed jointly by Lund University, Lund Municipality and Region Skåne through the company Science Village AB.

The ambition is to maximize the benefits of both facilities by creating a creative environment for knowledge exchange between research, industry and academia. The site should also feel inviting and inspiring for the public to visit and help make research accessible.

An integrated approach to urban development
The area is under development and FOJAB's mission has been to take a comprehensive urban design approach for future phases, based on how the site's core values can take shape in the built environment.

- "We are looking forward to building a place where innovation and research into new materials can flourish. Science Village will be an attractive campus environment with large parks and squares as well as elements of entertainment and culture, shops, cafes and restaurants side by side with world-leading education and research," says Christian Lindfors, CEO of Science Village Scandinavia AB.

A high density is proposed for the area, making good use of its unique location and the agricultural land it occupies. The architecture should signal that research at the cutting edge is being conducted here, but without it feeling cold and closed. Humanistic high tech are the words used by the responsible architect Karin Fagerberg at FOJAB.

Attractive rooms
Public spaces will play a major role in the identity of the area. Great emphasis is therefore placed on creating attractive places. The footprint of the building volumes has been reduced in favor of urban spaces with different qualities. In order to accommodate the same content, buildings are proposed to be taller in strategic locations. As a continuation of the line of tall buildings at the tram stops through Lund, a building with up to 35 floors is planned at the terminus, Lund ESS, in Science Village.

The height of the buildings is lower along a central pedestrian route and important recreational areas. This is also where a large part of the area's outward-looking functions are concentrated. The core value process has resulted in a number of principles for future stakeholders to follow, for example that the ground floors should contain "science lounges". What they will contain is open to interpretation, but the concept implies openness and sharing of activities in some form.

- This openness is not entirely self-evident in the research world, where research results may need to be kept secret. The buildings are therefore often closed and shielded from view, but in the Science Village, that closeness is lifted up a floor," says Karin Fagerberg.

Innovative sustainability solutions
The Science Village is based on sustainability from different perspectives, which is reflected in the design. Sustainable mobility is prioritized. The outdoor environments are designed to cope with a more extreme climate with increased rainfall and the need for shade. A prioritization has already been developed for how trees should be planted so that they provide the greatest benefit in terms of climate and well-being. Innovative area-wide system solutions contribute to energy efficiency, local energy production and circular use of resources. For example, residual heat from ESS and MAX IV will heat the buildings in the district heating network. The vast majority of the buildings will achieve at least Gold environmental class.

A workplace with a sense of home - HSB Södermanland has moved to new premises in Nyköping. FOJAB has assisted HSB all the way from detailed planning to interior design.

Where there used to be a parking lot in a former industrial area now stands a beautiful handmade brick building with a glulam frame, large mullioned windows and high ceilings. It is the new workplace for HSB Sörmland's approximately 60 employees. The building has a clear industrial character inspired by the history of the site, but also hints at studios and other creative spaces.

- HSB Sörmland's operations were previously divided into different buildings and different floors. Many people sat in their own rooms. An early ambition for the new office was therefore to be more social and promote collaboration, says Cage Copher, architect at FOJAB.

The new office building has a single floor that brings together all of HSB Sörmland's functions in one place - administration, sales and customer reception as well as mechanical workshop and carpentry. The office consists of different types of work environments suitable for different types of work tasks. The recurring theme for the interior design is "At home with HSB" and the environment in the office should reflect the feeling in HSB's own homes.

Rooms are cozy and varied, workspaces encourage movement and collaboration. The dining room and lounge are open and inviting, reflecting the living room feel of the home. The office layout leads to many spontaneous meetings between colleagues and in the center there is a courtyard for community and contemplation. The courtyard provides great views of greenery, which further enhances well-being.

The extra-high ceilinged entrance area is used to welcome customers and members, but it can also be used by staff, for hospitality and can be hired out for various events and meetings.

- FOJAB has been involved from the first idea to moving in, where the first sketch is very similar to the actual result. House and interior designers have worked seamlessly, which has enabled us to maintain the common thread all the way to the finish. A broadly represented group of employees from HSB has provided valuable input and we have refined the solutions together," says Märta Friman, interior architect at FOJAB.

The building will be certified according to Miljöbyggnad silver.

Block 8 on Nobelberget, which FOJAB designed for Atrium Ljungberg, has been voted the winner of the 2023 Urban Design Award in Nacka.

The Urban Design Award recognizes beautiful, exciting and interesting buildings and sites in Nacka. Kvarter 8 is located at the top of Nobelberget and has a prominent role in the emergence of a new district in Sickla with 500 homes and space for trade and offices.

The location on the mountain has inspired the design. Sunlight and views have been carefully studied to ensure that the qualities of the surroundings in the apartments and in the external environment are really taken advantage of. In its motivation, Nacka Municipality highlights how the common and private spaces interact in the street environment, the pattern effect in the slate tiles of the facades and the inviting entrances.

- "This year we have a clear winner that tastefully contributes to strengthening the architectural diversity of Nacka. The slate tiles on the facades have been installed in a way that creates variation and a facade language that enhances the surroundings," says Johan Krogh (C), Chairman of the Environment and Urban Planning Committee.

- Our everyday architecture is so important that we are surrounded by quality. And here we have very nice examples of quality everyday architecture. It is interesting with slate in different colors on the facades that create variation and care, says Nacka municipality's city architect Nina Åman.

- For a project to be really good, it always requires an ambitious client and a good dialog. In Nobelberget kv 8, we have worked with Atrium Ljungberg to develop concepts for design, floor plans and interior design. We also want to highlight the clear vision for the whole of Nobelberget that Atrium Ljungberg has developed. It was easy to like it and get on board. We are proud to have contributed with a part of the development around Nobelberget and happy that it turned out so well. It is also extra fun that it is appreciated by the people of Nacka, says Jens Larsson, responsible architect at FOJAB.

The prize was awarded at a ceremony in Nacka City Hall.

Before: a run-down workshop and laundry. Now: a modern office packed with charm. FOJAB has helped real estate company Hamiltone Fastigheter breathe new life into a run-down industrial building in Markaryd. 

Staff were in tears when CEO Elijah Hamilton presented his idea to transform the dilapidated shack into the company's new headquarters.

Architect Anders Lundin at FOJAB, however, was enthusiastic.

- We saw the potential straight away. This could be a fantastic space with a unique feel. It was also in line with how we want to work at FOJAB: to avoid demolition and instead use and develop existing structures and turn them to their advantage.

The starting point was an industrial property of 22,000 square meters at the entrance to Markaryd in Småland. A large paved area with a few different warehouse and workshop buildings previously used by the Swedish Road Administration.

- The building was awful, both inside and out. Dark and cramped," says Elijah Hamilton.

However, the ambition of the architect and property owner was to make as few interventions as possible and keep the workshop feeling.

The surface layers have been replaced, the roof and floor have been additionally insulated, and geothermal heating and solar cells have been installed. The large doors of the laundry room have been converted to glass panels and the existing windows have been cut down to full height.

The old laundry room has been transformed into a modern co-working environment with both open spaces and rooms where you can close yourself off. In the center of the building, in what used to be the workshop, there is a large social room with a wood-burning stove, a sofa group and a large table where everyone can sit. Like a living room, but in office clothes.

The building's history is clearly present. Many details remain, such as an old traverse in the ceiling, a large electrical cabinet, a desk and a typewriter. The office furnishings from the previous office have been retained, while the social areas, meeting rooms, entrance and other open spaces have been furnished with second-hand furniture.

- The decor is locally rooted with an earthy color and material palette inspired by the Småland forest nearby. The large dining table is made from an oak tree that grew not far from the site. Some of the furniture is locally produced from a furniture manufacturer with a factory in Markaryd, says Kristin Henriksson, architect at FOJAB who has been responsible for the interior design.

Hamiltone Fastigheter moved in in January and two more companies are renting space. But there is room for more, and curiosity about the redevelopment is high.

- We've created something that didn't exist before in this location or even in this neighborhood. It will take some time to build the brand around the building, but we hope to recoup the investment once the office is fully leased," says Elijah Hamilton.

What is the deal for those who want to transform rather than build new?

- The business idea is to take something old that nobody wants and turn it into something that many more people want and are willing to pay for. In this case, we had low entry values that made it possible to cover the costs. Of course, it's more work to transform an existing building than to demolish and build a new one, but in return you get an environment that is completely unique," says Hamilton:

- We have an office that is highly appreciated by our employees, but also by our visitors, customers and partners. These are values that need to be included in the calculation, even if you may not initially calculate them.

The demand for transforming buildings will only increase, says Hamilton. Energy consumption is a big issue for tenants. It is more difficult to rent out premises in the older stock that has not been updated with energy-efficient measures.

- "Property owners with energy-hungry buildings will either have to sell to someone who can convert them, or do it themselves," he says.

There are certainly property owners who can shrug off the extra work and costs of renovation and transformation, Elijah Hamilton believes, especially if they cannot immediately see the potential.

- "Property owners are generally not very visionary," he says. They manage rather than change. But I would really encourage other property owners to get help from someone who can!

- "There are probably a lot of properties that the owners don't think are worth anything, but which can become unique places that people are prepared to pay a lot for. As architects, we have a trained eye and a special competence to see the possibilities," says Anders Lundin at FOJAB.

How much can the amount of greenery in our cities increase? FOJAB's new Treeable tool is based on the 3-30-300 rule and identifies where new trees can be planted to achieve a higher canopy cover in the existing urban environment.

Trees and greenery make people feel good. Proximity to green spaces is strongly linked to reduced risk of, for example, cardiovascular disease, premature death and stress-related diseases. Greenery is also important for biodiversity, trees lower temperatures in cities, slow down rainfall and improve air quality.

Many cities are now looking at the amount of greenery and opportunities to increase the number of trees not only when planning new areas but also in existing city blocks. FOJAB has developed a methodology and a digital tool to identify land suitable for tree planting and to understand the factors that hinder and promote greening. The tool takes into account underground utility structures, current land use and protective distances to buildings, streets and utilities.

The Treeable tool is based on the 3-30-300 rule, a measure of greenness used in planning healthy cities. It means that everyone should be able to see at least 3 trees from every home, school and workplace, every neighborhood should have at least 30% canopy cover and there should be a maximum of 300 meters to a green space from every home.

Treeable has been tested in a study of three neighborhoods in Malmö. The study shows that there are plenty of areas in central cities such as street parking lots, lawns and rest areas that can be planted with trees with simple means. FOJAB presents proposals for measures that increase the degree of greenery and where the trees should be placed to achieve the greatest benefits. Solutions such as completely rebuilding streets and removing all ground parking were also analyzed, to see what this could mean for tree cover potential.

- There are a lot of interests in the dense city and trees often get squeezed. The study conducted in Malmö both showed the possibilities to change the way we work and identified the areas that are actually available for tree planting," says Patrick Bellan, tree specialist at the Property and Street Office in Malmö.

FOJAB also compared Malmö's tree planting regulations with Amsterdam, Berlin and New York, three dense cities that are significantly greener than Malmö. All three have smaller setbacks from utilities, buildings and streets than Malmö, showing that there are good opportunities for the city of Malmö - and likely other Swedish cities - to increase greenery.

The Malmö study also shows how important it is to consider greenery early on when planning new neighborhoods.

- "Our analysis shows that it is relatively easy to increase canopy cover in existing central neighborhoods. However, in the planning of new urban areas, we need to ensure that trees are prioritized much higher and earlier in the process - well before cars and parking lots," says Malin Ingemarsdotter, landscape architect at FOJAB.

Want to know more about Treeable? Get in touch:

 Magdalena Hedman
e-mail: magdalena.hedman@fojab.se
tel: +46 708 47 05 50

Malin Ingemarsdotter
e-mail: malin.ingemarsdotter@fojab.se
tel: +46 733 23 26 25

The Hyllieäng Mobility House is one of five finalists for the Malmö Stadsbyggnadspris 2024. With its façade made of waste materials and recycled materials from the local area, FOJAB explores what an aesthetic for our time can mean.

FOJAB's and client Parkering Malmö's joint ambition with the Hyllieäng mobility building is to explore and challenge the limits of reuse. The material for the facade is mainly sourced from outside the construction industry and at the same time super local, i.e. within Malmö.

- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for a new aesthetic for our times, combining style with sustainability. With Hyllieäng, we explore what such an aesthetic could mean. Instead of the design principle form follows function we have tried a new approach, namely form follows avaliability. It is of course very nice that the City of Malmö recognizes and appreciates it with this fine nomination, says Petra Jenning, responsible architect for Hyllieäng and development manager at FOJAB.

The 2,400-square-meter facade consists of panels made of glass formerly used at the Orkanen Teachers' College and stainless steel sheets with laser-cut patterns that are scrap waste from the local manufacturing industry. The undulating exterior walls at ground level are clad with a mountain panel of recycled sheet metal, which is waste material from the production of plate heat exchangers. The façade is also designed to be dismantled and the material reused even more.

The Urban Design Award is given to architecture and urban design projects that are sustainable, inclusive and beautiful living environments. The winner will be announced in September.

Like a shimmering green jewel, Olivin will shine as one of Stockholm's most attractive office buildings. The final decisions have now been made on the design of the pleated facade. FOJAB has designed the office building on the so-called triangle plot on Kungsholmen for Skanska after parallel assignments.

Ground has been broken in the Lindhagenskvarteren district in northwestern Kungsholmen, one of the last major developments in Stockholm's inner city. The area will be linked to the urban structure of eastern Kungsholmen, bringing previously separate islands of development closer together.

This is where the new Olivin office building plays an important role. When the triangular plot with Essingeleden on one side, Lindhagensgatan on the other and residential buildings on the third side is now developed, a missing piece of the puzzle is finally put in place.

- The streetscape has been broken with a gap on Lindhagensgatan that Olivin is healing. The street will have more of an esplanade character with living facades on both sides - as Albert Lindhagen originally intended in the city plan from the 1870s," says responsible architect Ylva Åborg at FOJAB.

Olivin will be a proud brand building that acts as a unifying node for the area. A clear destination with content that attracts both workers and visitors and creates new flows in the city. Olivin is a building for work, socializing and recreation with workplaces, social areas, sauna and roof terraces. The entrance floor invites people along Lindhagensgatan with public spaces on the ground floor. The offices start one level up but trickle down to the ground floor with shared spaces and activities that create an active building and a safer street space.

- The building's design language is linked both to the historic city plan and to the triangular shape of the site. The design is stripped down and stringent but with modern and playful elements - a kind of modern Art Nouveau that brings nature into the design and connects to the time when Lindhagensgatan was built, says Ylva Åborg.

Inspiration is drawn from the green stone olivine and its angular, slightly sharp shape. The prism as a geometric figure recurs in all scales, in folds and reliefs on the facade and in the division of the 23,000 square meter volume into several smaller units. The building is higher towards Essingeleden, while it is stepped down towards the small-scale buildings to the southeast. The corners are cut to create a more inviting form that relates better to Stockholm's classic building order.

- And even if the scale is broken down, the building should be perceived as a monolith and the different parts as a whole," says Ylva Åborg.

Skanska's ambition is LEED Platinum environmental certification. Parts of the frame will be built in wood. The building will be ready for occupation in 2026.

Swedish architects FOJAB will help the City of Reykjavik set a new standard for sustainable urban development in Iceland. Work is now underway to design the Keldur district.

FOJAB and Ramböll won an open international competition last year with the proposal Crafting Keldur - Where Art, Science & Recreation Unite. The competition brief was to develop a structural plan and development strategy for the Keldur district in eastern Reykjavik, characterized by an attractive urban structure, sustainable urban development and climate neutrality in harmony with the nature and landscape of the site.

Now the next step is taken. FOJAB has been awarded the entire planning assignment. In a first stage, the competition proposal will be deepened and refined in a development plan and guidelines for the design will be developed in a design manual. Several studies will be carried out to ensure that the ambitious climate goals are achieved.

Iceland aims to be climate neutral by 2040. This requires, among other things, a change in transportation, as many people are currently dependent on cars. The new Keldur district will lead the way for a sustainable lifestyle. Within a few years, the area will be served by a new bus rapid transit system, Borgarlína, which will connect Keldur to the city center and other key locations in the metropolitan area.

The competition proposal is based on a dense and flexible urban structure with proximity to nature, the university and the city. The proposal also included strategies to create a social mix in the district. The buildings have a human scale - three to five storeys - but are dense and cohesive enough to create a vibrant and dynamic city.

- Schools and services should be within walking or cycling distance in Keldur. It is best to take the bus to work. Making sustainable everyday choices should be easy, enjoyable and obvious. FOJAB has a great deal of expertise in sustainable urban development, both in terms of mobility and creating attractive environments, which we look forward to sharing with Reykjavik," says architect Magdalena Hedman at FOJAB.

How can sports halls be made more inclusive and multifunctional so that more people are attracted to exercise? Architects at FOJAB will investigate this together with the City of Malmö, researchers, users and cultural practitioners. The research project Movement Poetry is funded by Formas.

Physical activity is essential for good and equitable health. At the same time, we are generally less active and the gap between those who are physically active and those who are not is growing. Buildings and spaces for sport can be found in many parts of our cities and communities and should be important and attractive places for everyone. But far from everyone uses them. The problem is largely about a lack of well-functioning spaces, rather than a lack of spaces.

Movement Poetry is a collaboration between architects at FOJAB, researchers in sports science, diversity issues and place development at Malmö and Lund University, and the leisure administration at the City of Malmö. The project has been granted funding from Formas within the call Gestaltad livsmiljö för hälsa och välbefinnande.

Together with artists, cultural practitioners and not least those who use - or do not use - the places today, they will explore how an innovative and sensory design can add new values to traditionally designed sports environments and open up for a broader and more inclusive use.

- There is a great need for sporting environments and we want to maintain the sporting function. But we also see a need to problematize the design of sports environments, which are often designed based on certain norms and expectations. By adding more values, more people can be attracted to movement," says Emma Pihl, project manager for Rörelsepoesi and architect at FOJAB.

The project will create and disseminate knowledge about new ways to design sports environments so that they can contribute to increased physical activity for everyone, not least for groups that do not move much today.

- The proportion of children and young people who are active in sports should increase and sporting activities are also largely unevenly distributed, in terms of both socio-economics and gender. By taking new steps in the development of our sports areas, we are trying to achieve a more equal and accessible range of leisure activities," says Thomas Sterner, Head of Department at the City of Malmö's Leisure Services.

Many halls around the country are facing renovation and one goal of the Movement Poetry project is also to show how, through the transformation and refinement of what already exists in a sustainable way, environments can be created that open up for more uses, functions and users, rather than building new ones.

The benefits are not just about improved physical health.

- By making sports environments more attractive to more people, we can ultimately also reduce loneliness, increase social contacts, increase safety and create more vibrant and attractive cities," says Emma Pihl at FOJAB.

What is a sustainable office? Is it reasonable from a climate perspective to have your own office space while sitting at home half the time? How can design help increase creativity and efficiency? We had a chat with Anders Eriksson Modin, sustainability manager and architect at FOJAB, about the office of the future.

Spotify is leaving several of its premises in central Stockholm, Fastighetsvärlden reported in March. The reason is partly a financial saving, and partly that the company is generous with teleworking for its employees after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The question of the future of the office has become highly topical after the pandemic. Expecting employers to provide office space for employees who work from home for part of the week is not only bad economics, but also questionable from a climate perspective. Duplicate workplaces take up space, which means a bigger carbon footprint.

How is the office really doing? Are we seeing the death of the office?

- There was a perception during the pandemic that the office would lose its meaning. But I don't think the office is dead. On the contrary, it has never been so important. But it is based on being able to create attractive environments that touch people," says Anders Eriksson Modin, architect responsible for the office business area at FOJAB and head of sustainability.

Designing for creativity
- "The lesson after COVID-19 is that interpersonal encounters are very important for creativity," he continues. "Of course we can work effectively at home, as we showed during the pandemic, but quality suffered. Those spontaneous two-minute conversations are needed to build quality of work and workplace culture.

Forcing employees back to the office is not a good solution, says Anders. "This is an important task for architects: to create offices that people want to be in, where ideas can be exchanged and relationships and trust can be built.

FOJAB's own office in Malmö, Trikåfabriken, where it moved in March 2022, is designed to maximize creativity and social interaction. The entrances, cafeteria and coffee machine are positioned to encourage people to run into each other, chat for a while, and discuss important and unimportant matters. There are sofa groups to have a coffee or work from. Enough space for a Christmas party and after work. The fixed workplaces have been replaced by flexible ones to support an activity-based approach. There are also several separate rooms for meetings and focused work.

- You can get a huge leverage effect and increase the efficiency of the organization by designing the space in the right way," says Anders.

Building on the existing
The sustainable office of the future also means making more use of the existing. The old solution of demolishing and building new is no longer viable.

- We will certainly build new offices in the future, but not to the same extent. We need to develop attractive premises in the existing stock. This can be a challenge, because a large part of today's buildings are actually not very attractive," says Anders, pointing to, for example, low ceilings, poor technical standards, boring material choices and poor locations.

Here the solution is transformation, finding a new content that fits the building.

- Housing works better with low ceilings. Or maybe a hotel, or a logistics center. If you remove a floor, you have very high rooms that can become a library or a concert hall. It's about looking beyond the challenges and embracing the opportunities.

A long-term idea
Those who renovate rather than demolish to reduce their carbon footprint often face a dilemma.

- As soon as you renovate something, the new construction requirements apply. "We shouldn't question the fire regulations, of course, but should we really have to tear out an entire office interior from the 1960s because the doorways are a few centimeters too narrow," says Anders.

He would like to see some kind of reasonableness clause in the Boverket's rules for renovations.

- 'Just because you meet all the requirements doesn't automatically make it a good building,' Anders points out. "We sometimes use the word checkbox architecture. It's our responsibility as architects to make sure that we don't just check off the requirements but also have an idea of what the building is for, what the benefits are for the people who have been shown there and how the building can live for a long time. Then it becomes truly sustainable.

Not a student corridor and not private apartments, but something in between. The Villa at Helsingkrona nation in Lund is now being inaugurated with 65 new student apartments, according to a concept developed jointly by FOJAB and the nation.

Helsingkrona already has traditional corridor rooms with shared kitchens in the "Huset" from 1958 and proper student apartments in the newer "Tornet", designed by FOJAB and completed in 2015. Recently, however, there has been a growing desire for a different type of accommodation. After the pandemic, there was also a pent-up need for social interaction.

- Collective housing was what most people wanted. Therefore, together with FOJAB, we wanted to develop an environmentally and economically sustainable accommodation, which could serve as a complement to our immensely popular corridor rooms, says Sigge Meurling, curator at Helsingkrona nation.

New concept
This led to the new concept home 'Friends for Life'. The form of housing is most similar to large apartments with a modern mix of private and shared spaces. The typology is new in Lund and the only built example in Sweden is in Vallastaden in Linköping.

The villa at Helsingkrona Nation is an eight-storey building with a ten-room apartment on each floor. On the top floor there is a smaller version of the large apartment with five rooms. Each student has their own bedroom, toilet and shower, but shares the kitchen, dining area and living room. The generous common areas with spectacular ceiling heights are integrated into the layout in a completely different way to the traditional student corridor. There are balconies with growing spaces and a communal rooftop terrace with views for miles. On the ground floor, a restaurant serves as a soft interface between the students and the rest of the city.

Reduced use of materials
The design of the Villa encourages meetings and interaction. But just as important as social sustainability is economic and ecological sustainability.

- The large apartments are extremely compact and weighted in favor of the common areas. In this way, we can minimize the building's footprint and material consumption and thus construction costs and rent. We believe that students today prefer to pay for high-quality, efficient space with smart solutions and solid materials that last over time," says architect Mats Norrlid of FOJAB.

Cool features
The Villa has several clever features such as site-built furniture, recessed lighting and smart storage to minimize wear and tear when moving in and out, requiring less new purchases for new students.

- We have always felt that FOJAB has been good at realizing the special conditions and requirements of student housing. This applies to everything from the choice of materials to unique solutions that cannot be found in ordinary residential buildings. The architects absorbed our experience and had many ideas themselves, as they had worked with student housing before," says Philip Ohlin, construction foreman at Helsingkrona nation.

From idea to final inspection
FOJAB acted as general consultant and responsible architect for Helsingkrona nation throughout the project and was responsible for keeping the consultant group together, from the detailed plan to the procurement of the construction contractor. Then as a design responsible architect all the way to the final inspection.

- "We would never have gotten this far with the project if we hadn't been able to combine a fantastic collaboration with Helsingkrona with the confidence to keep the project together from start to finish," says architect and general consultant Mattias Hedberg Ek at FOJAB.

Upgraded technology
The construction of the Villa was accompanied by an extensive overhaul of the existing 1950s house designed by Sten Samuelsson. Technical installations were replaced and the two buildings were technically integrated to meet modern operational and energy requirements. In this way, Helsingkrona Nation can further reduce its climate footprint.

Facts and figures
Area: Approximately 2500 m² BTA
Number of residents: 59-65 students
Helsingkrona's Head of Mission: Peter Runnerström
Responsible architect and general consultant: Mattias Hedberg Ek, FOJAB
Assistant responsible architect: Mats Norrlid, FOJAB
General contractor: Thages

An extraordinary terraced house. FOJAB won the contract to design seven exclusive homes for CA Fastigheter next to a newly constructed canal in Lomma.
- We have made a modern and optimized interpretation of the old large villa, says Mikael Pettersson, responsible architect at FOJAB..

Sales have started for Trident Row - six townhouses and one detached house being built on the edge of Lomma harbor. It is a place rich in contrasts between buildings and nature, land and water, new and old. The houses have been designed to maximize the qualities of the site, firmly rooted in Lomma's history.

- FOJAB's proposals in the parallel assignments really floored us! The project is extremely well designed and well thought out based on the site's conditions. I dare say that these seven homes are unprecedented in all of Skåne," says Remus Cismas, regional manager for CA Fastigheter in Skåne.

The perception of space has guided the design. The dwellings are not perceived as terraced houses, but as independent houses with light from all directions, long lines of sight to the surroundings and free passage from the street to the garden and down to the private boat dock by the canal that connects to the Höje river.

- "We have worked on the placement of the volumes and facade openings so that you can move in and around the house and get the feeling of spaciousness and privacy of a villa. And the best possible light conditions from morning to evening, both indoors and outdoors," says architect Mikael Pettersson.

The choice of materials and detailing draws inspiration from the older history of the site and Lomma as a brick-making town, rather than from the newer buildings in the nearby harbor. The beautifully crafted brick facades in various shades of yellow relate to the street houses in the center. The mullioned windows are reminiscent of old factory buildings.

- Trident Row is exclusive in scale and volume management, but at the same time low-key and genuine with a connection to the old. It will be a worthy representative of the municipality," says Mikael Pettersson.

Construction is expected to start towards the end of the year, and it is expected to take around 18 months to complete the villas and the associated canal.

From March 1, Anders Eriksson Modin is Head of Sustainability at FOJAB. Petra Jenning, former innovation manager with a strong focus on digitalization, takes over the role of development manager.  

- When we look to the future, there are two trends that we know for sure will affect us greatly. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important, not least through new regulations. And digitalization, where the rapid development of AI is something we all have to relate to. FOJAB has a strong position in both sustainability and digitalization, but we do not settle for that - with these appointments we can become even more aggressive, says CEO Daniel Nord.

Anders Eriksson Modin is an architect and has worked at FOJAB since 2007. He has lived with sustainability issues in various projects, collaborations and networks for a long time. He is well aware of the customers' challenges and works innovatively to move the entire industry forward. Among other things, Anders leads the working group on sustainable materials within LFM30 (Local Roadmap Malmö 2030) and sits on the board of Solar Region Skåne. He has worked extensively on the question of how mobility can become part of sustainable development, and how architecture can serve as an effective tool in the climate transition.

- There is currently a strong focus on ecological sustainability based on climate footprint and biodiversity. We notice it everywhere in the debate, political directives, new rules and laws and how it affects the entire construction industry. This is good and important, but we must not forget about social sustainability, because without that aspect the result will not be good. It is not easy to measure soft values such as identity, inclusion, community and gender equality, but we know how important it is to create long-term sustainable places. And of course we need to take economic sustainability into account, because without that aspect the projects will not happen," says Anders Eriksson Modin.

At FOJAB, sustainability is closely linked to the development and innovation work, where digitalization is a common thread. The changes that are now being made are also part of strengthening the work to create synergies between architecture, sustainability and innovation - an ambition that can be found in the new business plan.

The new Development Manager Petra Jenning is an architect and has worked at FOJAB since 2012. In recent years, she has had the role of innovation leader with a strong focus on digital development. Petra is frequently engaged in expert panels and discussions, not least on AI. Petra also sits on the advisory board of Svensk Byggplåt and is the leader of the theme area "Innovations and new applications" within Smart Built Environment.

- I see great opportunities for architecture with the digital development, but also challenges that we need to keep up with. Here, FOJAB will be involved in influencing where we are heading," says Petra Jenning. "We also have a strong commitment to research and development projects that we want to strengthen further. To meet the challenges of our time and create the sustainable and inclusive societies of the future, we need to build deep expertise, but also create new collaborations between different actors and professions.

Pontus Tebäck of FOJAB wins the 2023 Lund Urban Design Award for an apartment building in central Lund. The five-story building is a modern interpretation of classic ideals that fills a gap in the city in an exemplary way, according to the jury. This is the ninth time the prize has been awarded to a FOJAB building.

The award-winning house is located in the middle of the cultural-historical quarter with the Museum of Culture area across the street. Since the 1950s, the site has been undeveloped and used as a parking lot.

The new house is in keeping with its surroundings - an Art Nouveau house from the turn of the century on one side and a two-storey house from the 1860s on the other - but has its own unique character. The façade is in light smooth plaster with elements of granite, sandstone and copper, and oak in the entrance areas. Facing the street are balconies with tight wrought iron railings.

The jury writes in its justification:

"Lund city center has been enriched with another beautiful building when a former vacant lot on Stora Algatan was filled with new and useful content.

The new residential building, with its fine design, elaborate details and beautiful choice of materials, has been integrated into a neighborhood with very high cultural values and the building has naturally landed on the site.  

The street façade's harmonious proportions and adapted scale meet the different volumes of the adjacent buildings in a fine way. Classical ideals have been interpreted in a modern way with consistently high architectural quality, from plinth to ridge.

In a very limited space, new centrally located housing has been created and a wound in the urban fabric has been healed. The building is an example of how a gap in the city can be transformed and filled with life."

Pontus Tebäck received the award at the City Council meeting on February 29.

- It is a great privilege to contribute a new warehouse to a city fabric that dates back thousands of years. The building is the result of several years of teamwork in which a large number of people have contributed: a large number of fantastic colleagues at FOJAB, an unusually committed group of developers open to unorthodox solutions and an urban planning office that had the best interests of our common urban environment in mind at every stage," says Pontus Tebäck.

This is the ninth time the Lund Urban Design Prize has been awarded to a FOJAB-designed building.

- The house on Stora Algatan is an elegant example of a sensitive yet idiosyncratic approach to classical ideals. We are delighted that Lund Municipality is highlighting it and we are so proud of the award! Lund is a city that is close to our hearts because it was here that FOJAB started 52 years ago, and that makes the award feel extra special," says FOJAB's CEO Daniel Nord.

Facts and figures
Project: Kv Sankt Mikael 16, Lund
Architect in charge: Pontus Tebäck, FOJAB
Client: RO Properties and Hexiron
Size: About 3000 m²
Completed: 2021

Lund urban development award
The purpose of the prize is to reward architects or other building operators who have made a meritorious contribution to the development of the cityscape in Lund municipality. Particular consideration shall be given to architectural efforts that combine the development of the cityscape, beauty values, a well-designed living environment and good function.

FOJAB's proposal will form the basis for the development of Berga trädgårdsstad, a new district in Eslöv. Three architectural offices were invited to develop proposals for the first phase of Östra Eslöv in parallel.

Based on Eslöv's identity, the task was to develop a structure for the new district in the form of a garden city with a focus on sustainability. The total area is 37 hectares and the current phase covers 45,000 square meters.

The garden city developed in the UK in the early 20th century as a response to overcrowding and ill health. The idea was to combine the best of urban and rural life in a planned and welcoming area. Among the most famous examples in Sweden are Gamla Enskede in Stockholm and Änggården in Gothenburg.

The winning proposal for Berga Garden City is characterized by sustainability, social community and good architecture. Åsa Samuelsson, architect at FOJAB, describes the key ideas:

- Our proposal is based on the small-scale urban nature of the garden city with a variety of green spaces and meeting places. Here it is easy to live a sustainable everyday life with generous cultivation opportunities, convenient bicycle paths and proximity to everyday functions such as preschool, recreation and services. We want to build on the local commercial functions and create a small district center that will be a new clear entrance to Berga garden city.

FOJAB's proposal will form the basis for the continued development of the structure plan for Berga Garden City. Among other things, the structure plan will provide a picture of how the entire area should be developed and form the basis for future detailed plans in the area.

Elegant and tasteful. Locally rooted with an international touch. Timeless, authentic and personal. Lisa Mannheimer, interior designer at FOJAB, describes the vision for Daniel Berlin's restaurant Vyn.

After an architectural competition, FOJAB was chosen to develop a design concept for a restaurant with an associated hotel and food bar on a converted farm in Österlen for restaurateur Daniel Berlin. FOJAB was then commissioned to continue working on the interior design by interior designer Lisa Mannheimer in close collaboration with Daniel Berlin.

- "Daniel's vision is to create a place for a complete experience, where of course the restaurant, food and service are in focus, but where the interior becomes an important part of the overall experience," says Lisa Mannheimer.

The hotel has 15 rooms, including two suites. The restaurant can seat 30 guests. There is also a food bar and a separate dining room for private parties. The material palette consists of beautiful, robust natural materials such as oak, limestone, linen and wool, chosen to match the location and the character of the buildings. The interior should last a long time, both aesthetically and functionally; sustainability is a given.

The walls are plastered white, the floor of wide oak planks gives an exclusive, friendly feeling. The wooden floor is also positive from an acoustic point of view, as it dampens sound in a natural way. In the ceiling of the former barn, which is now the restaurant's lounge, you can see the old shingle roof, which has been replaced in places with new shingles.

The interior feels warm, comfortable and personal. Art plays a prominent role, with the works of artist Ellen Ekh appearing in several of the rooms. Craftsmanship is a common thread throughout Vyn, where the food craftsmanship in the kitchen is reflected in the carpentry and details of the interior. The furniture for the restaurant is specially designed for Vyn by designer Anton Björsing, and manufactured in the Gärsnäs furniture factory a stone's throw from Vyn.

The new Studenternas, which opened in 2021, has quickly become a popular meeting place for Uppsala residents. Now the FOJAB-designed football stadium has been awarded the Sports Arena of the Year 2023 prize.

The arena is part of the development of Södra Åstråket along Fyrisån in central Uppsala. FOJAB has assisted the municipal company Sportfastigheter in the work of creating a more popular and safer arena area while giving the arena access to more services - an active and attractive meeting place that never closes.

In addition to the football stadium, FOJAB has designed new parts of the bandy stadium and two new squares. There is also a café and restaurant, gym, shops, health care, conference activities and office space. The greenery and parkway have been reinforced and the spaces between the buildings have been designed for various activities.

Studenternas has room for up to 10,500 spectators at all-Swedish matches. The arena space with its glulam stands is dense and enveloping, so that the audience feels close to the pitch and gets a strong football experience.

FOJAB has extensive experience in designing sports halls for school and leisure sports as well as large-scale sports arenas with high complexity of audience flows, food logistics, security and technology. An example of the latter is Malmö FF's home arena Eleda stadium.

- Halls, arenas and outdoor environments for physical activity are important hubs in the city with great potential to contribute to city life both in everyday life and at events. "We are so pleased with the award and that the people of Uppsala appreciate their home arena. Then we have succeeded," says Daniel Nord, CEO of FOJAB.

The Sports Arena of the Year prize is awarded by Sport & Affärer. The jury's motivation for the 2023 award winner reads:

"The interest in Sirius football is greater than ever, which is largely attributed to the new arena, Nya Studenternas. The arena, which was completed during the 2020 pandemic and inaugurated the following year, has quickly become an important meeting place for Uppsala residents. The average attendance was once again beaten last season, reaching over 6,000 spectators per match with increasing ticket revenues for the club. The fact that the stands are built in glulam instead of concrete is sustainable both economically and environmentally, while creating a welcoming atmosphere for the audience."

So a dark and dry sports hall could become more lively. And two dead street corners could be transformed into a hassle corner and a chill corner. In FOJAB's office, a group of high school students are presenting their proposals to Malmö's city architect Finn Williams and municipal councillor Stefana Hoti on how to improve their local environment.

When FOJAB moved its headquarters in Malmö to the Möllevången district two years ago, it was important for the architectural firm to also become an active part of the area.

- "There's a lot to like about Möllan, but there's another side too, with social challenges and segregation that we didn't want to ignore," says Haydar Alward, an architect at FOJAB, who together with his colleague Kristina Kember considered how FOJAB could be a positive force in Möllevången.

Open the door to architecture
They ended up with the collaboration project FOJAB + Möllevångsskolan = true. It's about getting young people to discover what can be achieved in a city with the help of architecture and making it easier for children to have an impact. And about opening the door to the architectural profession.

- Not all children in Malmö have the same opportunities to realize their dreams. If you are not privileged enough to have contacts, your dreams can feel very distant. Not everyone needs to become an architect, but everyone should feel that it is possible," says Haydar Alward, who has worked on these issues in several schools and neighborhoods in Malmö, both privately and on behalf of Malmö's city planning office.

Right to be listened to
Kristina Kember is an architect and architectural educator with a particular interest in how to give children a better voice in urban planning processes.

- 'Children have a legal right to be listened to in matters that concern them, including the physical environments in which they live,' she says. But for this to happen in practice, children need to be invited and given tools to help create their living environments.

The children's perspective needs to be included all the way from planning to implementation of projects, Kristina points out:

- Those involved in designing a place want to use and care for it, creating a sense of pride and identity. Children have a lot of clever, creative ideas that adults can't think of, so places are also more unique and work for more people.

Seeing the environment in a new way
Elisabet Niskakari, a librarian at Möllevångskolan, jumped at the chance to collaborate. The idea coincides with the school's compensatory mission and her educational mission as a librarian to increase student motivation. On six occasions, ten pupils from year 9 have met the two FOJAB architects to, as Elisabet Nisikari puts it, activate their eyes.

- We talked about which places we like in Malmö and why, formed high, low, different sized rooms in the courtyard, talked about materials and their different properties," says Haydar.

It didn't take long for young people to start looking at their surroundings in a new way.

- "I had never thought that you can change society through architecture," says Bianca Keza Memari, one of the students. "That you can use color to draw people's attention to a certain place, so that more people see it, and thus make it safer.

In pairs, pupils were asked to choose their own places to look at. They thought about what is good and bad about the place, what works and what doesn't, who uses it, how it feels to be there - and how to make the place better. They have received guidance in sketching their ideas and finding reference images. With the help of FOJAB's model builder Magnus Nilsson, they built models that they then developed in different ways.

Feedback from decision-makers
Throughout the project dialogue has been very important, and that students would have the opportunity to get feedback from and discuss further with those who make the decisions.

The project therefore ends with the pupils presenting their proposals to Malmö's city architect Finn Williams and city planning councillor Stefana Hoti: How the entrances along the street closest to the school can feel safer and become less of a haven for criminal activity. How two boring corners that today are not directly used by anyone can become nice places for the middle school students to hang out, something that is currently missing in the schoolyard. How to use architectural means to make pupils more motivated for sports lessons. In the last proposal, the students wanted to give the music room more of a music studio feel.

QR codes invite the audience to look around the models. The city architect and the municipal councillor for urban development are impressed:

- You convey an important insight: that a place works differently for children of different ages. We architects need to get better at thinking about this and not just say "the child perspective is handled, check it out".

- Here, some would say that surveillance cameras are the solution to insecurity. But you present completely different measures based on what you see people using the place. That's why it's so important that we get your perspective!

- I like the way you talk about "the little extra". As an architect, you often end up having to justify why something should be extra. You convey very well what the details do for the feeling of a place.

Tools to influence
Finn Williams and Stefana Hoti agree that the city needs to get better at capturing children's perspectives. Many children - or adults for that matter - do not know that they have the opportunity to influence. This is where the work done by FOJAB is important, according to Stefana Hoti, by giving students at Möllevångskolan the tools to raise and conduct a dialog on these types of issues.

She promises to try to connect the students at Möllevångskolan with those who have the mandate and opportunity to implement the ideas she has just been presented with. Because it is rarely a single actor, the children are told. It can be private property owners, city properties, the property and street office, the cultural administration ...

- Even if not all of your ideas can be implemented here and now, they may become reality when we build other schools," says Stefana Hoti.

The students are struggling, but not impossible:

- "I think I speak for all of us when I say that the important thing is not that this is done in our school," says Angelina Vargas. "But the best thing you can do for us is to visa that our opinions are important, not just say it.

Everything to gain
Involving children in urban planning has many benefits, says Kristina Kember. 'It gives you confidence to feel that your opinion is important and children become more aware of their rights as citizens.'

- But the built result will also be better. The city will have more site-specific places to meet and move around, it will be more playful, green, safe and cared for. We have everything to gain!

Interest in building new buildings in the 'old style' is growing among politicians and decision-makers. Perhaps it is time to broaden the perspective and see what can be done to actually preserve the older buildings that already exist? In Helsingborg, the Mariatorget housing association is working with FOJAB to restore an entire block dating back to the late 18th century.

The block, which faces one of Helsingborg's central pedestrian streets, shows traces of five of the city's history: The city structure dates back to the Middle Ages. A half-timbered barn from the late 18th century represents the old craftsman's town. There are plastered two-storey houses from the early 19th century. Industrialization is manifested by several grand turn-of-the-century brick houses, and the 1980s by postmodern residential buildings.

- Older buildings are an important part of our collective memory. It gives us a link back in time and a strong sense of place. In a city like Helsingborg, where many older houses were demolished from the 1960s onwards, it is particularly important to preserve what actually remains," says Karl Johan Kember, an architect at FOJAB, responsible for the area of building conservation and an expert on cultural-historical buildings.

An economic benefit
A project of this kind requires careful preparation and extensive expertise in the building techniques of the different eras. On the other hand, the benefits of renovation are significant, both in terms of cultural history and sustainability, challenging the common notion that building new is the most profitable option. The older building materials are chosen to last a long time. There are windows that have been in place for 120 years - compared to today's plastic windows, which have an estimated lifespan of around 40 years.

From an investment point of view, it is also good business to restore period buildings - older properties that have retained their character command high prices. Maintaining the period character of the buildings and the vibrant, colorful urban space they provide in the form of shops, cafes and restaurants on the street level also makes the city more attractive to residents and visitors alike.

Close cooperation
The restoration of Brf Mariatorget will begin in the spring. The project has been preceded by a close collaboration between the property owner, HSB, the city architect and the city antiquarian in the city of Helsingborg and FOJAB.

- This collaboration has ensured that the project has been well established in the city from the outset, and there is great interest among those who live and work in the buildings. The opportunity to work with an entire neighborhood - and in this case one of the city's most beloved pedestrian streets - is a real privilege. It becomes clear what we architects can actually offer in terms of preserving and developing existing buildings, and how we can highlight their values and qualities," says Karl Johan Kember.

Keep as much as possible
The project began with FOJAB producing a cultural environment document with advice and recommendations for the renovation. It describes everything from the history and development of the properties to their current technical status. The aim is to build on the specificity of the buildings in question and retain as much of the old material as possible. Windows and window sections will be renovated, tiled roofs will be rebuilt, balcony tiles and natural stone plinths will be repaired and supplemented, and all wrought ironwork will be reviewed. Characteristic features that have deteriorated over the years, such as front doors, roof drainage and sheet metal work, will be replaced with high quality, contemporary solutions.

Contemporary color palette
When restoring older buildings, the aim is usually to restore the original colors, but in Brf Mariatorget all the original plaster had been demolished and the paint scraping only provided knowledge of the color scheme of the last decades.

- The houses will be replastered with lime mortar and since we have the privilege of working with the entire street section, we have been able to choose colors that both suit the individual houses and work well together. The color variation will be preserved, but instead of today's strong facade colors, we will work with lighter tones in pink, yellow and gray-green, among others. The joinery, on the other hand, will be painted in strong colors: iron oxide red, chrome oxide green and ochre yellow," says Karl Johan Kember.