Now it is finally happening. The renovation and extension of Söderpunkten in Helsingborg has started.

Staffan Premmert, contract manager and head of FOJAB's Helsingborg office, is satisfied and happy:

- It will be a real boost for Söder, a development that we only see the beginning of. The main entrance, which will be moved to the square side, leads into something that is more than a regular shopping mall," says Staffan Premmert. In addition to shopping, there will be daytime and evening activities and experiences - including cafés and restaurants and a sports bar. At the top is a golden cinema, an extension with seven auditoriums, where the facade is covered with gold-colored metal panels.

What was originally a Domus department store, built in the 1960s and like so many others, is getting new screen-printed glass facades and a thorough renovation. In total, it involves about 10,000 square meters of commercial space and parking. To the northwest, adjacent to the square and the new main entrance, Staffan and his colleagues are currently designing a tall residential building. It will contain about 70 small apartments in 18 floors and a roof terrace for the residents with a fantastic view of the strait.

- Good architecture charges public spaces with activity. We create opportunities for people to meet and for the multicultural Söder to flourish and take place," says Staffan Premmert. This is just one of the building blocks of Helsingborg's gigantic urban renewal project H+, which aims to densify and connect Söder with the new neighborhoods being built in the old port areas. The goal is that by 2035 there will be 5,000 new homes, services, workplaces, shops and lots of green space. This is a development that we at FOJAB want to actively promote.

The entire block is owned and managed by Jefast AB. Skanska, which has been entrusted with rebuilding Söderpunkten, is now starting demolition work and if everything goes according to plan, the commercial parts will be ready at the end of 2017. This will be followed by the residential building, which is expected to be completed one year later.

FOJAB was entrusted to design Länsförsäkringar Skåne's new customer meeting places. The assignment entailed a complete undertaking with concept development and design of interior design and remodeling. The new concept, based on Länsförsäkringar's core values, has been implemented at three new customer meeting places in Malmö City, Malmö Hyllie and Helsingborg. All will be opened to the public in the coming days.

- FOJAB creates added value, says Staffan Hellberg, project manager and property manager at Länsförsäkringar Skåne. When we now open our new customer meeting places, we see the result of a fruitful collaboration with FOJAB. In our project work, FOJAB was a party that interpreted our corporate culture and our needs, and created a meeting place that is characterized by functionality and good design. It is not only about creating and furnishing rooms. We also see this as a powerful tool to build our brand.

Länsförsäkringar offers banking, insurance and real estate services. The background to the initiative is Länsförsäkringar Skåne's desire to get closer to the customer, not only in digital media but also at physical meeting places located centrally and easily accessible. Here, customers will be given the opportunity to receive qualified advice in a relaxed and safe environment, as well as help with simpler matters.

- "We are happy to be an active part of an offensive initiative like this," says Viveca Rosencrantz, commissioned architect at FOJAB. "Architecture and interior design have a powerful effect in communicating with both customers and employees. We see a development today where more and more companies are investing in design as a way to get closer to the customer and deepen the dialog. It is a privilege to be entrusted to work with Länsförsäkringar, which is at the forefront of this trend.

FOJAB was hired a year and a half ago. The design of the customer meeting places has emerged in a process of benchmarking, workshops with employees and analysis of the brand. The three customer meeting places that are now being inaugurated have been the subject of a thorough interior design project. The premises for the Malmö City Customer Meeting Point, at Anna Lindhs Plats, and the Helsingborg Customer Meeting Point, located at Sundstorget, have both undergone extensive renovation.

During the fall, FOJAB architects began a sheet metal folding project in close collaboration with the sheet metal company Plåtexpressen. They are investigating how complex form and geometry can arise as a result of digital design and manufacturing processes.

The team from FOJAB arkitekter, consisting of Petra Jenning, Edvin Bylander and Elise Lindahl, wants to challenge the prevailing architectural process and approach. They move away from standardized systems and products towards uniqueness and craftsmanship:

- This opens up new and exciting architecture, while using simple and accessible materials in a resource-efficient way. We work more directly in relation to both material and form, so we can continuously control and influence the outcome. The relationship between architect and manufacturer has changed so that we no longer communicate the finished form. Instead, we deliver a pattern, a set of instructions, which when executed will result in the desired shape.

Sheet metal has been chosen because it is a material with many possibilities for variation, expression and use.

- "In this project, we wanted to investigate how sheet materials behave when folded along a line of curvature. The curved folding makes the material increase its performativity, both in terms of structural stability and visual expression, says Petra Jenning. A basic prerequisite was that the material could be bent by applying force only. When we had to do full-scale tests, sheet metal seemed an obvious choice.

In collaboration with Plåtexpressen, the team at FOJAB arkitekter explores an integrated design and production process that goes beyond standardized products and components.

- "We see great potential in future developments in terms of manufacturing processes, resource efficiency and sustainability. It is important to find working methods and processes where we can link our digital tools closer to the actual production," says Petra Jenning.

The project is conducted within FOJAB arkitekter's Computational Design competence area, led by Petra Jenning. At PLÅT16, the sheet metal folding project will be presented by Petra Jenning, Edvin Bylander and Elise Lindahl.

FOJAB has proceeded with the parallel assignment for block 1 in Hornsberg on the western side of Kungsholmen in Stockholm. The task was to design a new residential neighborhood with about 200 apartments. The City of Stockholm and Borätt/Seniorgården, who are the clients, consider that FOJAB's proposal has "such qualities that it should be the main proposal and form the basis for further processing".

The focus of the assignment was on concept, character and design. The block will be the first quarter of a dense neighborhood structure with a green square of Parisian character in the middle. The site, currently the site of SL's bus garage, borders Kristinebergs IP and, on the other side of Nordenflychtsvägen, large-scale buildings of an industrial nature.

- Our proposal is based on the dynamics between the traditional urban structure, with its strong spatiality, and the variation in character and history of the surroundings. The block is surrounded by existing buildings on one side, a park on one side and new buildings on two sides. It adds a new piece to the urban puzzle, which both connects to its context and is perceived as its own whole - different but similar," says Jens Larsson, commissioning architect and head of FOJAB Stockholm.

The client's jury considers the proposal well studied and the design well adapted to the surrounding public spaces of varying scale and character:

"The proposal shows consistently well-studied facades, ground floors with well-processed details and thoughtful material choices. Building facades are deservedly varied towards the different environments/public spaces. Although the design of the facades differs significantly, the design has a harmony and something nostalgic in it, while the design language is modern. "

- We are also keen to maximize the quality of living. Solar radiation and the view of the park and water are utilized. The inner courtyard is designed as a green oasis that contrasts with the urban "Paristorget", says Joachim Lundquist, responsible for housing at FOJAB.

The planning work will start in Q1 2016. FOJAB's proposal is now the basis for the continued work where the block is divided into two parts, and FOJAB and AIX arkitekter will each take care of their own part.

Mattias Hedberg Ek, architect SAR/MSA and head of assignment at FOJAB arkitekter, has been awarded the Lund Municipality Urban Design Prize 2015 for the design of Helsingkrona nation's new student housing building Tornet. Mattias Hedberg Ek received the award at the City Council meeting on December 17, 2015.

- I am very happy and grateful to have received the urban development award. Working together with Helsingkrona nation has been very stimulating from start to finish. Together we have created a completely unique student residence with a limited budget, says Mattias Hedberg Ek, and continues:

- The project is the result of a team effort, but a special thought goes to my colleague Ulf Kadefors, who was involved in the early stages of the project but unfortunately did not see it through to completion with his death in 2012.

According to the jury's motivation, the prize has been awarded to Mattias Hedberg Ek for:

"The building is of very high architectural quality both as a whole and in its carefully designed details. The towering design fits naturally into the unique environment of the campus. Folded metal facades in several shades provide an interesting play of shadows and the building is a model of successful urban densification. The architect has taken on the challenge of developing the student housing concept in a professional and sensitive manner with an end result that appeals to both residents and viewers.

The architect is also awarded for his active and committed contribution to the important conversation about the value of good architecture and well-designed living environments through other projects in the city."

Tornet offers an attractive accommodation of 69 apartments for so-called buddy living where two students share each apartment. The layout of the building is designed with a stairwell in the center and six pie-shaped apartments located around it. With its 13 floors and 100 meters above sea level, the Tower has become a new landmark in Lund.

The building, built by Peab, was ready for occupation in August this year. All apartments are currently rented out to students.

Read more about Helsingkrona

FOJAB arkitekter has been commissioned to design a new building for the district court in Lund. After a parallel design assignment, Specialfastigheter has now chosen to proceed with FOJAB arkitekter for the design of the new court building. The task was to design a new government building with the aim of creating Sweden's most modern court. The new district court is the next step in the growth of central Lund just west of the railroad tracks. The building is scheduled for completion at the end of 2017.

The client Specialfastigheter highlights the proposal's ability to combine a complex program and the municipality's urban development ambitions with a strong architectural design approach:

"A very beautiful building with a strong identity. The well-balanced approach to the site's various urban spaces contributes to strengthening the ongoing densification around Lund Central Station. The design and expression clarifies its function as a government building and connects well with the adjacent municipal building. A clear order in the layout and flows ensures that the building will meet high official requirements."

FOJAB arkitekter has long worked on various district court buildings for the Swedish National Courts Administration and therefore has experience of the special functional requirements associated with this type of project. This, combined with a strong commitment to Lund's urban development, has paved the way for a high quality proposal.

- Based on the site's conditions and a local program with high demands on safety, function, environment and quality, we have designed a modern building, which at the same time well connects to Lund's building tradition, says Kjell Adamsson, responsible architect and studio manager at FOJAB arkitekter.

The team at FOJAB arkitekter, which developed the proposal, consists of Kjell Adamsson, Stefan Johansson and Mikael Pettersson. The design is based on three fundamentals - the place, the people and the form.

A safe and beautiful place

The current site is located between the railway tracks and Bjerredsparken, which runs parallel in a north-south direction, in central Lund. The existing building blocks to the north of the site open up to the park. The new district court fits into this structure, inviting the light and greenery of the park, while giving the park a steady end to the railroad.

The function of a district court involves separate flows of people, and thus several different entrances. These are oriented around the entire building, creating life and movement in the surrounding urban spaces. The public areas are gathered in an extended room on two levels that opens with large glass surfaces towards the park. The copper sheet, glass and natural stone of the exterior interact with the interior environment where ash wood panels provide a warm and comfortable experience.

- "There is a challenging contrast in the company's desire to be a public function in the city on the one hand, and to meet people's need for privacy on the other," says Mikael Pettersson, architect at FOJAB arkitekter. This is reflected in the design. "We want to create a safe and relaxing environment for people who find themselves in a situation that may be difficult and stressful.

The building in urban space

Facing the railway and the old city center to the east, the building rises to its full height. It fits into the context of the new Kristallen municipal building and provides the urban qualities of a public institution in the city.

To the south, towards the new travel square, the building descends to two high floors, which are open to the public while retaining their public character. Here, on the south-west facing roof, there is a terrace for the Court's staff.

To the west, a four-story volume embraces the park space, interacting with the adjacent Kristallen municipal building. The west facade opens up to the green park space with large glass sections, exposing the interior of the building. The relationship between glass and dense sections is well balanced to manage views, daylight and the high environmental ambitions.

Read more about Lund District Court

FOJAB arkitekter has, on behalf of Jernhusen, designed a new office building called Foajén. It is located in Södra Nyhamnen in Malmö, an area that is undergoing an exciting development. The name Foajén reflects a common entrance space that extends up through the interior of the building, and becomes a link between the station area and the green roof terraces, which offer views of the whole of Malmö. This is also the foyer to the outside world. Just a stone's throw away there are excellent connections to the entire Öresund region and the rest of the country.

Foajén is an early cornerstone in Jernhusen's ambition to build an urban and sustainable district, which grows together with Malmö Central, and constitutes a new living center. With its location just north of Centralen, Foajén will be a new entrance to Carlsgatan and the entire station area.

The interior of the building is designed as a welcoming living room and an open meeting place. A generous staircase leads to the companies' office workplaces. The offices can be tailored to the tenants' needs. There is the possibility of individual offices or activity-based office solutions with a variety of sizes and types of rooms.

The different floors, and the wide staircases between them, contain open spaces for spontaneous meetings. On the roof, there is a shared rooftop park, while the top offices each have a lush terrace with grass, trees and foliage.

- The foyer is a building that provides strong inner experiences. It is an environment that works socially with meetings and dialog, but also when you need silence and peace," says Charlotte Kristensson, project manager at FOJAB arkitekter.

The 14,000 square meter building is environmentally classified as BREEAM Outstanding. The Foyer is expected to be ready for occupation in summer 2018.

Website of the foyer

FOJAB is the winner of Falkenberg municipality's competition for a new knowledge and cultural center, which includes a new city library, a new high school and a proposal for a city plan for the development of the entire block. The assignment was to place and design a new building that will form a central hub for knowledge and culture based on the given program and the conditions of the block. The project will be an important gathering place for the city's residents, both old and young. The new knowledge and culture center is scheduled for completion in 2018.

The proposal includes a library with separate sections for children and adults, premises for the upper secondary school's theoretical programs, school health care, a café with outdoor seating, a stage for happenings, music, culture and creativity, a reception and an auditorium with room for 150 people. The Knowledge and Culture Center is the upper secondary school's common meeting place and cohesive hub on the campus. The proposal for the development of the entire block also includes 20,000 m² of housing, a sports hall, a parking garage and, last but certainly not least, a new centrally located city park.

Strategic location

The building is strategically located between Stortorget and the new city park and creates a natural meeting place for Falkenberg residents, municipal associations, cultural activities and businesses.

- "We envision a neighborhood that will be a natural gathering point for all Falkenberg residents, regardless of whether you are a student at the high school, want to visit the library, use the auditorium, have a coffee in the café, live nearby or just want to hang out in the park," says Charlotte Kristensson, commissioned architect and studio manager for knowledge environments at FOJAB.

Jury statement

The jury highlights the winning proposal's way of connecting the new building to Stortorget and the city center, as well as a thorough analysis of the school's program and a consistently strong architectural design. From the jury's motivation: "Utsikt-insikt is a beautiful building with a strong identity. The precise order of the block and its relationship to the city center stylishly reinforces the city's structure and suite of squares and plazas. This approach can form a standard for further densification of the city. The design and expression of the building connects in a contemporary way to other public buildings in Falkenberg. The principle order of the building gives confidence that the building will be functional and usable."

Key questions

The FOJAB competition team took an early position on some key issues which then provided the framework for the final design of the proposal:

• That the new building is located close to Stortorget and has its main entrance clearly advertised towards the city center.
• To create a new urban park by placing new building rights on the outer edges of the block.
• That the total program area of the school can be reduced by making the existing building more efficient, which contributes to lower operating costs.
• To create a continuous foyer that links all activities all the way from the main entrance to Falkhallen.

The design of the main building consists of several composite volumes that reflect its content, a strong brick building that has a clear character of its own while respectfully responding to the city theater. In front of the main entrance of the Knowledge and Culture Center, a beautiful space is created that connects the building to the existing squares and public spaces of the city center.

- Falkenberg's new Knowledge and Culture Center is a building with a strong character and clear profile that takes advantage of the qualities of the existing buildings and is a contemporary statement that adds a new and inspiring dimension to the city. It is a symbolic building that contributes to the city's diversity and social sustainability," says Kjell Adamsson, responsible architect and studio manager for real estate development at FOJAB.

The competition proposal will now form the basis for a new detailed plan for the entire block. If the work goes as planned, construction of the cultural and knowledge center will begin in 2017 and be completed by the fall semester of 2018.

See more pictures and read more about the project

Helsingkrona nation's new student housing building Tornet, designed by FOJAB architects, has been nominated for the Swedish Architects' Housing Prize. The prize rewards a completed residential building that maintains a high architectural level. The winner will be announced on November 19 at the Architecture Gala. FOJAB arkitekter has also been nominated for the Skåne Architecture Prize for the student housing in the Landsarkivet in Lund.

- "These are two unique projects where Helsingkrona nation's new student accommodation building stands out with its unique shape and height," says Mattias Hedberg Ek, responsible architect at FOJAB, who was also responsible for the student accommodation in Landsarkivet.

Attractive student accommodation

Helsingkrona nation's new building Tornet offers attractive accommodation with 69 apartments for so-called buddy living. This means that two students share each apartment. The layout of the building is designed with a stairwell in the center and six pie-shaped apartments located around the stairwell. This means that all apartments will be bright and have views in several directions.

With its 13 floors, the building has also become a new landmark in Lund. At the top of the building, exactly 100 meters above sea level, there is a common banquet hall with a fantastic view of Lund, Malmö and the Öresund. On the ground floor, in addition to housing, there is a study room and a salad bar.

FOJAB arkitekter has been involved throughout the project - from the initial idea to the completion of the building, providing all types of architectural services.

- Together with Helsingkrona nation, we are very happy to have been nominated in tough competition. It is especially fun that a student housing project with a limited budget manages to get so much attention, adds Mattias Hedberg Ek.

Construction of the new building started by Peab in January 2014 and was completed in August this year. All apartments are currently rented out to students.

The Swedish Architects' Housing Prize rewards a recently completed residential building or complex of high architectural quality. The prize is awarded to stimulate and raise awareness of high quality housing construction in Sweden. The jury pays particular attention to housing qualities, a good implementation process, tradition and international influences, and how technical innovations are designed. The jury is appointed by the Swedish Academy of Architects.

Also nominated for the Skåne Architecture Prize

FOJAB arkitekter has also been nominated for the Skåne Architecture Prize with another student accommodation building - Arkivet in Lund. It is the old Landsarkivet that has been converted into student housing.

- It is a much talked about project where we have tried to both preserve and develop the old architecture. The renovation and extension of this cultural-historical environment has been carried out with high ambition and a limited budget. This has certainly contributed to the fact that we, together with Lund Nation, were nominated," says Mattias Hedberg Ek.

The winner of the Skåne Architecture Prize will be announced on November 13 at the Creative Skåne event.

Read more about Helsingkrona

Read more about the National Archives

FOJAB arkitekter, together with ICA Fastigheter, is the winner of the land allocation competition in Brunnshög. The assignment was to design a centrally located shopping district with a large grocery store combined with housing and services. The project will be the focal point for the 40,000 people who will live or work in the new district that is emerging in northeast Lund.

The jury highlights the winning proposal's strong architectural design and good sustainability solutions, both environmentally and socially. From the jury's motivation:

"The proposal is very thorough and interacts well with the intended surroundings. It is a clear and robust city block with strong inner city qualities where the grocery store on the ground floor is used as a resource to enhance the residential qualities. " "The competition proposal is a traditional district in a new guise, which is clear, elegant and very well designed. The jury also considers it very feasible."

The task was to create the mixed-use quarter of the future in Lund's new Brunnshög district, which will be adjacent to the MAX IV and ESS research facilities. Pontus Tebäck, the lead architect at FOJAB arkitekter, highlights some of the points that have guided the work on the proposal:

• The good earth
• Grocery store with a market hall feel
• A multifunctional neighborhood
• Ecological, social and economic sustainability

The proposal contains a mix of functions with a large grocery store with a market hall character, post office, games, pharmacy and deli with outdoor seating. There is also a restaurant, optician, hairdresser, bicycle workshop, gym, premises for dentists, physiotherapists and vaccination. There is also an LSS home, a large number of rental apartments of various sizes and condominiums in the form of three-storey townhouses.

The ambition is for everything growing in the large courtyard to be edible, as well as in the generously sized greenhouse/saloon hall in the grocery store. The idea is also to grow everything in the soil that currently exists on the site.

- "We envision a building, a block, that will be an obvious gathering point in the heart of Lund's future city district Brunnshög. The ground floor of the building will be a continuation of the district's new square just north of the competition block," says Pontus Tebäck. The architecture will be characterful and strong in form, with great variation in expression within a coherent palette of qualitative materials such as brick, corten steel and greenery on facades, courtyards and roofs.

The competition proposal will now form the basis for a new detailed plan for the property. If this work proceeds as planned, construction of the block will start in 2017 at the earliest and be completed in 2019-2020.

FOJAB arkitekter recruits architect SAR/MSA Jens Larsson as new office manager for the Stockholm office. Jens comes from Strategisk Arkitektur and has extensive experience in real estate development and housing projects.

- We are pleased that Jens Larsson wants to take over the baton and lead our office in Stockholm. The office started up in the fall of 2013 and is constantly expanding, says Cecilia Pering, CEO of FOJAB arkitekter. "Jens' energy, focus on customer benefit and ability to handle large complex projects will be very useful in the phase we are in now.

Robert Lavelid, Jen's predecessor as head of the office, will continue as an architect in charge of assignments, including the development of the company's foreign operations and international cooperation.

- "This is really exciting and I am very proud of the confidence to take over the role of office manager after Robert," says Jens Larsson. FOJAB arkitekter is a company with a high level of ambition and broad expertise. The Stockholm office is in a growth phase with many interesting projects underway. The focus will be on continuing to develop and drive the office towards a strong position in the Stockholm market.

Jens Larsson will take up his new post on September 1.

After a first round, Familjebostäder selected five architectural offices to develop proposals in parallel, and it is now clear that FOJAB arkitekter and Liljewall will jointly design the 250 rental apartments at Uggleberget in Nya Hovås, Gothenburg.

The reason for choosing to proceed with two architectural firms is that they want to create great variety in terms of height, facade materials, roof angles and other expressions.

- Nya Hovås is an area where we want to stand out with both architecture and innovative thinking about smart solutions. Our portfolio in the area should be experienced as a whole, but we still think that the buildings can have different expressions, and the two proposals complement each other well," says Micael Jansson, head of new construction at Familjebostäder.

The first groundbreaking is expected in summer 2016 and we look forward to starting this exciting project, together with Liljewall and Familjebostäder!

About New Hovås:
Over the next few years, a new district will emerge just fifteen minutes from Gothenburg city center. The vision for New Hovås is a small-scale, world-class mixed-use city that combines the city's range of housing, services, schools, shops and offices with parks and green areas within walking distance of the sea. When completed, New Hovås will include around 1,300 homes, retail and office space of about 30,000 square meters, creating more than 900 jobs.

LKF will build around 135 new apartments in central Lund, at the junction of Brunnsgatan and Arkivgatan. Adjacent to the apartments, premises are planned for a meeting point for the Vård- och Omsorgsförvaltningen. FOJAB arkitekter is behind the design of the new residential buildings and was also responsible for the design of the student apartments in the old Landsarkivet, which is adjacent to the new project. Construction of the new residential buildings is scheduled to start in the fall of 2016.

- Our goal with the project is to create attractive housing at a good price, with good quality and proximity to central Lund. FOJAB has managed to combine a beautiful design with a rational approach to production and implementation," says Håkan Ekelund, CEO of LKF.

FOJAB's proposal for the western part of the Arkivet 5 block includes five buildings with a total of about 135 apartments of varying sizes - from one room and kitchen to four rooms and kitchen. All apartments will have balconies or generous terraces. The buildings will be compact, allowing for high energy efficiency. The proposal also includes a beautiful outdoor environment with attractive courtyards for spontaneous meetings.

Variations on bricks
For the new project, FOJAB architects have proposed variations on the theme of brick. All five houses will be built in brick but individually designed to fit into the cityscape.

- We have chosen to divide the project into several smaller buildings to build on the scale of the site. The buildings will be a modern interpretation of the older Lundensian saddle-roof houses," says Joachim Lundquist, commissioned architect for the project.

Meeting place for the elderly
In one of the buildings, premises for Träffpunkt are planned to be built. It will be a gathering place of about 400 square meters for the elderly. Some of the apartments in the project are planned as service apartments with access to staff.

In the spring of 2015, FOJAB Architects will begin preparing drawings for the five buildings and outdoor environments. LKF plans to procure a contractor in the spring of 2016 and construction of the project is expected to start in the fall of 2016.

The FOJAB architectural team includes Joachim Lundquist, Stefan Johansson, Mikael Pettersson, Mattias Hedberg Ek and Daniel Nord.

Proposals are now being presented on how Nils Ericsonplatsen and Kanaltorget may be transformed in the future. On behalf of the City of Gothenburg, FOJAB has developed a program for the design of the sites, which is now presented to the public.

The central area is one of Gothenburg's most important urban development projects. Magdalena Hedman, commissioning architect at FOJAB Architects, describes how Nils Ericsonplatsen and Kanaltorget will be developed into attractive urban spaces with a clear identity and character of their own, which also meet the needs of many different target groups. Not least, they will be safe, welcoming and easily accessible exchange nodes for passengers using public transport.

- "These places have great potential to develop into some of the city's most beautiful meeting places with seating, greenery and water," says Magdalena Hedman. Nils Ericsonplatsen is one of the city's most important entry points and its design should be characterized by timelessness. It should offer experiences for passers-by that make it worth stopping here. It should also be a safe place that is easy to navigate.

Work is now continuing to gather feedback and to define areas where in-depth studies are needed:

- "This is an ongoing urban development project where it is important to show pictures of the proposals in order to get feedback and views on how to proceed," says Katja Ketola, project manager for the Central Area. "By being open about how we work, we actively engage in the conversation about the important places in the city, places that affect many people and that engage.

Together with FOJAB architects, BSK Arkitekter is responsible for the major transformation of Helsingborg Lasert's large main building. The assignment is a result of BSK's and FOJAB's agreement on collaboration in the healthcare building market in southern Sweden. FOJAB arkitekter is now in the running to win the competition for Science Village Scandinavia in Lund. They have also been recognized for the City Hall in Kristianstad, which recently won the Building of the Year 2015 award. BSK Arkitekter has invested successfully in competitions for healthcare buildings. Assignments include the new forensic psychiatric facility in Trelleborg, and they are also competing with a Danish team for the new psychiatric center in Bispebjerg outside Copenhagen.

- It is a great responsibility and very inspiring to rebuild such an important and well-known building in Helsingborg. Conversion with operations in operation is one of the most complex things you can take on," says Anna Hjort, commissioned architect at FOJAB arkitekter.

Billions of dollars are now being invested in the renewal of healthcare buildings in the region. Over the next 10 years, Helsingborg's Lasarett alone will undergo a total refurbishment worth an estimated 4.5 billion. The hospitals in Lund and Malmö are also facing extensive renovation processes. Regional Services is the client.

BSK and FOJAB are now working on the design of the eastern wing of Helsingborg Hospital. This is the first step in a major transformation of the entire main block of the hospital with its characteristic cross shape.

In addition to the internal functions, the facades will also be redesigned. Work on additional wings is planned, and low-level areas will also be rebuilt for surgery, imaging and outpatient services.

- Our concept of success is that we have a long experience of large, complex projects, combined with the fact that we know how to build well-functioning workplaces and create healing environments. This is the reason why Region Skåne has entrusted us with developing the healthcare of the future," says Anna Bergström, Vice President of BSK Arkitekter.

Helsingborgs Lasarett will be rebuilt to meet future requirements for modern care units and treatment methods. One challenge is to create a general and flexible structure that can be converted to function in different ways over a long period of time.

Both BSK Arkitekter and FOJAB arkitekter have long experience of large and complex projects. After the work on Helsingborg's hospital, which is not expected to be fully completed until 2022, they can add another to their list of meritorious assignments.

Read more about the project

FOJAB arkitekter, together with the real estate company Wihlborgs, has been named the winner of the competition for the first phase of Science Village Scandinavia - the new district between the MAX IV and ESS research facilities in Lund. The competition assignment included designing the first stage with, among other things, an icon site and icon building.

In late 2014, the development company Science Village Scandinavia AB, which is jointly owned by Lund Municipality, Lund University and Region Skåne, announced a land allocation competition for the first phase of the future district. After a pre-qualification round, five developers/architects were invited to compete. The proposal from Wihlborgs/FOJAB arkitekter has now been selected as the winner.

The first phase includes the Icon building, which will house a meeting place with exhibition spaces, a hotel and a restaurant, and is located directly adjacent to the district's central square and tram stop.

Characterful design

The organization and design of the iconic building is based on the idea of a welcoming, unifying space, which opens up to the surrounding squares and streets, and which can easily be changed according to different needs. An atrium extends through all the floors of the building and daylight flows down from the free-standing, glazed truss structure of the roof, which, like the rest of the building, is made entirely of wood.

- "Wood adds warmth to the large, light-filled room, which is easy to survey and navigate, and which creates the conditions for spontaneous meetings," says Greger Dahlström, the responsible architect.

The ground floor creates a climate-protected zone for passage and outdoor living. The three-dimensional facades not only protect against sun and rain, but also help to diffuse the wind and provide shelter around the building in the open landscape.

- We have once again managed to win a prestigious competition in Lund and are very happy about it. We can now continue to build our expertise in complex buildings with characterful architecture. Our team has done a fantastic job," says Daniel Nord, CEO of FOJAB.

The competition team consists of Greger Dahlström, Mikael Pettersson, Stefan Johansson, Joachim Lundquist, Sara Schlyter, Niklas Sonestad and Carin Caesar at Tyréns (traffic).

Fact box:

The Science Village will be developed to support the development of MAX IV and ESS and their need for accommodation, logistics, services and other facilities. Already in 2016, 200 employees and about the same number of guest researchers are expected to work at MAX IV. When ESS is completed, around 800 permanent employees and around 1,300 visiting researchers will work in the two research facilities. In the long term, around 10,000 people are expected to work in the Science Village.

Rådhuskvarteret in Kristianstad wins Building of the Year 2015. The jury was impressed by the project's well-functioning partnership collaboration and innovative use of BIM.

From the jury's statement:

"In a historic urban environment from the 19th century, a modern office building has emerged with space for 700 workplaces for the municipality and Region Skåne and with large public meeting places. A combination of partnership cooperation and innovative BIM use in all parts of the project could quality assure both calculations and schedules and utilize and incorporate the dialogue with the client and users at an early stage."

Read more about the win on Byggindustrin.se

FOJAB arkitekter has been commissioned to design the new arena area in Uppsala, Studenternas. With football and bandy arenas and a location right on the Fyrisån river, it will be a landmark in the city. The large football stadium will meet Allsvenskan and UEFA requirements, but will also be the public's new meeting place with open foyers and plenty of activities between matches.

- "This is a wonderful project - an open and active arena," says Per Aage Nilsson, responsible at FOJAB arkitekter. The facility is located in a green sports and recreation area. People will be able to stroll through the open foyers, take a workout, have a bite to eat or sit in the stands in the sun to watch the home team train.

FOJAB arkitekter, which has been involved in the design of Swedbank Stadium in Malmö, was invited back in 2011, as one of three offices, to a competition with the aim of investigating the entire Södra Åstråket, an area that extends along the Fyrisån river and borders the hospital area to the east. It involved stadiums for football and bandy and other public facilities, but also a development of the park space next to Uppsala Stadsträdgård. In addition, new infrastructure connecting the area to the inner city with bridges over the river. Now, a few years later, FOJAB arkitekter has won the continued assignment in fierce competition.

- 'Yes, there were a lot of people who wanted to design stadiums, so this is really fun - we didn't have an obvious ticket in,' says Per-Aage Nilsson, a specialist in this type of architecture. Arenas are complicated buildings, largely because of the flows and logistics. But they are also interesting meeting places where you manage large volumes of space, sight lines, security and sound. In terms of sports, it is also exciting, especially here in Uppsala where the football stadium is also the home team's training ground. Bandy, which is mostly associated with Studenternas, will have a new indoor arena, close to the football stadium.

In addition to the football and bandy hall, the assignment now includes the design of the surrounding park landscape, arena square, restaurant, offices, parking and other premises for sports and recreation. The football stadium will be built in stages, with the first part accommodating around 10,000 spectators, with the possibility of future expansion. The bandy arena is planned for an audience of 4,500 people. Sportfastigheter, a municipality-owned company, is the client, and the project is scheduled for completion in 2017.

Building of the Year is the most prestigious competition in the built environment sector. It highlights examples of the sector's best performance in terms of quality, project collaboration, economy and design.

The award is a collaboration between Byggindustrin magazine and Svensk Byggtjänst. The winning project will be announced on March 23 at a gala event at Cirkus in Stockholm.

More on Building of the Year 2015

About Rådhuskvarteret on byggindustrin.se

Activity-based workplaces (ABW) are on everyone's lips. Our working life is undergoing a structural change, creating both new opportunities and challenges. How should our premises be designed to provide the best support for work? Does the answer lie in the ability to choose a work environment according to activity?

Interior designer Lisa Mannheimer at FOJAB arkitekter has designed Skanska's new regional office Klipporna in Malmö Hyllie based on an activity-based approach. The 6,000 square meter office is characterized by beautiful natural materials, colours and furniture, and exudes quality and timelessness.

In a well-functioning workplace, there is a balance between opportunities for focused work and collaboration. Freedom of choice for the individual is important, and flexibility stimulates creativity and the exchange of ideas. 'There is no doubt that today's technological developments provide fantastic opportunities and invite new ways of working,' says Lisa Mannheimer. But it is also important when discussing ABW environments that they are adapted to the businesses and companies you work with. Ready-made, simple concepts that are just applied straight away do not work, no matter how trendy they are.

Skanska wanted a modern workplace that meets the need to meet and work together as "One Skanska". They wanted an innovative work environment, where cooperation and collaboration are seen as success factors, both internally and when meeting visitors.

Lisa Mannheimer has a long-standing partnership with Skanska. Over the years, they have invested in the purchase of good quality, classic design furniture and fittings that stand the test of time. Now they had the opportunity to use much of the company's existing furniture as a base for new additions in the same spirit.

The building, designed by Henning Larsen Architects, is characterized by load-bearing elements in solid white concrete. To tell the story of Skanska, once the Skånska Cement Foundry, concrete has also been used in the interior design, for example in the countertops. The building is environmentally certified to LEED Platinum level.

We have let the green idea permeate the interior design and worked with few, but well-chosen materials. The Scandinavian blonde tone reflects the international Skanska's Nordic origins, using materials such as light ash, wool and linen," says Lisa Mannheimer.

How will tomorrow's hospitals function - what are the architectural trends? Here, Anna Hjort, the architect responsible for the Healthcare competence area at FOJAB arkitekter, explains.

A big thing that is happening now is the conversion to single-patient rooms. This means less risk of infection, less risk of medication errors and you can easily examine the patient on the spot. Overall, the patient recovers faster. The chain of positive effects is so significant that this is now being implemented in Sweden, and indeed throughout Europe. In Sweden, it is also linked to a completely new concept - Patient Closer Care - which means that staff sit out in patient rooms rather than at the end of a corridor.
What is happening is that hospital stays are getting shorter. Whereas 20 years ago you were in hospital for 15 days, now you only need to stay for 3 days on average. This is of course also related to more effective medication, medical equipment and treatment.

Resilient outpatient clinics
Another new feature is that we are designing general outpatient clinics - not specially equipped clinics for orthopaedics, medicine or surgery. All rooms should look the same, so that you can grow and shrink over time. If a department needs more space, it can swell temporarily. Equipment such as ECG machines and the like are of course specific to the operation, but they are now usually on a rolling basis and can be retrieved from centrally located stores if necessary.

This is a prerequisite for the economic viability of healthcare. Co-use is based on designing premises that are as general, flexible and resilient as possible.

At the same time, home care is also being developed, making it possible, for example, to perform dialysis yourself instead of going to the hospital every day.

Robots take the plunge
Flows of pedestrians, patients, goods and staff, which should never cross each other, exist as an underlying structure supplying the different units of the hospital.

Often there is a logistics building on the periphery of the hospital area. This is where all food, goods and laundry are transported. To ensure that there is not too much running, either within the area or within the wards, transportation is managed by a system of culverts and elevators to each floor.

In some places, such as Norway, robots are used for transportation. They can be predestined to take, for example, medicine from the medicine store in the basement. Using a magnetic loop in the floor, the robot makes its way to the right elevator, which knows which floor it is going to. The door opens, the robot drives out and parks outside the entrance to the ward. This means that there is no need to have medication rooms on the wards. Instead, there are centrally located staff who administer the medication.

Such robots are also available for laundry and food transport, for example. You save staff and you save valuable space in the wards. There's less waste because, when it's that easy, you just order what you need. But it has to be in high-volume hospitals for this to work well and pay off.

Evidence Based Design
A key concept in this context is Evidence Based Design. The hospital should not just be a high-tech device where you put a sick person in and they come out healthy. It shouldn't just be management. The hospital stay should be an experience that is good for the soul as well. The soft values are very important. I'm thinking about views, daylight, beautiful colors and good materials.

It's also about not unnecessarily exposing things that can be intimidating. The staff are used to what it looks like, but for a patient who may already be tense and scared, the environment can be terribly intimidating. It could be the operating room, which you have time to see before you are put under anesthesia, the masks you have to put on for radiation treatment, or the MRI camera, which can frighten children in particular. Manufacturers are very aware of this and try to make medical devices as patient-friendly as possible. In short, it is important that the physical environment is a beautiful and friendly experience.

Karin Fagerberg works as CCO and commissioned architect with a focus on urban planning at FOJAB arkitekter. Since a few months back, Karin is also the new chairman of the board of the environmental technology network Sustainable Business Hub Scandinavia.

The network's vision is for southern Sweden to develop into a world-leading region in cleantech by 2020. The mission is to promote increased competitiveness and exports among the region's cleantech companies.
In order to develop their business both in Sweden and on the export market, they work in cluster form with various projects, one of which is SUD, Sustainable Urban Development, in which FOJAB arkitekter actively participates. SUD works to gather excellence in sustainable urban development.

'With support from the Delegation for Sustainable Cities, the SUD cluster has participated in international urban development contexts, most recently in Poland and Russia,' says Karin Fagerberg. 'At the regional level, we organize so-called leading edge seminars for Skåne's municipalities in collaboration with Region Skåne. In my role as chairman of the board, I come into contact with additional areas of expertise and industries in cleantech, while at the same time I get a chance to support the part of the business community that wants to be at the forefront of sustainable solutions.

Sustainable Business Hub Scandinavia, www.sbhub.se

FOJAB arkitekter has been selected as architects for the Centralen area in Gothenburg. The assignment also includes a design program for Nils Ericsonplatsen, Kanalgatan and Kanaltorget. The project, which is part of the larger Vision Älvstaden, will be characterized by openness and meetings - with the water, between old and new, city life and the surrounding countryside.

- "This is a gigantic urban transformation that is beginning in the center of Gothenburg," says landscape architect Magdalena Hedman, responsible for the project at FOJAB arkitekter. It is about transforming central areas that are currently characterized by large-scale traffic solutions into places for attractive urban life. We already have a framework agreement with the City of Gothenburg for planning architect services. Now we have been selected as design architects with coordination responsibility for the urban development program for the entire Centralen area.

The urban development program was produced by the City of Gothenburg in May 2014. It has gradually resulted in a plan structure that allows for 500,000 square meters of businesses and 2,000 new homes. Major infrastructure projects worth SEK 30-40 billion will be implemented over the next 15-20 years and will have a positive impact on the Central Area. The most important of these is the West Link, which will lead train traffic in a tunnel from Gothenburg Central Station, which is currently a bag station, to the other side of the city.

This also means that the car traffic that currently passes Göteborgs C will be diverted and cross the tracks at the back via the new Bangårdsviaduct. This leaves the field free to create new attractive urban spaces for people and public transport on the front side, towards Nils Ericsonplatsen and Drottningtorget.

- FOJAB arkitekter received the assignment in October and the work will continue until January 2016 with the possibility of an extension, says Magdalena Hedman. "We got it in competition, where it was seen that we have the potential to take on the task with higher expertise and quality than other bidders. Fortunately, this is a forward-looking procurement where quality was ranked higher than price.

- The project is about planning at different scales and design in a complex metropolitan context, and we have been able to show several good reference projects. It will create conditions for mixed functions in a fine-meshed urban structure with pedestrians and cyclists at the center. Good urban life in high quality urban spaces and access to greenery and water is what we will focus on," says Magdalena Hedman.

FOJAB arkitekter is now also present in Helsingborg. The new office is located on Drottninggatan in the city center.

"We have discussed the possibility of establishing ourselves in the Helsingborg region several times over the years. We feel that, despite its proximity to Malmö, it is a separate market with great potential," says Cecilia Pering, CEO of FOJAB arkitekter. "Therefore, we are very pleased that this is now a reality with a group of experienced and qualified new employees.

The work in the Helsingborg office is led by architect Staffan Premmert. Staffan comes from Sweco Architects.

He and his colleagues have a solid and broad experience in several sectors.

"Right from the start, we have exciting new assignments in housing, offices and retail," says Staffan Premmert, "and we expect to expand in the coming years. Our local knowledge and customer contacts, combined with FOJAB arkitekter's specialist resources and broad expertise, provide a strong offering to the market.

Mobilia, Malmö's oldest shopping center, is now being developed to include 66,000 square meters of retail, services and housing - in effect a new district with its very own identity. The site's industrial history is also evident in the architecture, where new and old interact. In the past century, more than 3000 people, mainly women, worked here under the saw-toothed roofs in Malmö's flourishing textile industry.

- It is the holistic approach to the transformation of Mobilia that the Urban Design Award Committee is rewarding. They have carefully preserved the older buildings and added new buildings with sensitivity to the site. The area has been given new functions and new content, without losing the area's industrial historical significance," says Carina Svensson, chair of the Malmö City Planning Board and of the Committee for the Urban Development Award.

- Mobilia's transformation is a good example of densification and a mixed city and shows how the surrounding neighborhood could be developed. New businesses and housing have been added, new paths and meeting places have been created, and the land has been used resource-efficiently within the city," says Christer Larsson, Director of Urban Development in Malmö.

FOJAB arkitekter has been awarded a grant of SEK 100,000 by the Arkus Foundation to develop a tool for climate-smart planning. The aim is to measure, at an early stage of planning, how climate-smart a project will be. By relating it to nine quality criteria, the tool provides figures on the project's climate footprint in terms of tons of carbon dioxide per capita.

A basic model of the tool is described in the publication Planera klimatsmart! which a project group at FOJAB, led by Magdalena Hedman, produced in the spring.

- 'We looked at current international research to see what factors and relationships affect carbon dioxide emissions,' says Magdalena Hedman. 'Then we asked ourselves the question: How can we meet this challenge in our physical planning? And how do we make the knowledge available and measurable at an early stage of planning?

The criteria against which the project will be measured fall into three main groups:

• Localization - where in the world is it located?
• Structure - how does it relate to the outside world
• Transport - how to get to and from there?

It will now be possible to develop and deepen the tool - the intention is to make it more user-friendly and goal-oriented. It is primarily intended to be used by planners in the municipalities in their strategic work. One of the questions asked by the project group is whether the calculation model should relate to an ideal case or be adaptable to the individual municipality's own conditions.

- 'Through our assignments, we have a pretty good idea of the concrete issues that municipalities are grappling with,' says Magdalena Hedman. Arkus supports practice-based research - it goes hand in hand with how we want to work. The whole point of this is to produce a tool that is accessible and relevant. In this way, we make it easier for our colleagues and partners to achieve the set sustainability goals.

The development work is expected to be completed by the end of 2015. The intention is also to have the practical tool available for use.

The Arkus Foundation is a forum for research and development in architecture and spatial planning, whose mission is to initiate, plan and finance practice-oriented research and development projects. We work for and with the Arkus members association, which consists of the country's leading architectural firms.

FOJAB Arkitekter Stockholm is now launching a series of architectural salons, which will take place every quarter.

What is the architectural salon?
It's the soiree, the pub, the club, the meeting, the conversation, the hangout and the new friends!
Pretty serious, but fun. The meeting where we see things from different angles, without positioning ourselves.
Remove the cardboard figures!

Why do we have the Architecture Salon?
Together with our clients, colleagues and other random people, we can focus on what we actually do.

Acting through architecture!
In the daily grind, you drown in the process. The architecture salon is a place to see and enjoy what is important and fun. Lift your head and see the subject and the essence! To meet informally, learn things, drop in on the way home, have fun.

What should your architecture do?
It's up to you!

How does the salon work?
The salon is run informally at our Stockholm office. We invite interesting people to talk about something they are passionate about and which is loosely linked to a topic for the evening. The salon is a platform for a wider debate on architecture and everything related to it. We mix 1/3 architects, 1/3 builders and clients and 1/3 loose people; artists, writers, jokers and students.

We run 2-3 short talks, we offer some snacks, a beer and a sandwich in hand.

Hang out for a while and meet some new friends. 

"In Europe, and to some extent its colonies, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, a select group of the city's upper class would gather to 'hold a salon', that is, talk about literary events or whatever, at someone's home. In general, most countries had a very limited freedom of expression from the outset. Saying the wrong thing in a public place could result in the death penalty. Instead, private gatherings were organized in homes, which became a kind of political or artistic sanctuary [- - - -] Over time, this was not limited to upper-class participants; it was also an opportunity for artists to showcase themselves and connect with potential funders, and for intellectuals to debate current political topics.

The salons continued into the 20th century, but they lost their cultural significance in the 19th century as political and artistic freedom increased."

Extract from Swedish Wikipedia

FOJAB arkitekter has been selected by the City of Stockholm to develop an urban development concept for the Hjorthagen waterfront in Stockholm Royal Seaport. As one of three architectural offices in a parallel assignment, they will work on the design of one of northern Europe's hottest urban development projects. The procurement also includes a framework agreement for the design of urban structure and public environments in Stockholm Royal Seaport. SEK 2 billion will be invested in sustainable and climate-smart construction in locations that will have Stockholm's highest real estate prices.

Magdalena Hedman is responsible for the project at FOJAB arkitekter:

- This is a dream project in the context of urban development, with explicitly high ambitions from the City of Stockholm. The most sustainable and climate-smart district in Sweden will be built, and we can contribute our expertise. I am really looking forward to this work. Not least because we identify a strong affinity in values with our client, which guarantees a good result.

Stockholm Royal Seaport is one of the largest urban development areas in Stockholm and northern Europe where extensive buildings and facilities are planned to be built over the next 20 years. The area will, in a sustainable and resource-efficient way, accommodate about 35,000 workplaces and about 12,000 new homes with associated services and infrastructure. Half of them will be located in Hjorthagen.

The current phase, Kolkajen-Tjärkajen-Ropsten, is located between Hjorthagsberget and Lilla Värtan, next to the bridge to Lidingö. At present, it is industrial land and a port, which has been used for energy production. The area contains the culturally and historically valuable Vattengasverket, which will be preserved, as well as the Tar Factory and the old Kolkajen. To the southwest is the Ropsten metro station.

The parallel assignments will investigate and show how Hjorthagen's future entrance and waterfront can be designed with a focus on the public urban spaces and parks. The starting point is both overall objectives regarding transport, energy, cycles, buildings, greenery, lifestyles and activities, as well as the specific character and conditions of the site.

- At FOJAB arkitekter, we work in an integrated way with buildings and landscapes in urban development, which provides good conditions for creating attractive urban spaces and places, says Magdalena Hedman. The goal is a dense and mixed neighborhood with a strong identity and high quality urban design. "Not everyone will be able to afford to live here, but everyone will be able to spend time here and enjoy the social life and proximity to the water. We are working towards a permissive city that is there for people and that invites different types of activities.

Work on the parallel assignment will continue until September. After that, an in-depth proposal will be developed, which will form the basis for the upcoming planning work. FOJAB arkitekter has also been awarded a framework agreement with the City Planning Office in the City of Stockholm for the work on Norra Djurgårdstaden, until May 2019.