FOJAB lab has welcomed Dr. Rupert Soar from Nottingham to give lectures and workshops. It is Petra Jenning at FOJAB, a long-time partner of Rupert Soar, who is behind the event. The focus has been on the contribution of the digital revolution to the development of future architecture and building systems.

- Based on digital manufacturing processes for the construction industry, mainly additive manufacturing (AM), such as 3D printing, Soar explores opportunities for faster information flows, increased complexity and more intelligent buildings. "By studying how processes and structures are built up in nature, we can find new approaches to our built environment and how we relate to it," says Petra Jenning.

Termite stacks and houses
Rupert Soar co-founded the world's leading additive manufacturing research laboratory at Loughborough University. With over 15 years of experience in the field and as an advisor to firms such as Büro Happold and Foster & Partners, he has a deep understanding of AM and its use in the construction process. To look ahead and understand the possibilities of AM, Soar embarked on an unusual journey. By scanning termite stacks in Namibia and studying their complex structure, he realized that they act as membranes that actively move energy in and out of the stack. However, this amazing structure is not built according to a predetermined design but emerges organically. It also adapts to each individual site and its specific conditions.

- Nature often uses fractal structures. To the naked eye, they can appear incredibly complex and difficult to grasp," says Petra Jenning. "They provide a maximized surface as an interface with their surroundings and it is precisely in this surface that energy exchange in the form of gas or heat exchange can take place. "I believe that by understanding the process behind the physical expression of the termite stack, we can learn to design buildings according to the same principles.

Today we generally have a 1:1 relationship between the complexity of the drawing and the complexity of the building. The drawing is a representation of the building in physical space. In the case of the termite stack, it is instead most relevant to describe the functions and processes materialized in the structure. These processes can be described in simple terms, or algorithms, despite the high geometric complexity of the physical expression.

Agent system
The workshop explored how formulating algorithms within an agent system can solve complex problems in new ways. It is a way of thinking that has grown out of Soar and Jennings' longstanding collaboration at the University of Greenwich in London and at Freeform Construction Ltd. An agent system consists of a number of simple modules, or agents, that sense their environment and influence it in real time according to their own objective or algorithm. The agent system negotiates solutions over time that meet a large number of requirements, but without, as in the classical building tradition, dividing each function into a separate material or solution. If, in the future, we can use 3D printers to build houses, today's established relationship between geometric complexity and high cost will change. This opens up the possibility of working with functional form in new and innovative ways.

The first sod is now being turned for the construction of student housing in the Landsarkivet in Lund. FOJAB arkitekter has, on behalf of Lund Nation, designed student housing with the aim of giving the historic building new life.

The Landsarkivet will be home to up to 150 students, making it a welcome addition to the tight housing market in Lund. The project comprises a total of 8,800 square meters of new construction and renovation and consists of four buildings. Two of these were built in 1903. In 1971, the characteristic extension designed by Bernt Nyberg was added. The fourth will be a new five-storey building clad in Corten steel. The homes are planned to be ready for occupancy in the fall semester of 2014.

More pictures on FOJAB.se

Kjell Adamsson, studio manager and vice president of FOJAB, has been awarded the Lund Urban Design Prize 2012 for an extension to a terraced house on Hökvägen in Lund.

Motivation of the jury:
The 2012 Lund Urban Design Prize is awarded to architect Kjell Adamsson for an extension characterized by sensitive and careful detailing that represents an exemplary densification strategy.

Through a carefully designed extension to a terraced house, which respects the character of the surrounding area, the architect has succeeded in demonstrating how to densify on a small scale. The floor plan of the house, with a new entrance at the back, allows for flexible use of the dwelling, e.g. as an intergenerational home or as a rental room for students. Also in this respect, the extension is exemplary as an example of a sustainable densification strategy on a small scale.

The character of the townhouse in terms of scale and materials has been preserved, and in a beautiful and natural way supplemented by another building in the same spirit as the original house. Great care has been taken with the details, which takes the experience of the building to a new level. The new bay windows bring the facade to life while allowing valuable light into the home.

- "When I saw the house in its original design, I saw the potential. Partly because it is a gabled house with room for an extension, and partly to be able to use the existing atrium in a different way," says Kjell Adamsson, Deputy CEO, FOJAB..

FOJAB arkitekter appoints Karin Fagerberg as chief commercial officer. Karin will be part of the management team, and will also be active as a commissioned architect with a focus on urban development, community planning and early stages.

- The focus in my new role will be on customer-driven development work. I work in parallel with both private actors and municipalities as clients. This provides a link between overall planning and interesting construction projects, and provides a leverage effect for the projects. It also creates a development potential that leads forward, into new assignments. It is important for me to work both strategically and operationally," says Karin Fagerberg.

Karin is an architect SAR/MSA and currently office manager at Tengbom in Malmö. She has a past at BM Arkitekter and FOJAB arkitekter, where she was a partner and studio manager. Some of the projects she has worked on are the development of Lomma Hamn, Bara centrum and the new area Elinegård next to Kalkbrottet.

- "I am proud to have Karin back in the team," says CEO Daniel Nord. "With her expertise and wide network of contacts, she will drive the marketing work offensively and with a strong customer focus. "Since we have worked together for several years, I know what an asset Karin will be for the company.

Karin starts her position at FOJAB arkitekter at the turn of the year.

In early September, the groundbreaking ceremony for Kristianstad Nya Galleria, designed by FOJAB Arkitekter, took place.

The mall is being built on the site of the current Domushuset and is part of the transformation of Kristianstad's city center. Parallel to the mall, both parking lots and housing will be built. The neighborhood feeling is maintained by giving the illusion of several separate buildings, and the color and shape of the facade will harmonize with the surrounding buildings. The mall will have space for shops, restaurants and cafés.

- "The interesting thing about Kristianstad Nya Galleria is that it is located right in the city center. This makes it attractive and strengthens the inner city as opposed to a more peripheral location," says Charlotte Kristensson, project responsible architect at FOJAB.

The mall is expected to be completed in the fall of 2014.

Four quick questions to Magdalena Hedman, Landscape Architect LAR/MSA and Head of Studio Urban Development.

Magdalena Hedman, Head of Studio Urban Development, what is the hottest issue for you right now?
- Undoubtedly the issue of regional growth. A few months ago, an OECD report came out showing that we are very poor at utilizing the growth potential that exists in the region. The report shows that Skåne has a low employment rate and weak entrepreneurship. At the same time, there is great potential in the form of a well-educated workforce and strong specialization in knowledge-intensive sectors.

What do you think can be done about this problem?
- We must make better use of the knowledge available at universities and colleges in the fields of urban planning and sustainable development. It is crucial when planning new cities and districts that we also ask ourselves who benefits from the development and who is disadvantaged. In future urban planning, there must be room for everyone! Therefore, FOJAB and Urban Studies at Malmö University have recently started a collaboration with a focus on social sustainability. The aim is to translate the research results into concrete projects.

You have also worked closely with Region Skåne, in a project that has now been nominated for the Planpriset 2012. What is it about?
- "Strukturbild för Skåne" is a project run by Region Skåne since 2010. The aim is to create a clear picture and a common strategy for the development of sustainable physical structures. FOJAB has produced a knowledge base for the final report, "The multi-core metropolis of Skåne".

An interesting perspective. What does it mean in practice?
- Skåne is about the same size as London. With well-developed public transport comes viable local development. Provided that there is a consensus between the municipalities and the region. This opens new doors to the future and I hope to read an OECD report with a completely different message in the not too distant future.

Architect Pontus Tebäck gives a progress report on the Triangle project in Malmö.

The Triangle is buzzing with intense activity, with constant traffic to and from the construction site, the Triangle station, shopping area, art gallery and hospital area. Pedestrians and cyclists are crowded along the fences and have to stop from time to time to make room for the transportation to the construction site. These enter via the new Konsthallstorget, which is still covered in Skåne clay. Now that the buildings are rising, one begins to understand that the activity is there to stay.

- 'It's a piece of viable urbanity we see emerging,' says architect Pontus Tebäck, who has been working intensively on the Triangle project for almost three years. Have you seen the small pavilion on S:t Johannesplan? (Yes, that's its name, the new site south of the Triangle block.) It's a three-room apartment from one of the future residential buildings facing the street. It functions, facade and all, as NCC's viewing pavilion. Many passers-by stop to admire the facade material, which is a metallic-engineered facade screen tile with a slightly rough, darkly shimmering surface.

- Not unlike a salt-glazed Höganäskrus," says Pontus with a twinkle in his eye. "In general, we have made an effort to choose solid materials that also characterize the rest of the site: granite, limestone, glass, stainless steel - and then the dark brick.

The apartments in the courtyard and street buildings went on sale a couple of months ago, and the high-rise building will soon follow. The shopping mall will open in summer 2013. It will have a distinctly urban character with many entrances to the surrounding streets and squares, providing a good interaction with the surrounding city. The same is true on the inside. A dense urban character with streets and squares and clear entrance porticos to the shops. Subdued and colorful at the same time. High intensity just like outside - on S:t Johannesplan.

Marco Pusterla from FOJAB arkitekter debates current urban development issues in tonight's panel discussion at DocLounge, Mejeriet.

The moderator is Klas A. M. Eriksson, independent commentator on urban development issues and other guests on the panel are Per Svensson, journalist, Inga Hallén, Director of Urban Development, Lund Municipality and Mats Hultman, Senior Lecturer, Director of Studies, Department of Architecture and Built Environment, Lund University. The panel discussion will be held in connection with the screening of the short film "The Invisible Helmet" by Fredrik Gertten and the documentary film "Urbanized" by Gary Hustwit. It will start at 19:00.

Per-Aage Nilsson is the right man in the right place. With a background as an athlete, he will have the opportunity to translate his interest in sports into architecture as head of FOJAB's Leisure studio. His projects include Swedbank Stadium in Malmö, the planned football stadium in Lund and Studenternas in Uppsala.

- The Leisure studio focuses on creating new arenas for meetings, socializing and activities that mainly take place outside working hours - such as shopping malls, sports fields, arenas, experience centers and golf courses. In addition to the sports arenas mentioned above, Leisure is working on the urban transformation of the Mobilia shopping center in Malmö together with Jais architects.

Per-Aage Nilsson has competed in ice hockey, football and athletics. This experience is very valuable when he takes on the task of creating and redesigning classic Swedish sports arenas, such as the Studenternas in Uppsala.

What is the challenge with Studenternas?
- Studenternas is a mythical place, home to Sirius and host of the Swedish Championship final in bandy. The sports ground is beautifully located along the Fyrisån river and the site is established in the city. The idea is to preserve the open values as part of the surrounding park and city.

What do you think is new and groundbreaking about the project?
- "We want to build something with strong appeal in the city even when it's not match day. As we see it, it will be a multifunctional arena that is never closed. Our starting point is the park space, and from here we are working to enhance the site and the experience by opening up the space. The feeling should be that the arena belongs to the park. An ordinary arena is surrounded by fences - here we want to do the opposite, and create a meeting place that offers a sunny shortcut through the park. When there is a match, the arena is transformed and of course the party atmosphere should be seen and felt.

What do you think Uppsala residents think about the plans?
- I hope that they, like us, have a desire to have an open arena that is part of the natural walking paths through the park. Being able to sit in the sun in the stands and enjoy the A teams training - that's a great goal!

What is the status of the project?
- We have completed a parallel assignment that dealt with the entire park with a football arena, bandy track, school and housing, but we do not yet know what the future holds. However, we do know that an arena that does not close is an asset in the park in everyday life, and can be built so that it is safe and functional when there is a match. There are many qualities in the work that we have done and much that can be realized in the next phase. An exciting idea in the project is that the football arena should also function for bandy in the winter.

Imagine a shiny ice on the inner court, it will be beautiful!

At Norra Älvstranden in Gothenburg, a new neighborhood for about 60,000 people is emerging. FOJAB architects, together with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU Alnarp and Ekologigruppen, have been selected to participate in a parallel assignment for sustainable ideas and innovative technology for the part of the area that includes Lindholmen Science Park. The theme of the assignment is "Functional use of greenery and water".

Lindholmshamnen is located in the middle of Lindholmen Science Park, an old shipyard area that is now a very expansive part of central Gothenburg. The existing buildings in the area house about 300 high-tech, innovative companies that form a cluster together with research and academia. The area will now be supplemented with housing and local services and the organizer's ambition is to tie in with this innovative environment. The program area is assumed to contain 450 apartments in about 14 multi-storey buildings and three city villas with associated land, as well as premises and preschools on the ground floors and a restaurant on the quayside.

At Lindholmen, the heavy shipbuilding industry has been replaced by Lindholmen Science Park, a world-leading arena for research, innovation and education in mobile internet, intelligent vehicles and transportation systems, and modern media and design. The main purpose of Lindholmen Science Park is to be an arena that stimulates cooperation between companies, academia and society. Today there are over 300 companies with a total of more than 9000 employees. Every day, nearly 20,000 people come to Lindholmen to study or work. Lindholmshamnen is part of Lindholmen Science Park and will include housing, retail, restaurants and a preschool to connect the area and make it more urban.

Norra Älvstranden was originally agricultural land that was gradually used for port purposes. As early as the 1500s, naval ships were built at a shipyard at Slottsberget. In the mid-19th century, the shipyard era started in Gothenburg and the area began to be seriously used as a port for large ships and several industries grew up. The three major shipyards on the riverbank were established between 1845-1867 and consisted of Götaverken, Lindholmens Varv and Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstad. In 1874, the two riverbanks were permanently connected when the Hisingsbron bridge was built. When the shipyard era ended in the late 1970s, empty buildings and unused land remained. Port operations switched to container traffic and new major ports were built further west.

In the mid-1980s, work began on revitalizing Norra Älvstranden. A quality program was drawn up and a new master plan for the 250-hectare area between the bridges. Now a whole new city is taking shape along the river banks.

The parallel assignment is arranged by the consortium behind Lindholmshamnen; Älvstranden Utveckling AB, HSB Göteborg, Peab Sverige and Skanska Nya Hem.

Daniel Nord, architect SAR/MSA, CEO, Joachim Lundquist, architect SAR/MSA, studio manager and Stefan Johansson, architect MSA will give a guest lecture on the theme "Three Housing Projects" at the Department of Architecture at Chalmers in Gothenburg on Wednesday, November 7 at 16.00.

Villa Ask, the first fully inorganic passive house with insulating and sun-protecting sliding window shutters, is now complete.

The pilot project is a collaboration initiated and led by FOJAB arkitekter, together with Elitfönster, Skanska Stomsystem and Byggcity. If the project is successful, the new climate-smart solutions may in the future be used primarily for villas and terraced houses, but also for multi-family houses and office buildings. The sliding shutters were invented by Sune Nilsson at FOJAB arkitekter and patented in 2012.

FOJAB arkitekter together with Jais arkitekter have been awarded the Stadsbyggnadspris 2012, Class Bostäder, for the residential area Hammars Park. The project is a collaboration between FOJAB arkitekter and Jais arkitekter AB on behalf of the developers MKB Fastighets AB and JM.

Hammars Park is one of the City of Malmö's priority development areas where the cost structure has been regulated since the 2003 land allocation competition with the ambition to build housing in different types of tenure.

The Hammars Park project comprises 261 apartments in the southern part of Limhamn.

The dwellings are divided into four tower blocks and seven blocks of flats, with occupancy starting in the fall of 2008 and continuing until January 2010. The style can be described as neo-functionalism, and the architect in charge at FOJAB arkitekter is Stanislaw Welin, who previously won the Grand Urban Planning Prize in 1998.

- "The idea behind Hammars Park is to emphasize the feeling of the sea and beach and the proximity to the adjacent park, where housing and park will merge without clear boundaries," says Stanislaw Welin, lead architect at FOJAB arkitekter.

The jury justifies the choice of Hammars Park: "The architects have brilliantly managed and developed the area's potential, where especially the structure around the fan-shaped placement of the park buildings towards Hammars Park as wedges is almost integrated with the adjacent park."

- Together with Mats White, we have created a coherent experience, a common thread for the area, which is characterized by common and recurring elements in balconies and entrances," says Stanislaw Welin.

- We are very proud of Hammars Park. We see it as an excellent example of a successful collaboration between architects and developers with a clear vision of creating residential areas adapted to the modern person's need for beauty, nature and function. Therefore, it feels extra good to receive this award and confirmation of our joint work, says Daniel Nord, CEO, FOJAB AB.

Release of the report Livskraftiga Orter. On behalf of Region Skåne, Studio Stadsutveckling has developed concrete strategies and tools to increase the attractiveness of Skåne's towns. The idea has been to inspire development work in Skåne's towns to achieve a regional development that benefits the whole of Skåne.

Skåne's towns must become more attractive to attract new residents and businesses. So how do you go about it? The results have been compiled in an inspiring report, Livskraftiga orter, which contains strategies and tools for local development with a focus on attractiveness. The strategies relate primarily to physical planning, but the material also includes strategies for meeting places, tourism, diversity, tolerance and good processes. To have a strong impact, work is required at several levels and in several areas. Attractiveness must be increased for residents, businesses and tourism!

We are happy to come to you and tell you more about how municipalities and developers can work in practice.

Contact Magdalena Hedman to find out more.

Three questions to Joachim Lundquist of FOJAB arkitekter, who designed the housing block in the northern part of the Folkets Park area in Linköping.

It's an exciting proposal for a residential neighborhood that you have developed, and I know that you have worked intensively and enthusiastically on it. If you were to pick out the three most important qualities of the project, what would they be?
- The first thing I think about is the identity of the building. When you come home to your house, you want to feel pride and well-being - "this is my house, this is where I live!". Many older houses, for example from the turn of the century, have this quality and are popular to live in. Often this is linked to a level of craftsmanship and detailing that is difficult to recreate today. But even with modern architecture you can create a strong and positive character, and I think we have succeeded in doing that.

The building has a strong form and a clear idea, and you are greeted by a glazed, welcoming entrance portico. The balconies with their recessed plant beds, the triangular penthouses on the roof and the dark brick with its pine trunk colored windows give the exterior structure and character.

Another important aspect is the layout of the apartments. They are based on an idea with a large continuous room for socializing and a more private part that can be screened off. There is a circulation in the apartment, a quality that is not so common nowadays. This, combined with generous room sizes, allows you to design your home in many different ways.

The living room, with wonderful light from two directions, has a large kitchen island designed for cooking together. From here you can get out onto the balcony with its grow boxes and bring in herbs and put them straight into the pots. I think this is very nice, but there is also the possibility of shielding if you prefer a more traditional kitchen.

The third quality is that greenery is always present. Being able to look out at the swaying tree tops is something that we know is good for people. Residential complements, such as the environmental station, bicycle storage and garage access are bright and attractive on the ground floor behind semi-transparent glass panels. You can't clearly see inside, but you can feel the light and greenery outside. The balconies' and terraces' possibilities for cultivation also contribute to the feeling of greenery and life.

Futurologists predict that the upcoming generation will be more stationary in their homes. How do you see the project from this perspective?
- The generality of the apartments has so much potential to accompany you through life. The dimensions of the rooms make them ideal for many different functions. Couples' bedrooms, sleeping and play rooms, dining rooms, study rooms, residents' rooms - the only limit is your imagination. As all rooms have at least two entrances, you can combine them as you wish.

The house as a whole is accessible and practical. You drive your car down to the garage and take the elevator up from there with grocery bags, stroller, wheelchair and other things that life can bring.

Finally, do you have a favorite apartment in the house?
- I like them all, but if I had to choose one, it would be the most original. It is a four-room corner apartment and it surrounds an inner atrium courtyard that runs the full height of the house. The fourth wall of the courtyard is a plant wall. This is an uncommon solution in Sweden but is common on the continent. In this case, it arose from the need to create a quiet side of an apartment as it faces the road. The greenery, peace and the possibility to see from one side of the apartment to the other via the courtyard make this apartment extraordinary.

I think that's something you can say about the whole project - it's something out of the ordinary.

Four questions to Per Aage Nilsson, contract manager for the Mobilia project at FOJAB arkitekter.

Mobilia is buzzing with activity - what's going on behind the walls?
- We are in full swing with the third phase. It means nothing less than the emergence of a whole new neighborhood. There will be housing, commerce, culture, healthcare, fitness and parking. This stage covers about 66,000 square meters in the central part of Mobilia. Now there will be a structure like a city with streets, pedestrian streets, places and blocks. Here, as well as towards Per Albin Hanssons väg, the buildings open up with entrances to streets and alleys, just like in the traditional inner city environment. Across this, the new coherent bicycle path runs in an east-west direction and on the surrounding streets there will be bus stops for both regional and local buses, perhaps trams," says Per-Aage Nilsson, project manager for the project at FOJAB.

This is the site of a piece of Malmö history. How does that affect the design?
- Yes, it's really exciting. Here was one of Malmö's largest female workplaces, MAB, Manufaktur AB, with more employees than Kockums. The facades at that time, at the turn of the last century, were designed and built as beautiful brick architecture. The entire interior was ordered as a prefabricated structure with steel columns and wooden trusses in sawtooth form to bring in daylight. Much is preserved under layers of superstructure, so a lot of the work involves picking out and renovating the masonry. Some is supported while waiting for a new interior, while other parts are demolished and rebuilt. "We not only preserve but strengthen the industrial character and are happy to tell Mobilia's story. For example, we have made three meter high caryatids in graphic concrete. The motifs are three different fashion photographs from the 1950s, two of which were taken by Karin Olofsdotter, a female pioneer in fashion photography.

Further expansion of shopping centers in Malmö - how will Mobilia compete?
- From being a textile metropolis around 1900, the situation for Malmö changed. Competition from other countries led to the closure of production at Mobilia in 1967. Instead, a shopping center emerged, and it is safe to say that Mobilia is well-established and successful as a commercial location. As well as adding more shops, the area is becoming part of city life in a wider sense. Housing, together with restaurants, cafés, fitness and cultural facilities that have different opening hours than the shops, will lead to life and movement both in and to and from the area almost around the clock.

How do you feel about working on the project?
- This has been going on for a few years now. Our partner Jais-Nielsen White Arkitekter won the competition for the design of the entire Mobilia area back in 2008. The year before, Atrium Ljungberg had acquired everything except the housing in the north. "In order to keep the business going, we have worked with a phased approach and are designing while building is going on. It is an extremely exciting process where everyone works together to achieve the goals. The City of Malmö is on board - they are working to ensure that the surrounding streets are not thoroughfares, but have the character of city streets with good crossings for pedestrians and cyclists. "Our client, Atrium Ljungberg, builds to own and chooses good quality solutions and materials. I personally enjoy working on projects that contain everything. All the elements that create a good, safe and stimulating city life. I am absolutely convinced that this is what we will see when everything is completed in 2013.

The Fullriggaren parking garage is now inaugurated - an innovative step towards a more sustainable society. FOJAB arkitekter has, on behalf of Parkering Malmö, designed the parking garage Fullriggaren in Västra Hamnen in Malmö. The parking garage has its own electricity supply and a free car pool for residents. With solar cells and wind turbines, the building will cover a large part of its own energy needs.

The goal is for the parking garage to use half as much energy as a conventional parking garage. Energy-efficient LED lighting, 145 square meters of solar panels on the façade and two wind turbines on the roof will achieve this. On a sunny and windy day, the surplus electricity will be used to charge electric cars. A beautiful green wall of about 500 square meters will add greenery to the area and have a number of positive environmental effects. The plants neutralize carbon dioxide emissions and bind particles in the air. Bright yellow birdhouses will contribute to the development of flora and fauna in Västra Hamnen.

Car sharing reduces the need for parking spaces
Residents in the area are offered five years of free membership in a car pool, which has prompted the municipality to make a radical decision: to reduce the total number of parking spaces in the area.

- It is important to us that our projects are characterized by an environmental and sustainability mindset. We believe this can be one of many ways to reduce car dependency. The car pool provides access to a car when you really need it but does not encourage a car-based lifestyle," says Anders Eriksson, architect and contract manager for the Fullriggaren parking garage.

The history of the area as a source of inspiration
The ideas of sustainability and good environment are also reflected in the architecture. Fullriggaren does not look like a traditional parking garage with concrete floors stacked on top of each other, but has a clear vertical design language in the facade. Västra Hamnen's history of large-scale shipbuilding has inspired the choice of steel and concrete as building materials.

The Fullriggaren parking garage is the latest in a series of innovative parking garage projects commissioned by FOJAB arkitekter from Parkering Malmö.

- It is an inspiring collaboration on a number of projects that are characterized by innovative thinking about social and resource sustainability and architectural design. But this is probably the first time we have been commissioned to design for people, birds and bats," says Anders Eriksson.

FOJAB has been selected as one of four offices to produce an idea sketch for the station area in Höör.

The assignment covers an area with businesses, west of Höörs station, which will be transformed into an attractive, sustainable and vibrant residential area with elements of historical buildings. The results of the parallel assignment will be presented on FOJAB's website later this spring.

The firm was selected in competition with 40-50 architectural firms. The jury justified its choice by saying that the firm has good experience of similar projects that "show new thinking where the site and the surrounding conditions are taken advantage of and with good design given a new identity".

On March 15, Cementa's new silo in Malmö's northern harbor was inaugurated by Ilmar Reepalu, Chairman of the City Council.

FOJAB has designed the new super silo which, with its diameter of 26 m and height of 93 m, is the second tallest building in Malmö and one of the largest cement silo facilities in Europe. As Cementa leaves its site in Limhamn, it makes room for new housing, and the people of Limhamn are spared heavy transportation through the community.

- The slip-formed cement tank has been linked to the surface-mounted transportation tower to create a coherent and shimmering white sculptural form. At the top is a lookout room that glows an intense blue at night, turning the silo into a lighthouse that can be seen from afar," says architect Greger Dahlström.

On December 2, Ilmar Reepalu, Chairman of the City Council, Lars Svensson, Chairman of MKB and Sonny Modig, CEO of MKB, broke ground on the 89 rental apartments that MKB will build in Hyllie along the main street Hyllie Boulevard. The block is a stone's throw from the City Tunnel and the closest neighbors are Emporia and Malmö Arena.

The building is constructed at an angle with seven and ten floors, with three commercial premises on the ground floor and a lush courtyard with a communal barbecue area on the second floor.

The apartments maintain a very high interior standard in terms of choice of materials. The apartments have one or two balconies or a patio and all apartments have a large bathroom with a washing column. The facade of the building will consist of board material in varying shades and structures with different expressions towards Hyllie Boulevard and Hyllie Vattenparksgata.

The building will be environmentally classified according to Miljöbyggnad, which means a particularly strong focus in the areas of energy, indoor environment and materials. In the project, MKB will also work with solar energy, biodiversity and green space factor. Occupancy will take place in stages from the fourth quarter of 2013.

Read more about the project on Hyllie.com

FOJAB arkitekter has been commissioned by HSB Östergötland to design a new residential quarter with 50 apartments at Folkets Park in Linköping.

The block in question is a challenge mainly because of its location on the edge of the area, right next to a noisy thoroughfare to the west. To the east, there is a part of the park that is almost like a forest hill, and it is against this lushness that the block opens up its interior.

The elevated courtyard is intended to be characterized by playfulness, greenery and water features. Via a staircase and a wide opening in the ground floor of the building, it connects with the local street that leads further south into the residential area. The water mirrors are an important element of the courtyard design as they reflect light and forest greenery into the homes. Together with the terraces, they become the link between the courtyard and the forest.

Folkets Park, which was inaugurated in 1921, is centrally located in Linköping and is characterized by a lush park environment. A small, central part of the park will be retained and renovated for its original purpose and the rest will be developed with five-storey apartment buildings and a small terraced house area - a total of about 300 new homes.

Mariaskolan, an independent school with students in grades F-9, will open its new premises designed by FOJAB architects in the fall of 2011.

- "It is wonderful and almost unreal that we have now reached our goal," says Ann-Christin Berglund, principal of Mariaskolan, which is ready to be used by 250 expectant students and staff.

- It is so clearly the start of something new. We already notice that we see each other and meet in a completely different way than before. The premises create opportunities and help us to develop the school's content, pedagogically and methodologically. They invite new ways of working - to explore and renew our activities.

With a 20-year-old temporary building permit and a single-storey section building nearing the end of its technical life, the situation became urgent to address. A working group was set up to investigate the premises issue from a broad perspective. Everything from virgin land in other parts of the city to renting premises in the local area was considered. In parallel, a program work with study visits and pedagogical reflections took place. Even at this early stage, Viveca Rosencrantz, commissioned architect at FOJAB arkitekter, was involved in the work.

- It's actually very simple. It's all about thinking ahead," says Viveca. The directional decisions you make early on will guide you through the entire process. Well prepared early stages create participation and stability in the project and give us as architects the opportunity to build long-term values for the client. The process led to the decision to build a new building on the existing site, for an almost doubled number of pupils. In order to free up as much schoolyard space as possible, a zoning change was applied for in order to build on three floors. A compact building structure with a small footprint on the ground became a prerequisite.

Mariaskolan is special: it is run by a Christian parents' association, half of the children have an immigrant background and year after year it is among the three best schools in southern Sweden in terms of results. An independent school operates in an open market, so it is important to have a building with a profile that communicates what the school stands for. Simple materials, light concrete and corrugated metal, in a clear and bold design language give the building its own identity. The interior is colorful and graphically distinctive.

- From the outset, the school expressed a strong desire to safeguard the qualities and values that underpin the good results. Simplicity, closeness between students and staff, peace of mind and openness both internally and externally were key concepts," says Viveca Rosencrantz.

This is also reflected in the finished building. In order to provide peace and quiet, a solution was chosen with home classrooms that have visual contact with adjacent rooms via glazed entrances over corners. Both classrooms and staff work and break rooms are relatively small in favor of the common areas, and meeting and group rooms can be used by everyone.

The compact body of the building is crossed by corridors and group rooms in line, which are terminated by large glass panels. The design brings light into the interior of the school and provides views of the surrounding world. Ann-Christin Berglund concludes:

- At school, you should be able to ask curious questions, think big thoughts and process them in interaction with others. We feel that we have a building that invites just that.

We welcome Lisa Mannheimer, architect SIR/MSA, to FOJAB arkitekter.

Lisa has worked in several architectural offices, including FOJAB, Samark and White, but mainly on her own, in recent years in the Architects and Friends network.

- "I look forward to being a driving force in FOJAB arkitekter, which is in an exciting development phase," says Lisa. Good projects emerge in the collaboration between clients, users and other consultants, and a prerequisite is that the interior design work is integrated from the early stages, where it can be about the meeting with the end users, as well as the choice of materials and room volumes. It is therefore natural to deepen the project-based collaboration between building and interior architects through my move to FOJAB.

In FOJAB's model workshop, Magnus Nilsson is ready to help you. The physical model is a superb tool both during the work process and for presenting and discussing finished proposals.

Whether you need simple working models or an advanced presentation model, you are welcome to contact Magnus.

Älmhult's Environmental and Building Committee has decided to award the Sauer Danfoss house on Skånevägen the 2011 building prize. The building was designed by FOJAB architects through Per Aage Nilsson, Niklas Sonestad and Bernt Borgestig.

The justification reads:
"With the construction of its office and company building, Sauer Danfoss demonstrates that it is possible to achieve a building of high architectural value with relatively simple means.

• Through meticulous detailing and elegant coloring.
• Through a window arrangement that is consistent with the division of the facade panels in the facade.
• By designing the water drainage as an integral part of the facade.
• By seeing the signage system as an important part of the whole, both in terms of size, color and placement.
• Through the sparing use of color in the facade. Black on the outer shell and white as the façade folds into the building. Silver gray columns, water drainage and solar shading.
• By elegantly linking the factory and office parts of the building.
• By incorporating the solar shading as an integral part of the façade

Overall, the building is well coherent and contemporary in terms of architecture, color scheme and choice of materials."

The award was presented during the Älmhult Days on August 27, 2011.

FOJAB architects, together with Snöhetta, Lund University and Fastighets AB ML 4, are now showing the first concept images of the buildings for MAX IV in Lund. The world's most powerful synchrotron radiation facility will be a shiny silver storage ring floating above a sea of rolling green hills. The storage ring will be 210 meters in diameter and bordered by a shimmering white office volume.

FOJAB arkitekter was commissioned to design the buildings for MAX IV by Fastighets AB ML 4 and is working together with Snöhetta on design issues, with FOJAB responsible for the buildings and Snöhetta for the landscape. The assignments went to FOJAB and Snöhetta after a preparatory process in which four international constellations of architects sketched the project in parallel on behalf of the property owner.

- "We are very pleased to have been asked to take on the design of MAX IV. It is a fascinating task to design a building that reflects its high-tech content and at the same time becomes a landmark in Lund," says Greger Dahlström, chief architect at FOJAB and responsible for the proposal.

Max IV - high-tech hotspot created in northern Lund, Sweden
When it opens in 2014, Max IV will stand alone in the open agricultural landscape on the northern edge of Lund. The area will gradually be developed with new residential and business areas, and north of the facility, along the highway, Science City will serve as a meeting point between MAX IV and ESS (European Spallation Source), a research facility for neutron scattering.

MAX IV is thus part of a context, which gradually transforms from an open landscape to a complex urban environment with streets, squares and park spaces.

Technology leaps drive design development
As new technologies are developed and tested, the MAX IV buildings will also undergo changes, both internally and externally. It is likely that the entire facility will, over time, expand significantly through the addition of new building volumes. The process requirements, both today and tomorrow, in terms of logistics, organization, work environment, vibration damping and more, have been challenging and provided inspiring contributions to the architectural design.

New landmark for Lund
The large open spaces around the site have been shaped into an undulating green sea, whose wave pattern helps to reduce ground vibrations and over which the site's iconic building, the shiny silver storage ring, floats.

MAX IV enables new advances in a number of areas such as biomedicine, medicine, materials science, nanotechnology and environmental science. The cost of the MAX IV facility has been estimated at around SEK 3 billion, which according to Lars Börjesson, the Swedish Research Council's Principal Secretary for Infrastructure, makes it the single largest research investment in Sweden ever.

Architect SAR/MSA Charlotte Kristensson will be the new studio manager at FOJAB arkitekter as of August. Charlotte comes from White arkitekter's Malmö office, where she was a partner and project manager in the office, education and commercial sectors.

Charlotte Kristensson is also the mastermind and developer of an early stage process tool called 'Strategic Facility Planning'. It is used in long-term strategic planning for real estate portfolios of, for example, municipalities or other large property owners. The process establishes a common overall view and strategy that provides a basis for early decisions and broad participation by all concerned.

- We have formed a new organization within FOJAB arkitekter to better meet the needs and development potential of each business area. The recruitment of Charlotte Kristensson as studio manager is part of that strategy. Charlotte's solid experience and expertise, with a focus on early stages, is a valuable addition in the development phase we are in now, says Daniel Nord, CEO of FOJAB arkitekter.

The new organization within FOJAB arkitekter consists of seven studios, all of which have specialist knowledge and focus on their segment of the market.

- "I am very much looking forward to becoming part of the new organization at FOJAB. It is exciting and stimulating, with the tools and methods I have in my baggage, to be involved in developing the company into the next phase, says Charlotte Kristensson.