Smartby Montana
Our architectural ambitions for Smartby Montana are informed by simple concepts of re-use, small-scale density and shared spaces. The project resembles a cluster tun (Norwegian hamlet) where every inhabitant had their house built by the same carpenter: three variations of a prefabricated module are placed around the existing Eviny building, which transforms into a house for people, culture and work. The placement of the new houses defines a series of space which scales vary between a little garden courtyard to a generous public plaza, designed to service the new Montana inhabitants and their neighbours. The height of each house is determined by the desired sun exposure around it, while their placement follows the topography gently – this allows for beautiful views unto the woody surroundings. Spatial and social sensitivities are strengthened with a careful distribution of programs which in turn activates different parts of the site at different parts of the day. We believe that community-building is really about synchronizing user needs and creating opportunities for sharing resources and places, and thus sharing life.
What does the cluster tun teach us about managing proximities? Vestland cluster tuns grew from a specific context: steep topography, scarce resources and a strong set of legal and social customs informed the tun, which form arose as a rational response to such a context. This form laid the basics for social interactions and relations, which unfolded in spaces situated between the tun’s buildings – spaces that showed many degrees of publicness and privacy, as they were the theatre of the inhabitants’ negotiating practices. This caused a plastic spatial division, one that was open for compromise and adjustment as the social composition of the tun evolved. New legal apparatuses led to deep changes. Not only were built forms spread out, but group relations and practices were broken. As said, today’s work for the creation of good neighborhoods – ones which stimulate interaction, negotiation and other sharing practices – cannot simply consist in recreating the physical form of the tun; it must also address the legal tools that shape its occupants’ life.
These are times which demands the courage for a change in the way we conceptualize everyday life in our homes, yards and streets: Eviny has positioned itself as an actor ready to take on the challenge, and we support this vision for a sustainable future with our mountain village. In place of semi-privatized dead ends, the Montana site becomes a key site where services and inhabitants are present in critical numbers, with an architecture that respects the surrounding, existing urban fabric. As we get rid of dividing property lines, the aesthetic of the “enebolig” is turned on its head and provides the opportunity for green and welcoming in-between plazas and gardens. We bring the qualities of an historical cluster tun unto a virgin surface, with the renovated BKK building as strong centre. Supporting programs like the Orangerie or the café act as attractors of a larger public into the “civic” heart of the mountain village, making our built project a generous and inclusive one. A green parcelhage covers the top of the underground traffo, optimizing the available space in a user-friendly way.
