Buddinge Byport

The architectural vision is to create a building which dwells on diversity and design, and that relates to the very special urban context in which it is located. The building is perceived as a transitional element that captures the shift in functionality, between the terraced houses placed Eastward and Moe’s Offices placed on the West side of Buddingevej. The new development is planned as an open courtyard with a coherent design language and variation in height, where the challenge is to provide daylight into the courtyard. This is achieved by keeping the height lowest to the East and South-East corner. Furthermore, light enters the South-West wing of the building through a continuous passage that connects the courtyard to the main square. This brings into play a new connection across the development, by use of a safe and intimate courtyard which benefits from natural daylight and privacy.

Architecturally, we work with the motif of the traditional building body, that introduces a base, seen as a transitioning element from terrain to facades. The base is therefore characterized by a more palpable level of detailing at eye height. On upper levels, we create a building body that is rich in variation in its aesthetics, forming a transition from base to ”roof”.

The building varies between 2-6 storeys. This, together with a offsets of the vertical facade, provide variation and architectural playfulness with the surrounding green pockets. The aim of the displacements and thus the downscaling of the volumes is to create apartments of various sizes as well as green balconies. Emphasis has thus been placed on ensuring that the projects contribution to the densification of the area is both meaningful, inviting and humble to the surroundings.

Constructively, the office building will have a main CLT body, while the facade as a whole will consist of a relatively open construction, with glass sections and columns that provide clear interaction between inside and outside, showcasing the life inside the building. The entrance is placed in the North-West corner of the building, and is made visible through a colonnade solution that expands across 2 floors.

From the 1st floor and above, the facade consists of a smaller horizontal outcropping made of fiber concrete, independent of the construction inside. Stretched vertically between the fiber concrete elements, wooden panels are placed at an angle with the facade. The slanted sections act as passive shading elements and are angled according to the direction of the sun, so direct sunlight is avoided.

The facades of the residential building will be cladded in quality masonry, with variation and expression that gives the facades life. The building has several offsets in the facade line, which help break the monotonous facade and add individuality to each residence.

The facades appear in a light yellow-grey shade of recycled brick. The ground floor is covered in a base motif, differentiated from the upper floors through an added level of detail. The color palette is inspired by the light shades of the surrounding buildings on Nordvad street, thus establishing an urban relationship between the existing and the new. In chosen locations on the facade, wood is used in conjunction with window sections, to give the facade ad added layer of substance, variation and character. The window divisions are connected horizontally to create the expression of larger horizontal sections, which shift in expression from floor to floor.