Planterials

Anders Berensson is proud to present the latest research from Full Scale Studio, Planterials. New building materials that do not pollute our planet invented from renewable living organisms such as Wood, Shells, Clay, Ash, Mycelium, Cork, Bark, Reed, Straw, Moss, Papper ......  Do not miss the opening Tuesday December 13 at the KTH School of Architecture entrance 16:00-19:00

Log Lego Park

Anders Berensson Architects has been commissioned by AMF Fastigheter to design a small, affordable easy to build pocket park in Södermalm Stockholm. The park should be built just weeks after getting the commission so the concept for the park became to design a rapid and robust building system that could host the most common park elements such as seating, tables, trees and bike racks. Due to limited time the office investigated different of the shelves products to build the park from. The products selected for this project became standard square profile studs "Sparre" in different sizes. The building system became a lego of these studs placed in straight angles to each other making a super simple structure to build that is both cheap, robust and smart enough to host typical park functions. By making every layer of studs protrude over the next the structure is really easy to add components too such as bicycle parking, benches and tables. The big voids inside the stacks serves as foundations for ten cherry trees. All cherry trees are equipped with a string of light bulbs giving light to the park during night hours.

Park in May 

Birdhouses

The park in August 

Bike rack 

Lunch tables 

The park in November 

assembly drawing 

Section

Plan

B-Sides

We like to do projects that raises questions often found in the specific need of a client, site, situation or global issues that needs an architectural answer. The questions and how we answer them becomes the backbone of our architecture and the given stories when we present our projects. Although we often deal with multiple questions and answers we try to boil down our process into one narrative that explain the overall design concept. We take pride in being straight to the point and clear about why and how we do our architecture, not only for the sake of presentation but because we know it helps us develop our project further when we know the logic and aim of what we are designing. Although we like this way of communicating, the reduction of narratives do have its downsides. It often exclude fun detours, thrown away sketches, discussions, excursions, episodes, sly tricks, processes or ironic turns and background stories. Things that sometimes from an architects perspective can be even more interesting to hear about than the actual finished project story. These detours and side stories are hard to showcase and would just be confusing to include in our presentation of a new project. However they can be fun to read about in another forum. Therefore we added the feature B-Sides. The home of the less developed outcast cousins to the well-produced good prospect A-Sides. You will find this extra material at the end of some of our new published projects and future ones. As a premiere don't miss the B-Side of "Eldklot" a bonus track named "Erectus Grande"  one of our best detours so far that transformed into its own parallel project, a project that frightened and gave hope to the citizens of a midsize Swedish town.  

Eldklot

Anders Berensson Architects has designed a proposal for a new water reservoir outside the Swedish city of Örebro. The competition brief asked for a design to shape the new water reservoir into a grand monument that could continue the tradition of the former water tower “Svampen” known locally for its unique shape and viewing deck. We wanted to create a new landmark just like “Svampen”. A landmark that is not only for show.  We want to create a landmark shaped from a function of serving the city with necessities. Water is an important prerequisite for society to function but by building a low “hidden” reservoir it is hard to display. So we decided to add an equally important prerequisite; energy. We proposed that the new water reservoir would not only collect water but also provide the city of Örebro with solar energy. The proposed building is a sphere covered with a reflecting surface of solar panels facing south generating energy for the city. Towards north the sphere opens itself to the public with an illuminated inside of LED lights gleaming like a ball of fire ( Eldklot in Swedish) towards the city of Örebro in the evening. The new landmark will be visible from afar and look different depending on what angle and time of the day you’ll see it from. The sphere holds great opportunities to host various festivals and events. We hoped that by being a generous public building with a timeless shape dressed with environmentally friendly technology it could become a new modern symbol for the city of Örebro to enjoy.

Back in Full Scale

After a parental leave from my duties at KTH School of Architecture I am glad to be back running KTH's Full Scale Studio alongside Anders Berensson Architects . I will try to keep you posted of some future events that the studio is undertaking. Meanwhile you can always visit the studio home page or get a sneak peak of our recent adventures below.

Material harvesting
This year the studio try to keep a low budget and a low carbon footprint by tearing down old houses and reuse its timber instead of buying new timber from the wood-shop.

Tearing down and old summer house outside Stockholm

Proud to be almost done

Mission completed 

Lots of new timber to be reused for new Studio projects

Tri-Shed

This year we go mobile by building a movable tool-shed that is one bigger unit at School and divided into three smaller parts when out on the town doing projects.

Building the Tri-Shed

Tri-Shed Drawing and material list

Drawing of cuts

Elevations

Tri-Shed Section

Tri-Shed inside KTH School of Architecture

Power Tower

Anders Berensson Architects has been commissioned by the Kungl Djurgårdens förvaltning ( Swedish Royal Court ) to investigate the future of twelve big power towers. The towers is no longer in use and stands in the urban national park Norra Djurgården in central Stockholm. ABA proposes to transform one or two of them into picnic towers with a magnificent view over the park and the city of Stockholm. 

The towers are constructed to carry heavy power lines over the tree tops in the park making them strong enough to hold platforms and high enough to give a great view. The added stairs and platforms are made in wood to reduce weight and to contrast to the old structure. The towers are designed with a kiosk in the lower levels that can sell snacks and beverages for the picnic and also open and close the towers for the public at summertime. 

Principal drawing of attaching the new structure 

View from the towers

Map of the park and towers

Tower in day time and night time

Apple Headquarter

This summer Anders Berensson Architects has designed and built the headquarter for a very special and loved little client in a garden at Limhamn, Sweden. The headquarter is shaped like an apple since it is placed on top of an old dead apple tree. The interior of this stake out is a bench, some thin plywood shelves for books and a periscope hidden inside a rotating apple twig to spy on the surrounding villa gardens. The structure is built out of two big plywood sheets that has been jigsawed into an interlocking apple shape and then clad with poly-carbonate sheets creating a transparent and super strong headquarter.

The playhouse in action

Interior of the Apple headquarter

Sketch of the headquarter

1 to 1 drawing on plywood sheet