EUROPAN 12 sought submissions on the theme The Adaptable City - Inserting Urban Rhythms. The chosen site lies within the municipality of Hammarö, a satellite to the neighbouring hub of Karlstad, a university city with 62,000 inhabitants. The area has untouched forests, farmlands and a scenic lake archipelago. Today most people live here in single family detached houses. The municipality owns little land and wishes to find an alternative to surface-consuming suburban sprawl. The brief called for the creation of an independent housing community with a clear ecological and socially sustainable profile.

Our proposal sought to manifest a clear identity for the site by reinforcing existing built relationships and creating new connections to the surroundings. Access to the coastline, walking paths through the forests and along farmlands and the maintenance of existing natural qualities were considered.