Villa Ask Housing / Reiulf Ramstad Architects

Curated by Paula Pintos

Architects: Reiulf Ramstad Architects
Area: 2000 m²
Year: 2019
Photographs:Mariela Apollonio
Manufacturers: GRAPHISOFT, Randers Tegl, Kvänum
Lead Architects: Reiulf Ramstad, Christian Skram Fuglset, Caspar Cappelen
Acoustics: Planakustikk AS
Landscape: Reiulf Ramstad Architects
Electrical: Ledende Elektro

Text description provided by the architects. The new high-quality housing project offers 15 innovative apartments, sheltered in green and lush surroundings in Askeveien, Skøyen, Oslo. The residential building band together with the adjacent historical landscape and built environment in a respectful manner while adopting a modern language in an area under development. Skøyen, west part of Oslo, is since the late 80’s being transformed from an old industrial area to a modern business district with a growing number of residentials. There are high ambitions to make Skøyen a lively neighborhood through densifying the area and advancing public transport which will make it one of Norway’s largest junctions. The site is only a few minutes’ walk away surrounded by private houses and villa-like multi-family dwellings in a diverse architectonic language, many of which are listed for conservation. With proximity to an English park, ash-trees dominates the lush greenery around the plots and has given name to the street and the project.

Villa Ask respect its contexts in a humble manner and adapts the language of the adjacent buildings, leaving green space towards the street while creating a calm, park-like living atmosphere. Offsets in the volume and the pitched-roof make the complex appear lighter while giving the Villa a distinct formal character. Villa Ask is terraced in a sloping landscape, using it to achieve private outdoor spaces to all apartments. The play with the roof geometry allows the penthouse apartments generous ceiling heights and sheltered roof terraces. The terracing allows simple access to the built-in garage and creates a vertical distance from the entry level to the apartments oriented south while the other facades are leveled with the terrain for direct access to the garden outside.

The garden has been essential in creating the interior atmosphere aiming to maximize the green influence on all spaces. Different placed balconies, leaps and bay windows allows all apartments the best out of their placement and limits views inside. Villa Ask is wrapped in hand-basin, long-shaped bricks in earthy tones to fit to the green surrounding while referring to the historical use of brick in the area. The material palette is simple, limited and easy to maintain - chosen for low emission to reduce need of ventilation. Kitchen and bathroom have specially designed solutions in high quality to make use of the space in best possible way.