Ankers Hage Housing / Solli arkitekter

Ankers Hage Housing / Solli arkitekter

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Text description provided by the architects. Anker Hage is a small housing project in the center of the city of Drammen, Norway. The project´s design is inspired by the historical structure of the property. The buildings surround a beautiful and lush garden. The garden has been one of the cornerstones of the design, as the old garden is a historical feature on the site. The old garden inspired the layout and plants of the new garden. However, the new garden has got clearer features and is more accessible than the old garden.

The building shields the garden from the streets, but opens to the south and west, to let the sun in. The garden space is kept open, and historic vegetation is re-established to adapt to the new function of the garden.

In the south-eastern corner of the property, an old apartment building has been preserved and refurbished and is an integrated part of the complex. The new building has strong references to history and scale, the division of the façade and roof shaping makes it blend elegantly into the neighborhood.

The garden facades are clad with wood and the balconies have steel railings, with spaced balusters design that gives an effect of transparency. This softens and opens the apartments towards the light from the southwest.

The characteristic window frames in the eastern part of the garden facades are designed to improve privacy to neighbor apartments and balconies and to give the building a distinct character.

The facades facing the streets are a continuation of the old apartment building. The building is divided into two distinct main volumes which have different heights and colors. The facades are brick-clad. The brick is used to make relief on parts of the facades to add detail and emphasize the historical division of the area. The facades have been designed with several details to create a connection to the old apartment building.