"Largest wooden building in Iceland" to occupy landfill site in Reykjavík

Architecture studios Jakob+MacFarlane and T.ark have designed a low-carbon cross-laminated timber building called Living Landscape that will transform a landfill site in Iceland's capital city.

Slated for completion in 2026, the 26,000-square-metre mixed-use building is set to become the "largest wooden building in Iceland" once complete.

Living Landscape has been developed by French studio Jakob+MacFarlane and local studio T.ark to give new life to the polluted landscape and offer a prototype for similar future developments in Reykjavík.

"The project recreates a fragment of authentic natural landscape on top of polluted land to compensate for years of pollution and heal the man-made damage to what has once been a beautiful coastal landscape," Jakob+MacFarlane told Dezeen.

Project is a Reinventing Cities winner

Once complete, the project will contain a mix of housing for students, elderly people and families, alongside workspaces, daycare facilities and local shops.

It is among the 49 winning projects of the Reinventing Cities competition, which was organised by global network C40 Cities to encourage the transformation of underused urban spaces into "beacons of sustainability and resiliency".

The projects strive to help urban areas meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change by minimising carbon emissions.

Above: Living Landscape will be a low-carbon cross-laminated timber building. Top image: it will transform a landfill site in Iceland

The Reinventing Cities programme encourages projects to minimise both embodied carbon – emissions generated during material production and construction – and operational carbon, which are emissions caused by the building's usage.

Jakob+MacFarlane and T.ark are aiming for net-zero emissions, meaning the design will eliminate all possible emissions and offset any that cannot be eliminated by removing carbon from the atmosphere.

CLT will reduce embodied carbon "by almost 80 per cent"

According to Jakob+MacFarlane, this will be achieved in part by using a prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure.

"The CLT construction reduces the embodied carbon of external walls by almost 80 per cent compared to a typical concrete structure used in Iceland," the studio explained.

"The [remaining] embodied emissions will be offset through either wetland recovery or forestry, making the building effectively carbon neutral."

Among the other materials used in the building will be Panoblocs, a type of prefabricated and insulated wall panel with a wooden exterior, which can be easily removed and adapted.

Read:

Urban developments that "strive for zero carbon" to start on site in Milan, Paris, Reykjavik and Oslo

Living Landscapes' operational carbon emissions are expected to be minimal, due to high levels of insulation and use of waste-heat recovery systems and thermostat-controlled underfloor heating.

However, the energy it will require will be sourced from an existing district electricity and heat network powered by renewable hydropower and geothermal energy sources.

Nature to be reintroduced to site

Reintroducing nature to the old landfill site will also be a key part of the scheme. There will be an undulating roof garden and farm, alongside a large central courtyard designed as a communal park for the residents.

"The idea of living with and around nature is key to our project," said Jakob+MacFarlane.

The courtyard will be modelled on Icelandic landscapes, incorporating a mix of rocks, water and plants, which is hoped to encourage insects and birds to occupy the site.

"We aim to enable a fully functioning local ecosystem composed of earth and rocks, water and plants, insects and birds," the studio explained. "Protected from freezing by geothermal heat, this green oasis will develop its own microclimate and, hopefully, become a new generator of life."

Read:

Arney Fender Katsalidis to transform Tuscolana railway site into low-carbon 15-minute city

Living Landscape is now being continually developed by Jakob+MacFarlane and T.ark with landscape architects Landslag and environmental experts EFLA.

Another winner of the Reinventing Cities competition was architect Arney Fender Katsalidis, who is developing a low-carbon neighbourhood in Rome. The mixed-use project will transform a disused railway site, make use of biomaterials and will feature reversible buildings.

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Stone-clad cubes form tequila distillery offices in Jalisco by 1540 Arquitectura

The offices of the Casa Leyros tequila distillery are located in stone buildings arranged around tranquil courtyards by Mexican firm 1540 Arquitectura.

Situated in the town of Tequila in Mexico's Jalisco province, the small office building was designed by Guadalajara-based studio 1540 Arquitectura for roughly 20 employees.

The Casa Leyros distillery offices comprises cubes clad in local stone

The design draws influence from the courtyard houses prevalent in the area, with the intention to create more welcoming and casual workspaces.

"From the local architecture, we took as reference the multiple courtyards and gardens found in the typical houses and haciendas, which refresh the interior and at the same time are pleasant to see, an aspect we consider important for a workspace," said 1540 Arquitectura.

Conference rooms are wrapped in glass, contrasting the rest of the building

The low-slung building is organised by a central corridor that provides access to offices on either side, housed within stone-covered cube shapes that delineate courtyards in between them.

"The corridor becomes a space that seeks casual encounters between all the workers in the company," the studio said.

Interiors are designed to feel homey, with wood panelling and furniture

Breaking up the building's program into these individual boxes allows each office to enjoy views of a courtyard, according to architect Jaime Castillo of 1540 Arquitectura.

Matching the area's relatively dry climate, the landscape surrounding the building is filled with resilient plants and cacti that thrive with little maintenance.

"In addition, these gardens become visible in the route through the central corridor, producing an alternation between mass and emptiness," the architect added.

The offices range from private suites to small rooms for collaborative work. At either end of the corridor, two large conference rooms housed in glazed volumes accommodate larger meetings.

A corridor connects the various offices and meeting rooms

The glass contrasts with the Laja stone, a material prevalent in the region, used to clad the other volumes.

"We are interested and inspired by the stones visible in the cuts of the hills caused by the passage of the roads, which reveal the material that is in the subsoil of the area," Castillo explained.

The residential look of the interiors is intended to feel casual and welcoming

The interiors are also more evocative of a cosy house than of an office setting.

With the exception of the conference rooms, most of the interior surfaces are lined with wood panels. Deep leather couches, brass lighting, and stone countertops reinforce this warm palette.

1540 Arquitectura modelled the design on the courtyard houses found across the region

1540 Arquitectura was established in 2015, in the nearby city of Guadalajara.

Other projects that have been completed by the young firm include a home that appears to be made entirely of travertine, and a tequila-tasting pavilion for another distillery in the same town.

The photography is by [credit requested]

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The Tulip by Foster + Partners features in today's Dezeen Weekly newsletter

The latest edition of our Dezeen Weekly newsletter features The Tulip tourist attraction designed by Foster + Partners.

UK housing secretary Michael Gove is expected to approve the construction of the 300-metre-high Tulip tower, overruling London mayor Sadiq Khan's previous decision to refuse planning permission for the building.

The controversial decision has sparked debate amongst commenters, who have dubbed it "The Covid-19 Swab".

Ten must-see pavilions at Dubai Expo 2020

Other stories in this week's newsletter include our selection of the ten must-see pavilions at Dubai Expo 2021, the set designs for Netflix's hit show Squid Game, and Stefano Boeri's Trudo Vertical Forest social housing tower in Eindhoven.

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Usonian architecture informs Sereneco restaurant in Greenpoint by Carpenter + Mason

Elevated planting, earthy tones and natural materials are all found inside a restaurant designed by New York studio Carpenter + Mason in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighbourhood.

The all-day restaurant serves New American fare in a ground-floor space inside the historic Pencil Factory building on bustling Franklin Street.

Sereneco occupies a double-height space in a former pencil factory

Sereneco means "serenity" in Esperanto, a language developed for international communication in the late 19th century.

The auxiliary language has associations with the Usonian architecture movement heralded by Frank Lloyd Wright – Usono is the name for the United States in Esperanto, which also informed design decisions for the restaurant.

Customers are greeted by a ficus plant growing through a marble counter

Owner Billy Van Doelson and partner Jim Nawn worked with Carpenter + Mason and Cocozza Group on the design and construction.

Much of the original industrial building was preserved, including exposed brick walls and concrete floors.

The restaurants provides seating for 70 diners

The double-height dining room benefits from 20-foot-high (six-metre) ceilings, punctuated by skylights that provide natural illumination.

Large spherical paper pendants are also suspended from the ceiling, hung at the same level as wooden planters installed around the perimeter – a nod to the Usonian value of incorporating of nature into architecture.

Wooden furniture and terracotta tiles add warmth to the formerly industrial space

Upon arrival, guests are immediately met by a tall ficus tree, which grows through a hole in a green marble bar counter.

Pale wood chairs, stools and tables offer seating for 70 diners, including five at the marble chef's counter at the back of the room.

Light-green stools also provide casual spots along the main bar, which runs almost the full length of the space.

"Across from the dining room sits a welcoming 25-foot (7.6 metre) white oak bar that provides a place for guests to unwind and commune over Sereneco's food and beverage offerings," said the restaurant owners.

A marble chef's counter faces the kitchen through glass blocks

Dark green surfaces, terracotta-hued tiles and biscuit-coloured plasterwork create a warm palette to offset the cool concrete flooring.

Russet tiling and plaster line the bathroom, matching the tones of the original brickwork.

Russet tiles and plaster match original brickwork in the bathroom

On the exterior, the entrance is marked by a hemlock wood door and planter above, and a column clad in green tiles both inside and out.

A small outdoor seating area around the corner allows customers to dine al fresco.

Sereneco also has a small outdoor dining space

Graphic design and branding for Sereneco was created by Oyay creative director Jennifer Lucey-Brzoza.

Carpenter + Mason has designed several bars and eateries around New York City, including a speakeasy in NoMad, a Japanese restaurant in Midtown and a sake brewery in Brooklyn's Industry City.

The photography is by Nicole Franzen.

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Terrazo tile by Dune Ceramica

Dezeen Showroom: Dune Ceramica has introduced Terrazo, a hexagonal multicoloured tile designed to complement all the colours in its Chicago collection.

The Terrazo porcelain tile has a white base with colourful, organically-shaped spots reminiscent of terrazzo flooring.

The Terrazo tile (top image) was designed to complement Dune Ceramica's Chicago collection (above)

Dune Ceramica describes the tile as putting an "urban and colourful" spin on classic terrazzo.

All of the colours within Terrazo come from the Chicago colour palette, as the tile is designed to be used in combination with the rest of the collection to create harmonious compositions.

All of the tiles in the Chicago collection work well in combination with Terrazo

The tile measures 21.5 by 25 centimetres and is suitable for use on indoors and outdoors surfaces such as walls, floors, showers, swimming pools and saunas, as well as in underfloor heating installations.

Other designs within the Chicago collection include Charcoal, Ginger, Olive and White hexagonal and square tiles, as well as Botanic Cold and Botanic Warm printed tiles.

Product: Terrazo
Brand: Dune Ceramica
Contact: dune@duneceramics.com

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