Södra Hagalund IO

The area by the new metro station in Södra Hagalund is to be transformed from traffic into a lively district with housing, offices and services. At the western subway entrance, LINK Arkitektur has worked on the planning and design of a block of 140,000 square meters.

- This type of assignment is becoming increasingly complex. The unexploited lots in our big cities are fewer and often trickier to work with. In addition, more parties are involved and it must go quickly. Both Vasakronan and we at LINK have high sustainability ambitions that need to be guaranteed from an early stage to implementation. To meet the requirements, we need an agile approach and we have to work actively with our analyses. There, our digital tools are invaluable, says Karin Hammarskiöld, responsible for urbanism at LINK Arkitektur.

One block, several owners

The interests and ownership relationships in the plot's development stages result in a anything but straightforward plot division. But the neighborhood needs to be able to be designed unhindered across plot boundaries. A computer script has therefore been used in the same 3D models that the architects work on with the design. This means that the 3D model is constantly developed, always updated with information about which square meters are on which lot. The architects are thus constantly aware of each owner's volumes and functions. Using digital tools for these calculations is extremely efficient. Every decision is evaluated in real time, every owner can clearly see what affects them and the architects can in turn focus even more on the design, confident that all requirements are met.

Parametric design for a safe calculation

In Södra Hagalund, LINK Arkitektur has applied its working method "The augmented Architect". By using in-house developed parametric tools, adapted for urban development projects, reinforced the architecture with ongoing analyzer and follow-up of key figures. It is the design architects who carried out ongoing analyzes themselves – a critical success factor for all data to benefit the project. By owning the processes of analyzing data in real time, have control over all parameters that are crucial for the customer's business.

Within the project, the architectural team has worked on a carefully balanced level of detail, which is an art in its very early stages. With the right modeling software, the right analyzer has been able to be made at the right time and the resources have been able to function efficiently.

Conditions for sustainable urban development

Automated calculations of surfaces, daylight and sunlight are made continuously to optimize building volumes. The cheapest and most durable square meters are those that do not need to be built. At the same time, as much as possible is preserved and all new construction is made of wood. More precisely, there will be 70–80,000 square meters of wooden frames. The digital tools are thus used as a sketch, so that the area can be designed with the best conditions for sustainable urban development.

To ensure a pleasant environment, LINK Arkitektur has carried out advanced wind analyzes during the course of the project. Since the architect himself performs these analyses, it contributes to reinforcing the design principle, which consists of breaking up the scale within the block. Large building complexes are giving way in favor of open structures. The connections between the existing and the new are promoted. The small scale is protected.

Södra Hagalund should not just be a place to enjoy yourself. It should be a place to want to visit. The work on the new district is carried out in stages, the first of which should be completed when the subway is inaugurated in 2028.