Hans Willehader, the new business development manager for KS region south

Effective from 1st April 2018, Hans Willehader is the new business development manager at Kjellander Sjöberg’s Malmö office. The new role marks a positive addition to the KS’s practice and enhances its presence in southern Sweden. Hans has extensive experience in project management and creative and business development in offices such as Arkitema, BIG and White in Sweden and Denmark.

What will be your focus at Kjellander Sjöberg?

I will focus on strengthening KS’s presence and position in southern Sweden, which is very exciting and engaging! We have already received several positive reactions from the market, something inspiring to bring into the further development of the practice.

What does your new role at KS represent?

I’m looking forward to being part of, and to further develop the strong architectural milieu and the vibrant society-oriented discourse that characterize KS. From my perspective, sustainability-related design approach is an increasingly important aspect of the built environment and our projects. A growing part of the market actors see this as an important foundation in all processes. And those we want to attract to KS as collaborators!

What are the biggest future challenges for architecture offices working in southern Sweden?

Although the market in southern Sweden, and in Stockholm, is slightly cooler right now, I see a bright future and believe that there will be plenty of assignments within different parts of the business; for example, refurbishment and renovation projects. One of the key issues for us at KS is to ensure/establish a wide project portfolio. If the residential market cools down even more, we will offer architects experienced in the whole process and in other areas, such as urban planning, educational and commercial projects. It is also important that we continue to develop the close relations between our offices in Malmö, Stockholm and London, keeping a common culture, principal views and flexibility enabling exchange of experiences and skills.

I am very positive about KS’s future as a unique and creative architectural practice, attracting even more of talented people in the upcoming years and working on new and exciting projects.

Enhancing Gottsunda

Kjellander Sjöberg, together with Urban Minds, have been commissioned to assist Uppsala Municipality with the development of its southern district of Gottsunda. The main objective is to transform the area into a cohesive urban environment with rich diversity and varied content. The points of departure are the existing qualities – community, culture, entrepreneurship and natural values. The initiative is a part of the new development programme for Gottsunda, focusing on social values, jobs and an explicit political will to make it a place for everyone. The process is a part of the government’s focus on new cities with a new regional railway station by Bergsbrunna and a local cross-link across the city. The programme, including a new urban plan with housing, workplaces, shops and services, has launched an open dialogue with representatives of local interest groups.

KS invited to a design competition in London

Kjellander Sjöberg is one of the four teams invited for a design competition in the ongoing development of Brent Cross South in north London. The brief calls for a centrally located urban district, strategically linking the main street with green public spaces and local squares. The project consists of approx. 380 housing units and businesses on the ground floor. The client, Argent Related, formed a joint venture with the Barnet Council in 2016 to bring forward the development of a mixed-use neighbourhood including 6 700 homes, 270 000 sq m of commercial space, new parks, meeting places, schools and shops. The new neighbourhood will become the heart of the Brent Cross Shopping Centre regeneration, including the development of an existing shopping mall and a new Thameslink station.

Facilitator of the Year 2017 prize

KS’s pro-bono project the elementary school in Burkina Faso, developed in collaboration with Yennenga Progress, was awarded the “Facilitator of the Year” prize at the Architecture Gala 2017, arranged by Architects Sweden. The prize rewards a person or a practice enabling good architecture with a significant contribution to society. The need for classrooms is extensive across the whole region and the school has proven to be a great success both for the village itself as well as by attracting students from the surrounding areas. The project, designed by KS, is built entirely by local builders and craftsmen, thus improving the local economy.

“We are very happy that the jury chose to recognize this kind of project. The true facilitator is Yennenga Progress, developing a range of projects in Burkina Faso.”
– Lena Viterstedt, partner in charge.

KS wins competition for Söderstadion

Kjellander Sjöberg has, in team with Wallenstam, Åke Sundvall, Castellum and White architects, won the competition for the future development of Söderstadion in Stockholm with the proposal “Söderhov”. The vision is to create an integrated urban district near the Globe Arena, that offers both a local urban vibe and memorable experiences. A natural place for people to meet and socialize and a visitor destination with a wide range of food, music and sports. The proposal, that contains a new park and constitutes a vibrant, urban edge toward the Globen square, aims at generating new meeting places and social community. Söderhov becomes a city district for both residents and businesses in a dynamic relation to the existing city fabric and the emerging area Slakthusområdet. The land transfer competition, launched by the City of Stockholm contains approximately 800 apartments as well as businesses with offices, hotels and centrally located amenities.

More about the competition in Swedish

KS nominated for major tile award

We’re happy to announce that KS’s Elderly Care Skärvet is nominated for the tile award “Stora Kakelpriset 2017”. The annual award highlights Swedish architecture using tiles in a way that utilizes the positive qualities of the material.

The project Elderly Care Skärvet combines four sections of different types of tile patterns creating a vivid and varied facade. Apart from design and material use, Skärvet is designed to achieve LEED platinum and Skanska’s top-level environmental classification.

The elderly care is a part of the neighbourhood Skärvet, a starting point for a new urban district in Växjö. KS, together with Skanska, won the land transfer competition for the development of the site in 2014.

KS discussing Commoning Kits at ABAR

Upcoming ABAR focuses on KS’s exhibition Commoning Kits. An exhibition presenting innovating prototypes designed by 13 Scandinavian architectural offices to discuss urban commons, meeting places and sharing in our future cities.
The event will be opened by Johan Pitura from Kjellander Sjöberg, followed by a discussion of the exhibiting architects about their proposals and prototypes for the exhibition. The public is invited to participate in the discussion.

Lecturers:
Johan Pitura (Kjellander Sjöberg)
Uffe Leth (Leth + Gori )
Susanna Rahm (Nilsson Rahm)
Anna Nilsson (Nilsson Rahm)
Magnus Kvalheim (Vardehaugen)
Anna Forslöw (Ahaa)

The event is free and open to everyone.

Time: Thursday Sept 5 at 17:30
Place: Form/Design Center, Lilla torg 9, Malmö

How Stora Sköndal becomes an urban melting pot

The public hearing phase for the new Program for Stora Sköndal has now been launched. It marks the starting point for Sköndal’s transformation into an inclusive urban neighbourhood with nature and heart. The district is centrally located in southern Stockholm and has a long cultural history with valuable nature, proximity to water and broad existing social activities. The vision shows possibilities for creating an integrated diverse city with 4,400 new housing units, workplaces, nursery and healthcare services, education, various amenities, recreation and sport – all for people with functional variation. Kjellander Sjöberg has, as a part of the workgroup, designed an urban structure with good opportunities for increased diversity as well as more mixed and denser urban development. The proposal is based on the precondition to create a socially and physically inclusive environment, taking into consideration Sköndal’s high cultural values, ecological links and existing activities. The development process is a way to introduce better connections to the surroundings and to offer new functionally varied meeting places – a square, streets, parks and pathways.

The landowner Foundation Stora Sköndal has initiated the work on the Program with the overall goal to manage and develop its activities in the future in close collaboration with the City of Stockholm. To adopt such community-building task, the Foundation Stora Sköndal has created a workgroup with broad competence. Kjellander Sjöberg has worked with urban design and architecture, accompanied by The City Planning Office, EBAB, Landskapslaget, Ekologigruppen, WSP and Spacescape.
The construction start for Stora Sköndal’s first stage – Magnoliatomten – is scheduled for 2019.
The Program for Stora Sköndal is exhibited for public hearing from 2017-09-26 until 2017-11-06.