Vertical Village
Hässelby 2009, unbuilt.

Responding to an increasing need around Stockholm for more dense single family housing, this scheme is inspired by the history of cultivation and green houses in Hässelby and Lövsta. The site is close to lake Mälaren west of Stockholm.

The new neighborhood is conceived as a series of garden spaces, where the dwellings are contained within/surrounded by/ high hedges that follow the round and organic shapes of each parcel. The greenery and landscaped topography define a secluded garden for each house as well as private and common places within the area.

The houses represent a new vertical typology that minimizes the foot print in order to leave as much land as possible for cultivation. The development has two house types. The A model has three floors, with the living room and kitchen at ground level and an extra smaller building to be used as a garage or winter garden. The B model has four floors, with garage/studio/or winter garden at grade and common areas one level up. The upper floors of both the three- and four-story homes look out over the park like structured landscape, giving each an experience of both enclosed and wide-open outdoor space.

Two existing buildings are to be integrated into the new development: a former country store will be converted to a daycare center, and an old community center will continue to operate in a new context.