The Grey Belt. Image Courtesy of Transborder Studio

Oslo-based Transborder Studios is one of nine international firms competing to transform St. Petersburg’s “Grey Belt,” a 4,000-hectare territory of inactive industrial buildings and open spaces. The firm, which just won a competition for the development of Oslo’s new “Agricultural District,” is proposing a green rejuvenation with four multi-performing landscapes, a productive buffer, and development hubs. 

Courtesy of Transborder Studio

Our concept consists of a landscape strategy for highly performative ecosystems, a strategy for sustainable industrial zones along the traffic corridors and a densification strategy around metro hubs building the foundation for a green future, not only the Grey Belt, but for the entire city of St Petersburg, says Oystein Ro, Transborder Studios Founder.

Courtesy of Transborder Studio

Bordered by the Ekateringofka River on the west and the Neva River on the east, the subjected area poses difficulties due to the cost of building transformation.  Transborder aims to reuse existing resources  — industrial heritage and existing public infrastructure systems — as instruments for sustainable development.

Courtesy of Transborder Studio

Courtesy of Transborder Studio

The firm’s proposed four green corridors (transforming existing green structures in the Grey Belt) consist of Ekatringofka Seaside Park, The Linear Park, the Vokovka River Park and the Neva Riverbank Park. In addition to immense areas of suggested recreational space, each system will offer numerous services for the city (i.e. cleaning up the air, rain filtration, an increase in biodiversity, or energy production).

Courtesy of Transborder Studio

Courtesy of Transborder Studio

“Leftover space” adjacent to toxic infrastructure will be turned into a productive buffer used for “sustainable large scale production, distribution, and repair.” Finally, the firm plans to center growth around current metro stops as these areas already attract daily passengers.

Courtesy of Transborder Studio

The Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of St. Petersburg is currently judging proposals.

News Via: Transborder Studios.

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© Imagen Subliminal

• Architects: ideo arquitectura
• Location: Ciudad Real, Spain
• Architect In Charge: Mayte Barrios
• Principal Design: Virginia del Barco
• Area: 90.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Imagen Subliminal

© Imagen Subliminal

From the architect. The oil-tourism will step on strong in the near future. The developer of this rural resort knows this and has launched in La Mancha (land where Miguel de Cervantes got inspired to write El Quijote), a resort dedicated to oil.

Site Plan

In this hotel, designed by the architect Sergio Peralta, Ideo Arquitectura has done some interior design works: lighting, new façade openings, doors, wash basins, designer beds, stairs, kitchen, etc. The Architect, Virginia del Barco, has also designed the auxiliary furniture, such as mirrors, water taps, the patio water fall and the three coloured “ideo” sofa. All these has been done with much care and with the aim that the guest finds a world of different and new sensations in every detail. None of the construction elements has been manufactured in series. As an example, a more than 3 meter long metal beam becomes a washbasin. Two inclined trays collect the water driving it under the sink, which has also been designed by the Firm.

© Imagen Subliminal

Floor Plan

© Imagen Subliminal

With regards to the finishings, we proposed an olive green as the main colour for the interiors project. All the construction elements such as floors, walls, concrete slabs, and many pieces of furniture, are impregnated with this colour, which makes the full project integrate with the nature. We have enlarged the size of the openings and windows in order to get the light in from La Mancha and invade every corner of the houses. This way, the interior and exterior merge together into a single space to achieve a perfect balance. The Senior Architect Mayte Barrios has been the Architect in charge of the Interiors and furniture project.

© Imagen Subliminal

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© Rory Gardiner

• Architects: Russell Jones
• Location: Highgate, London N6, UK
• Area: 68.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Rory Gardiner

• Client: Private
• Architectural Assistants For The Mews House Included: Ross Tredget, Nick Vullings, Hannah Guy
• Structural Design : Techniker
• The Building Contractor: D.F. Keane

© Rory Gardiner

A 68 square metre compact 2 bedroom mews house and enclosed courtyard of 11 square metres in Highgate. This 2 storey brick house faces onto a quiet cobbled mews. Its 90 square metre site, on land to the rear of a 5 story locally listed building, was formerly occupied by a disused garage and derelict garden. It sits amongst a patchwork of rear fenced off gardens, garages, mews houses and ad-hoc rear ad-ons and a recently completed house, also by Russell Jones. 

© Rory Gardiner

Originally a decrepit backland area, of run down and disused garages and a haven for crime and fly tipping, the location is now gradually developing into a secluded residential enclave. 

The project was designed and developed with an economy of visual, spatial and structural means. The material palette and the design were kept intentionally simple. The volumes were handled in such a way as to make the most of a small site constrained by overlooking neighbours on most elevations, resulting in a building that has an overall sense of space and calm infrequently seen in properties of this size in London. The careful selection and crafted use of materials create an essential quality that isn’t apparent in the materials themselves. The resulting home, although compact, feels spacious and special. 

© Rory Gardiner

Plan 0

© Rory Gardiner

On the ground floor the covered main entrance provides direct access to an open plan living, kitchen and dining area. This area opens out onto a rear courtyard via floor to ceiling glazing which provides a physical and visual continuation of the space. The paving stones form a continuous surface from the front external entrance through the internal areas and out into the rear courtyard. At the point of entry an external bicycle, services and recycling store is provided and, adjacent the door, a full height obscured glazed window. To the rear is a ground floor WC with laundry cupboard. The first floor is accessed via a single flight stair hovering beside the brick wall. On the first floor are 2 bedrooms, each with built-in storage, and a bathroom. Dormer and skylights are carefully positioned to bring daylight in to the interior. 

Section

Section

In the courtyard a small niched area is incorporated into the brickwork wall for residents to place candles or herbs and plants to enliven the courtyard place. 

© Rory Gardiner

The choice of building material for this small Mews House in Highgate was influenced by the original context, and the ongoing development of the mews into a new residential enclave. The prominent gable fronted terrace that faces the A1 carriageway on one side, presents itself to this backland location as a continuous wall of punctuated London Common Brickwork. Discussion with the Haringey Planning department led to a selection of a light coloured brick and mortar for new buildings in the mews, as a contrast to the weathered and dirty commons behind, to unify and instil a sense of continuity to the new developments in the mews, and also to increase light levels along the cobbled passage. 

© Rory Gardiner

Wienerberger Marziale was initially used in the Mews on another project by Russell Jones and continued as the primary material for the small house. Marziale was selected for all external and internal structural walls, and precast concrete paving stones in a light tone to match the brickwork were used throughout the ground floor interior and exterior. 

© Rory Gardiner

The quality of the brickwork has been enhanced through the use of a carefully selected mortar, using white cement, lime and washed river sand, and a subtle manipulation of the surface texture using a method known in Scandinavia as ‘Sækkeskuring’; A similar finish, known as ‘bagging’ was popular in Australia in the 1960s and 70s. This surface finish was appreciated as a way of creating a more monolithic Architecture, without losing the identity of each and every brick. 

© Rory Gardiner

Douglas Fir was used in the first floor rooms and for the entrance joinery. Douglas Fir treads and fir faced structural plywood were used for the stair. To these, white oil was applied as the finish. 

© Rory Gardiner

The building includes underfloor heating throughout and, built to level 3 Code for Sustainable Homes, makes use of a rainwater harvesting system and photovoltaic panels. 

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