Wake "Bu-Hov-Berg" up!

Uddevalla (SE) - Runner-up

TEAM DATA

Team Representative: Elena Golub (DE) – architect; Associates: Rocío Miranda Barreda (ES), Xi Wu (CN), Nan Li (CN) – architects

Landhausstrasse 215, 70188 Stuttgart, (DE)
+4917662165740 - opa711@gmx.de 

See the complete listing of portraits here
See the site page here


R. Barreda, X. Wu, N. Li & E. Golub


VIDEO (by the team)


INTERVIEW

1. How did you form the team for the competition?

We knew each other through our jobs, and we recognized soon that, we have some interests and perspectives in the field of architecture and urban design in common. Therefore we decided to take part in an exciting competition together as a team in our free time.

2. How do you define the main issue of your project, and how did you answer on this session main topic: the place of productive activities within the city?

The main issue of our project is to explore new types of urban infrastructure based on the existing resources on site, in order to shape an attractive urban integration in the city‘s most segregated district. We see the redevelopment of “Bu-Hov-Berg” as an urban magnet, not only creating more productive activities inside this suburban area itself (with a recycle of natural resources, Million Programme and Lillbräckan), but also promoting the development of whole Uddevalla in a productive way. 

 3. How did this issue and the questions raised by the site mutation meet?

The following specific characters of contradiction in site inspired us: It has a good proximity with the Uddevalla Center, but has been known for long time as the most segregated area. There are rich and diverse potential resources on site, without being well developed and planned, as multicultural population, a good relationship with nature and a great construction condition of existing buildings. The three separate districts Bulid, Hovhult and Dalaberg each have its own identity, but don’t have a name (an integrated masterplan) for the whole area.
 

 4. Have you treated this issue previously? What were the reference projects that inspired yours?

We have already done some academic projects on this issue. For example “the open housing” project in Berlin aimed at creating a new self-financing and co-living community based on the current Plattenbau Blocks in east Germany. Another urban design project was about transferring the post industrial and logistics area at Zona Franca in Barcelona into attractive urban district. Also during our professional experience we could deepen in the topic by taking part in a competition to redesign the waterfront of Vlora, in Albanien. The reference projects of ours include the urban renewal project “ Versterking Overschild” by MVRDV, the extension project of residential tower by “ Lacaton & Vassal”, and also the works by arenasbasabepalacios, especially the project “Am Ende Allmende”.
 

 5. Urban-architectural projects like the ones in Europan can only be implemented together with the actors through a negotiated process and in time. How did you consider this issue in your project?

Our project has an excellent potential to be implemented in time phases : What we have offered is not a finished solution with a dead end, but more about an open system with diverse strategies and typologies. In this way this project is easy to be implemented in different construction phases. We can already imagine, some urban acupuncture projects in different areas ( like the new residential typology in Bulid or the transformation project of Million Programme or the public pavilions of the active band) could be realized either at the same time or during different time phases within a big structure of masterplan, in order to benefit the neighborhood as soon as possible.

6. Is it the first time you have been awarded a prize at Europan? How could this help you in your professional career?

It really opened our mind to a broader field of global agendas in urban renewal, housing and social equity. We hope we could have more chances to contribute our design energy and social concern in our future career.


TEAM IDENTITY

Office: …
Functions: Architecture, Urban Design 
Average age of the associates: 33 years old

Has your team, together or separately, already conceived or implemented some projects and/or won any competition? If yes, which ones?

Rocío won in 2017 a second price with another collabotor on a competition a renovation of the sea’s museum in Ceuta (ES). Xi und Nan could compete in a YAC Kid’s Factory International Competition in Laveno Mombello (IT) final list and a Young Bird Plan – North Design Union in China, Top 30.