NORD Architects, together with Sahl architects, Danish Boligbyg, DAI and ARKPLAN, have won the project for a new district and block of student accomodation in Gellerup district of Aarhus, Denmark for the Brabrand Housing Association. The student flats are the first part of an ambitious master plan for the coming decade to convert the Gellerupparken area of the city.
The building concept creates various communities of different scales and characters within a modified perimeter block. The 12,500 m2 building accommodates 354 housing units, a large common courtyard, and many smaller diverse communal areas resulting in accommodation that enables and encourages informal and spontaneous meetings and relationships between the student residents.
The building’s most public functions occur on the ground floor with spaces for small business and other entrepreneurs to operate. This functions as a connection place between the students, the immediate neighborhood, and the city as a whole, creating and developing new ideas and business models.
A sense of homeliness and neighborhood, coupled with openness and security, are some of the key aspirations of the project. The 12,500 m2 project includes 354 homes with room for 375 students, and is scheduled to be completed in 2018.
