We started off the morning with our last delicious European
style breakfast. We then took the train and the tram to get to Hammarby
Sjöstad. It was surprisingly accessible from the City Center which allows for
tourists and locals alike to take advantage of the knowledge that is stored
there. We spent a few minutes wondering through the site waiting for the
information center to open. We were amazed with how sustainable everything on
site was. Once the information center had opened, a very nice lady by the name
of Malena gave us an informative presentation about the general background and
history of Hammarby Stjöstad. As a group of Landscape Architects and an
Architect we were awestruck by the collaboration between developers to let the
landscape and building operate as one system. The site is incredible in that it
is a former contaminated industrial district with makeshift housing appearing
all over it. The original plans were to develop and market the site as the
extremely sustainable Olympic Village for the 2004 Olympics (which were lost to
the ironically extremely polluted city of Athens, Greece).
The site information center also included a model of the
development as a whole which showed the many relationships it had with the
surrounding community in terms of biogas productions, waste recycling,
composting, and water circulation. To summarize some brief but fascinating
lessons learned from the lecture:
-The development will eventually house approximately 30,000
residents
-More than 30 distinct developers were involved in the
design and construction process which gave the space an aesthetic richness and rhythm
-The site encompasses 2 square kilometers (494 acres) and
draws on many existing infrastructure systems
-The project has influenced site design and planning
worldwide since it inception and draws visitors ranging from interested locals
to foreign dignitaries
-The site houses four schools with plans for a fifth and
provides jobs to thousands of people thanks to zoning requirements that require
first floor office, restaurant, or retail along major street frontages
-Many goals and objectives were set upon the initiation of
the project which is fantastic, however there were never any time or resources
set aside in the beginning to measure these changes
After the
presentation we split up and decided to explore the area in greater detail in smaller
groups. It seemed as though every small detail had been planned out and
accounted for. The residents’ trash was taken care of by a space age vacuum
system which allows for higher recycling rates and eventual return on
investment. The excess storm water is collected from pavement, roof tops,
parking areas, and lawns and moved into a series of canals which stretch the
length of the site. These canals help sediments and pollutants be filtered out
by natural and artificial processes before the water drains to the Baltic Sea. The
aesthetics of the development as a whole was also well balanced with
fascination with technical details. The wetlands located on site made you feel
really connected to nature as you walked through the site. The design made it
visible for people to see where storm water was being channeled to and what was
happening to it. There was also an awesome wooden boardwalk that looped around
Hammarby Sjöstad. It was right along the water and also had cozy little piers
that you could spend time in enjoying the scenic views.
Before leaving the district, we grabbed a bite to eat at a
Thai restaurant and then headed back to the train. We were interested in seeing
a new waterfront installation, so we decided to make a quick stop there before
returning to our hotel. The active use boardwalk was very interesting and
relaxing to be at. It drew in a lot of people and activated the water’s edge.
We ended the day back in Old Town to enjoy our last
traditional Swedish meal before journeying back to the United States.
Ross & Ashley
