BIG . Various Architects

ULOBA Headquarters . Drammen

BIG . Various Architects . SLA

The task was to design a new headquarters for ULOBA in addition to providing master-planning proposal for the 25 acres site. The aim of the competition was to realize a project that will be an example of Universal Design.

The Gulskogen Park project shall be a showcase for the equality of disabled people in the community. The project will also be a model of sustainable architecture and urban development through Future Built program.
The new ULOBA headquarters will bring together the organisation's activities in a building that will set new standards for sustainability and universal design. The building will not only house the ULOBA existing features, but also a community of related companies that together will create an active house in the heart of the new city of Gulskogen Park. As an urban district with various functions, the new headquarters serving the city for the future development of the area and help create a vibrant, accesible and green urban spaces that open up to all sides and connects to Gulskogen Park, the train station and the historic avenue towards the landscape.
The building and the district will be a landmark for Independent Living vision and a eksperimentarioum for urban design and sustainability. ULOBA new headquarters is designed in one single level - as a small urban district, a courtyard formed by various features, outdoor spaces and meeting places. Canteen, auditorium, fitness center, garage and meeting rooms are articulated as islands in a combined maneuver space, create optimal framework for informal meetings and stay.
The geometry is circular and rectangular at once: the overall geometry is rounded, and as architectural archetypes - a form which simultaneously creates clarity, an organic and effective movement between functions. The round shape is naturally optimized in terms of materials, it has a natural stabilizing effect, reduces air movement and creates good acoustic conditions. In contrast, the sub-elements, the individual rooms are rectangular. A form that is better suited for space-saving furniture and decoration of functional rooms.

Various Architects
TEAM: Birgitte J Haug, Elora Brahmachari, Ibrahim Elhayawan, Israel Blasco Gimenez
PARTNERS:
BIG, SLA, Transsolar and Ramboll.