Veolia Materials Recovery Facility

Like many of its kind, this waste processing plant is located in an industrial wasteland. The design and build competition brief was simple: Put a roof on top and walls around our restructured 28.000 square meters production area. Build the roads and logistic areas to serve it. And show us what we get for a fixed price of 15 million euros.

The commission was won by a design integrating five distinct elements:

1. A five meters tall concrete base wall put togeter by 1.2 m wide prefabricated sections. It has the strength to endure the push and scratch of heavy duty machinery and the flexibility to adapt to future changes in production layout. Just remove or relocate the elements. The concrete wall is stabilized by the main steel structure which is bolted to allow for easy rearrangement or reuse.

2. Above this: A continous light and bright and nine meters high ribbon running 640 meters around the upper part of the production hall. It has a corrucated steel cladding that is split by vertical openings for daylight and ventilaton set in a lively rythm. In each opening a slim steel frame stabilizes a clearly coloured and transparent windfin in an orthogonal and centric position. Computer simulations showed that the one meter deep fins significantly improve the natural ventilation of the building. They also create a play of shadows and colours that change constantly during the day and over the seasons.

3. On top: A green roof that levels the temperature fluctuations and delays the run-off of surface water. The reduction of heat absorption and radiation improves climatic conditions both inside the building and in the local urban area. Delayed run-off stimulates plant growth and reduces the load on city infrastructure. Offset strips of skylight overlap to improve daylight condition in the central parts of the hall. The roof and the walls follow the gentle slope of the site, thereby describing the location and expressing the interaction between site and design. The roof lies at the bottom of the Grorud valley, and is visible from the surrounding hills. Presently it is the largest green roof in Scandinavia (28.000 square meters).

4. Along the perimeter of the site, a low concrete wall allows the terrain to be filled up to increase soil depth and reduce the height of the outer fence. A row of poplars together with fence-climbing vine will create a green wall as a filter between the materials recovery facility and the surroundings.

5. New and improved facilities for employees are established with wardrobes, showers and a spacious canteen. In the northern corner of the plant, a spiral staircase leads from the ground up through the production hall and lands on a roof terrace with a magnificent view of the green roof and the distant fjord and hills.

The materials recovery facility at Haraldrud alone prevents emission of 175.000 tons of CO2. The recycling industry contribute to a reduction of 3,9 million tons or 7% of the Norway´s emission of greenhouse gases. The main intention of the architectural design has been to create a building that expresses the environmental awareness and importance of the industry, the company and the people who do the work every day.

The roughness of the site and the production process demanded an apporach that was more like an architectural and landscaping intervention than a traditonal design project. At the same time the development and large-scale implementation of striking and innovative solutions are vital if environmental concerns shall colour the mainstream of architecture.