Designing for well-being with landscape architecture
Published on: December 19, 2024
In our societies, the outdoor environment is crucial to improving people’s well-being and living conditions. Urbanisation and increasing populations mean that we are living in increasingly dense areas, which places higher demands on our shared spaces. Public spaces provide the settings for meeting places and with thoughtful design, they contribute to social sustainability and accessible, safe environments for everyone. Currently, there is a positive growing trend and demand for landscape architecture services. Many municipalities require new urban areas to have a certain amount of greenery, which Sweco’s architects welcome wholeheartedly.
Each project is unique, and curiosity and understanding of the site and existing qualities are prerequisites, combined with structured thinking and a holistic approach. We often collaborate with other architects and experts from different areas within Sweco to create the best conditions for successful projects. Together, we have knowledge and experience in working throughout the chain – from early sketches to detailed design of everything from parks, schoolyards and nature areas to entire neighbourhoods and infrastructure facilities.
Incorporating ecosystem services and integrating them into the design is a natural part of our assignments. We take advantage of the qualities that exist on the site and add new ones to fully realise the site’s potential. When we design landscapes, we start with the human dimension, the spaces in between and the urban fabric to create green and pleasant surroundings that enhance the quality of life and provide joy and benefits for both people and the ecosystem.
Sustainable bathing facilities in Silkeborg
The Eastern and Western Bathing Resorts are designed to protect the area’s nature and the lake’s biodiversity as well as support Silkeborg Municipality’s vision of being Denmark’s outdoor capital. The bathing facilities offer various activities for winter bathers, summer visitors and children. The two lake baths have been developed by Sweco’s architects in close collaboration with the Danish Nature Agency. Permits for the project were granted based on a thorough environmental impact assessment, ensuring that new construction could be completed without negative consequences for the area’s animals, flora, fauna and water environment. Almind Lake, part of an international nature protection area, contains a high level of biodiversity with 20 species of underwater plants, including several rare ones.
The design, inspired by the organic patterns found in nature, utilises the circle as the basic idea. At Eastern Bathing Resort, the round bathing bridges are situated next to each other, while at Western Bathing Resort, they extend one after the other out into the water. This round shape encourages visitors to use the connected bridges, reducing the impact on surrounding nature. The baths are built using locally produced wood. The vision for the new lake baths is to improve facilities for bathers while protecting biodiversity in the lake and its surroundings. The project was awarded Silkeborg Municipality’s Architecture Award in 2021.
Historical inspiration for Swiss labyrinth garden
When it transpired that the Novartis campus area was situated on an old Celtic settlement, it inspired the idea for a labyrinthine physic garden. This was landscape architect Thorbjörn Andersson’s thinking when he received the enquiry to develop part of the pharmaceutical company Novartis’ campus area in Basel. Fifteen selected international architects were invited by Novartis to create a campus area for research, with innovation, knowledge and meetings as foundational principles. Sweco’s landscape architect Thorbjörn Andersson was one of those selected.
The project aimed to create an area where streets, parks and blocks merge into a cohesive environment, contributing to corporate culture and attracting top-quality researchers. Andersson divided the park into two phases: one designed as the druids’ forest with roots in the Celtic settlement, and the other as a modern interpretation of a monastery garden. The garden, created as a labyrinth of vegetation and plants, leads visitors into its heart. It features 32 different kinds of medicinal plants representing medicines for various parts of the body, with a total of 83 different plants. The Physic Garden symbolises Novartis’ operations but primarily serves as a sensory space where mystical scents, changing colours and seasonal variations can be enjoyed.
Aagaards Plass blends park and square
On behalf of the Sandefjord municipality in southern Norway, Sweco’s landscape architects transformed a car park into “Aagaards plass,” a unique urban space. Inspired by the coastal nature of Vestfold county, the design invites active use, blending elements of a park and a square. The surface, clad in brick, undulates like rough terrain, encouraging activities such as cycling, walking, skating and dancing. Small elevations provide seating and invite people to linger, creating a welcoming environment.
Younger residents played a significant role in shaping the space, expressing a desire for a meeting place. This led to the design of a luminous water sculpture with seating around it, based on a campfire concept. The collaboration with the client resulted in a space that fits well into the urban setting and invites active use by the community.
Transforming industrial sites into public spaces
The gasworks at Stockholm Royal Seaport, once supplying energy for heating, lighting and cooking, has been transformed into a vibrant cultural centre. The area, now known as Bobergstorget, is situated in a preserved industrial environment. The buildings, mostly dating from the end of the 19th century, have been reused to retain their unique character, with the most prominent being the two cylindrical gasometers.
Bobergstorget is the central point of the area, connecting streets and alleys. Inaugurated in May 2022, the square is paved with decorative brick reflecting the area’s history. Long benches with tables and a water mirror create a welcoming public space. Large volumes of stone were salvaged during remediation, reducing the need for quarrying new stone. The brick covering relates to the material used in most buildings, laid out in a pattern inspired by modern textiles, complemented by sturdy outdoor furniture. Gasverket is a prime example of transforming an industrial heritage area while preserving historical values.
