Saving Erskine — An Example in Circular Heritage Architecture

• Main Author: Friedmann, Léo
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: KTH, Arkitektur 2020
• Subjects: architecture; heritage; circular; Erskine; Ralph Erskine; Växjö; Kiruna; Sweden; reuse; recycling; concrete; prefabricated concrete; timber; CLT; housing; Arkitektur; Arctic
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-277838

This thesis is the story of two housing projects designed by architect Ralph Erskine. The first building, Lassaskog in Växjö built in 1954, is one of the earliest examples of industrialized concrete housing in Sweden. The other one, Kv. Ortdrivaren in Kiruna was built some eight years later following Erskine’s utopian ideas for The Arctic City. Despite their architectural and historical significance, these two buildings are threatened today: Ortdrivaren will be demolished and Lassaskog will be hastily densified. This thesis is a reaction to these threats, and it is a call for preserving and reusing. Looking towards the near future of circularity, I want to praise for never demolishing a building again. This leads me to the overarching question of my thesis; how could I sustainably save these two buildings? The only solution I thought worthy of their architecture was to unite them. Rather than demolishing Ortdrivaren, I propose to deconstruct it and reuse it in Växjö. Thereon, started the project of densifying the Lassaskog estates with new student housing made of repurposed concrete elements from Kiruna. My objective for this quirky enterprise is to find a methodology for preserving post-war housing estates and for conducting a circular architecture project.