Transformation; Fodret 7
The project explores how an existing industrial building in Alingsås can be transformed through reuse, spatial additions, and by working with the building’s existing qualities. The starting point is Fodret 7, an industrial building in transition, where the project investigates how new functions can be integrated without losing the building’s identity and history. The project functions as a prototype that demonstrates how this type of industrial building can be adapted through transformation rather than demolition.
The result is a creative meeting place where people can gather, exchange knowledge, and participate in activities related to sustainability, material reuse, and circular design. The building includes a material library, spaces for exhibitions, workshops and events, a café, a kitchen, and workspaces. Together, these functions create a place for learning, collaboration, and social interaction.
The design is based on reclaimed materials and a working method in which existing resources are reused and given new functions and meanings. The project began with material investigations in 1:1 scale, where reclaimed building components were dismantled, processed, and transformed into furniture and spatial elements. These investigations became the starting point of the project and illustrate the central design approach, where existing materials are reimagined and placed in new contexts. Through this process, the spatial additions and new functions of the building were also developed.
The three added rooms are constructed in solid spruce and function as volumes within the large industrial space. They create new sightlines, zones, and movements throughout the building while breaking up the open industrial volume without completely removing the sense of one large connected space. Through openings between the rooms, varying ceiling heights, and the loft level above, the relationship to the building’s original volume is maintained while creating new spatial experiences.