Sanden Hodnekvam

1.st place. Invited competition
96 student apartments, offices, workshop and parking
Client: Studentsamskipnaden i Trondheim / SIT / NTNU
Location: Gjøvik, Norway
Collaborator: MDH Architects
Contractor: Veidekke
Consultants: Sweco, Feste, Woodcon, GK, Rambøll
4400sqm
Completed
Year: 2021-2024

The project is an expansion of the existing Kallerud campus in Gjøvik, addressing the need for both additional student housing and new offices and workshops for the campus operations department. Within the existing student housing offerings, there was a significant shortage of single apartments, which are in high demand on a campus where the average student age is relatively high.

Instead of creating a mix of different types of apartment types in the project, we looked at the entire campus as a whole and aimed to achieve a variety of housing types without introducing this type of complexity within the project itself. Within the repetitive plan with 96 units, there are only two types of housing - universally designed and regular housing. All units have their own bathroom, kitchen, and a combined living room and bedroom.

The project consists of a lower section with three floors and a taller tower with six floors above ground, along with one level dedicated to parking, offices, and operations, partially embedded into the terrain. The tower marks the end of the campus axis and is visible from across the campus. The building includes 96 small apartments, all featuring private bathrooms and kitchens. Additionally, generous common areas are distributed throughout the floors, and a dedicated ground floor in the tower houses shared facilities such as a laundry room, café, and media room for the entire campus. A shared staircase for the entire building encourages informal student interactions.

Each residential unit includes a small entrance area, a kitchenette with a stove, dishwasher, and refrigerator, a built-in bed with integrated storage, and a custom-built desk with shelves that can easily be converted into a bench. The large windows, measuring 1.5 x 2.4 meters, provide ample daylight to the compact living spaces. Vertical cladding strips between the windows conceal external blinds and add depth to the façade.

The building is constructed as a hybrid timber structure, combining cross-laminated timber (CLT), glued laminated timber (glulam), and traditional timber framing to minimize material usage, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure cost efficiency. The primary structure consists of load-bearing CLT walls for interior partitions, stairwells, and elevator shafts, with glulam columns in the exterior walls. The prefabricated timber-framed façade elements are mounted on the exterior. The outer cladding is made of untreated pine, complemented by aluminum detailing and flashing. The building achieves a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to standard Norwegian requirements.