Skellefteå: Örviken

Skellefteå municipality’s housing and community development is under great pressure and with that comes the need for quick decisions. Team Örviksgruppen’s proposal for the Örviken area can be seen as an attempt to counteract this. The team bases the development on strong roots in the local community, history and in cooperation with the various municipal departments. It is a type of community building that can change if times demand it.

With their proposal, the team wants to open up the historic industrial area in Örviken both for those who live in the area and for all Skellefteå residents. This will require cleaning up the contaminated soil. The proposed remediation method is phytoremediation, remediation using vegetation. It is based on the different abilities of plants to absorb and store or break down different types of contaminants. The method has significantly less environmental impact than the one currently advocated, where large masses need to be transported away from the area.

While the vegetation cleans up the soil, the industrial area becomes an industrial park with paths, walkways and promenades in various wooden structures. The design brings visitors into the industrial area and connects it to the community. The old sawmill office will be turned into an exhibition space and a newly built version of the old “Kismagasinet” is proposed as a simple multifunctional hall.

To link the different parts of the village, the team proposes a new housing development with a scale inspired by the old workers’ housing. The structure encourages collaboration and sharing of housing functions. Plant remediation also plays a role here, as it is significantly cheaper than conventional methods and thus provides better economic conditions for housing construction.