{"id":30545,"date":"2025-05-13T16:55:48","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T14:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arkdes.se\/?post_type=project&p=30545"},"modified":"2026-03-24T08:25:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T07:25:19","slug":"skelleftea-orviken","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/arkdes.se\/en\/projects\/visions-in-the-north-step-2\/skelleftea-orviken\/","title":{"rendered":"Skellefte\u00e5: \u00d6rviken"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Conditions:<\/strong> Örviken is an old mill environment with former sawmills and industry. Today, the land is both municipally and privately owned. Skellefteå municipality will grow from 72,500 to 90,000 inhabitants by 2030, a population increase of more than 16,000 people in just eight years. This means that Skellefteå has a great need for housing in a short time. The population increase and the need for housing also mean that focus needs to be placed on recreational areas and other values.<\/p>\n

Challenge:<\/strong> The former mill environment with industrial buildings and its proximity to the water has great potential to contribute to sustainable and attractive living environments for Skellefteå residents. The team will focus on the question: How can the area be developed and meet the need for new sustainable and inclusive housing and meeting places while preserving the cultural environment? What will the area look like in 5, 10, 50 years? What is required for Örviken to grow gradually towards a sustainable green\/blue neighbourhood? Are the answers to be found in the historical relationship to the water or how logging has changed the landscape?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

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Survey, analysis and proposal<\/p>\n

Housing and urban development in Skellefteå Municipality are under significant pressure, requiring rapid decision-making. Team Örviksgruppen<\/em> proposed opening up the historic industrial area in Örviken, both for local residents and for the wider population of Skellefteå. However, the land is contaminated, and remediation is required before the area can be opened up in the long term.<\/p>\n

To address this, the team proposed a prototype based on a remediation method that would allow people to use the site during the clean-up process. The method, known as phytoremediation, uses vegetation to absorb, store or break down pollutants. It has a significantly lower environmental impact than current standard methods, which often involve transporting large volumes of contaminated soil away from the site.<\/p>\n

While the planting process gradually remediates the land, the team proposed opening the area as an industrial park, with walkways, boardwalks and paths constructed in timber. The design would help visitors find their way to the site and connect it to the surrounding community. The proposal also included reopening the former sawmill office as an exhibition space, as well as constructing a new interpretation of the former Kismagasinet as a simple multi-purpose hall.<\/p>\n

The team also explored how the industrial area could, at a later stage, be integrated with the rest of the locality through new housing. The scale was inspired by historic workers’ housing, and the structure encourages collaboration and the sharing of residential functions. Here too, phytoremediation plays a role, as the method is significantly more cost-effective than conventional alternatives, thereby improving the financial conditions for municipal housing development.<\/p>\n

The team grounded its approach to urban development in a strong connection to the local community, its history, and in collaboration across municipal departments. Their proposal can be understood as a form of development that remains adaptable over time. The team’s work and proposals for the development of Örviken are summarised in a report. Read it below.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

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\n .pdf(168mb)\n <\/p>\n \n \n\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n <\/div>\n\n \n \n Report: Visions in the North \u2013\u00a0Skellefte\u00e5\n <\/h2>\n <\/a>\n \n \n

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