> Newer posts

WEDNESday, february the 29th

A number of Krabbesholms architecture students have from floor plans and information relating to the new project, given their views on how they think the new buildings designed by Mos Architects, will work. The different views and comments can be read below:

Gina, Marte, Fia  and Kaja

We more or less share the same views on Krabbesholm’s proposed new buildings: The first impression is the starkness of the design in contrast to the school’s existing architecture. The buildings look very solid, dominating and perhaps too large for the space? We get the sense that the buildings hold unneccesary numbers of squaremeters and rooms. Would there be too many teaching spaces in the school overall? On the other hand, the school is growing, so the teaching space should increase accordingly.
After discussing the project further our opinion has changed somewhat: We think that MOS Architects succeed in combining interior and exterior spaces in an interesting way, and we see a nice architectural relation between the new buildings and the Four Boxes Gallery. This aestetic connection will help bring the campus together in a harmonious way. It will be interesting to view the new buildings’ exterior and get a sense of the large scale. We are certain that the heigh ceilings will create an inspiring environment.
The location of the new buildings will have a great impact on the overall campus layout. We like the way the studios gather to form a ’village’, with the student dorms placed along the entrance road.
All in all, despite our initial scepticism, we believe that the new buildings will blend in nicely in the context. It may take some time, but we are certain that the final result will be a timeless building.

Jesper, Thomas and Laust

Both the facades and roofs are clad in fibre cement panels and the slope of the roof is the same on all the new buildings. The formal language used throughout the design is clear and simple.
Previously, farm buildings were found on the site. By drawing inspiration from the vernacular farms, the buildings have a clear relationship to the area and its history.
When arriving at the buildings you are invited to engage with all the school’s main subjects. This will help encourage collaboration and provide a greater insight into other desciplines’ methods and projects. This is something the school currently lacks, as a way of strengthening the overall working environment. Currently, when working in a studio with 20-25 other students, you can only dream of more space. The ceiling height of the new buildings, as well as the large windows, will hopefully be able to provide this.
 Even though the buildings are joined in various places the roofs and the gables never meet. Instead a strange in-between space, a void, is created. These voids reveal the true size of each building and allow views of the surrounding buildings and Krabbesholm Forest. The steep slope of the roofs and the overall height of the buildings make these voids look ’unfinished’ or unconsidered. They seem to break with the otherwise simple design. When looking at the initial renderings of the project, the voids are quite obvious, so one can’t help but wonder why they have been ”hidden” on the drawings shown on this blog. MOS dealt with a similar issue in the Ordos 100 project in Mongolia (http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/ridhika/mos1.jpg). Here the solution was to avoid vertical gables and to vary the slope of the roofs throughout the building. Consequently the ’voids’ between the buildings seem more dynamic that what is the case in the Krabbesholm design.
We are eager to see the project develop!

Johannes + Gustav

We think MOS Architects have done some really interesting projects. They have designed lounge-areas for parties and they continue to experiment with their aesthetics. MOS’ design for the extension at Krabbesholm Højskole is similar to a number of their previous projects, which have also been concerned with manipulating the traditional pitched roof building. This is done by using the same material on roofs and exterior walls, resulting in a smooth transition between the two with no ‘edge’. The very high roofs and large windows can also be found in other projects. We think that the choice of material fits with that of the existing graphic design studio, workshop and student dorms. The overall design of the new buildings has a clear relationship to the main building, which also has a pitched roof.
We do not agree with MOS’ decision to place the new buildings so close to the existing student dormitory buildings. On the other hand, the close proximity of the buildings helps to underline the initial concept of the ‘village’. By separating the studios from the student dorms, and placing all the core subjects in the ‘village’, students will be able to collaborate and interact more easily with other disciplines. This is made difficult by the current organization of the campus.
MOS’ design aims to create an improved working environment by raising the ceiling height. The new buildings will provide studio spaces for Design, Architecture and Photography. In the future, the school plans to turn the current student dormitories (adjacent to the new buildings) into studios for Graphic Design and Art. It seems like these two disciplines will miss out on the architects’ idea of a better working environment, as their current studio have much higher ceiling than the student dormitory buildings will be able to provide. However, as the interior walls of the student dormitories have not yet been removed, and the scheme for their transformation not yet designed, we cannot be certain about this.  

August

This last year I certainly got the wrong impression of the project. I though it was supposed to be another gallery (like bow-wow's Four Boxes Gallery) and that skoven 1 & 2 would continue to be student rooms.
Fortunately I was mistaken, and I now think the project looks great. I especially like the idea of gathering all the studios: making it easy to visit the other subjects. The solution with an open space is also good, making the different buildings melt together. When the students are able to keep an eye on each others projects, they will influence each other both socially and academically.

Asger Skov Rasmussen and Julie Mikkelsen

Krabbesholm is not an ordinary school. It’s a creative playground. Here you get to meet new people with sometimes the same interests and sometimes totally different ones. But you all play together at the playground and you all get along more or less. 
The expansion and the new arrangement of the buildings will evoke an even bigger feeling of playing and learning from your own and others experiments. We feel the masterplan for Krabbesholm is heading in the right direction. As we see it, Krabbesholm is continually evolving. Every new step is not a constant. It simply leads to the next step the school will take. Which in this case for example could be a different tone or a new colour for the building (hint). 
When making such a big project everything should be considered and one of the issues we are most irritated by, with regards to the current facilities for the architecture students, are the long, rectangular rooms,  which at times seems too packed and don’t invite you to observe what the others are working on. For that reason we don’t understand why the new building is copying that exact form of room.
When that is said, it is great to see that with these new buildings, Krabbesholm is thinking more of the urban environment at the school instead of making landmarks as the Photohouse and the Four Boxes Gallery are examples of. Now they too will get to shine, as they will be part of the residential and recreational area for the students.
It is motivating to be at a school which is always thinking ahead and never stands still. The ceiling is high and so is the mentality. 

Christian and Kristoffer

We were very excited, when we first heard about the project and about the idea of creating a close-knit arrangement of different studios. This is guaranteed to give you a better insight into what everyone’s working on.
When viewing the initial scheme, we both found the building to look out of place in the context. The extremely high roof and the rounded corners reminded us of a sand house from Star Wars. However, after hearing the thoughts behind the high ceilings, and that the buildings were to be clad in fiber cement, it design seems much more agreeable. That students are able to sit in a space with high ceilings will provide them with room for reflection. The concept of being able to look into the other studio spaces is great. Thinking about the existing buildings on campus, Krabbesholm consists of architecture from many eras, which we think is really great. 
Personally, we think the project could benefit from some additional colours. The buildings take up a lot of space in the area, and grey is a colour that just blends with the surroundings. When the adjacent buildings are grey/black as well, perhaps it’s just all too grey and dull? The formal language of the building fits the function. The exterior fits the interior, and there is a good coalition between the two. Perhaps this is the perfect place to work?
We ask ourselves whether the powerful aesthetics of the buildings may influence the students’ work, so that their ideas literally spring from the space. We are eager to see the finished building and to determine if the great idea works in practice.  
We MOS not forget the future.

Photo: Marie Emilie Larsen

Tuesday, february the 21th

Interview with Johannes Timo BÖving, Architecture student at Krabbesholm Højskole, Spring 2012

What do you think about the proposed extension at Krabbesholm?

”Judging by the plans alone my first impression is that the arrangement is rather chaotic. The relationship to the existing buildings behind the main building seems odd. However, when taking into account that the current student dorms are to be refurbished and act as future graphics and art studios, it makes a lot more sense for the new buildings to be placed so close to the existing.”

The new buildings will be nearly 9m tall. What impact do you think this will have on the location and the spaces inside the buildings?

”My previous comment about the seemingly strange location and arrangement of the buildings is linked to the height. These are structures at a large scale, but as they are placed relatively close to the main building, I think it just might work. The main building is a lot taller and acts as the ’center’ for all the buildings and activities on campus. With the new buildings acting as a extension of this center, their height suddenly isn’t so startling. With regards to the rooms inside the buildings, I love the large light-filled spaces and the heigh ceilings. Openness, spaciousness and air are very important when creating a pleasant working environment.”

The concept of the new buildings is to bring the different subjects closer together, physically and academically – windows will provide a constant visual connection between the studios (Architecture, Design and photography). What are your thoughts about a learning environment where you are working in such close proximity to other disciplines?

”I think it’s great that the school emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration, and that the different subjects are not seperate but form one single unit. I like the idea of walking through the studios and getting a sense of all the different projects. You can get inspired by your fellow students’ work. Hopefully the new buildings will function as one big creative studio space.

Basically I just really like the concept of reorganising the campus, so that the teaching spaces are behind the main building and all the social activities are at the front. The current photography studio will become a communal space for the students, a ”Student House’. The best part is that the outdoor recreational space is just outside. I wish I’d get the chance to experience the new spaces and facilities”.

MOnday, FebruarY The 13th

MOS Architects

Krabbesholm Højskole is currently in the process of expanding its studio spaces and workshops. The school’s new buildings are to be placed at the northern end of the campus. The total area is 600m2. The new buildings will provide workspaces for three of the school’s main subjects: Design, Architecture and Art, as well as a smaller photography studio. The idea of expanding the school developed as the teaching got increasingly ambitious. The project aims to unite the school’s five main subjects; thereby encouraging collaboration and interdisciplinary teaching, and avoiding the establishment of independent specialised teaching units. The new buildings will form a so-called “teaching village”, located behind the school’s main building, improving the education for all.

The architects behind the project are the up-and-coming firm MOS architects, based in New York.

MOS architects started their practice in 2003. The name is derived from an abbreviation of the main architects’ names. The office aims to pull architecture from its pedestal, keeping the designs simple and down to earth. Since day one MOS’ projects have been developed around a communal table; emphasising collaboration, playful experimentation and more serious research. The resulting architecture is derived from an interest in cultural and environmental issues and a wish to create a diverse range of spaces.

Long ago, when Krabbesholm Højskole wasn’t yet a school specialising in the Arts, the site was organised with agricultural buildings behind the main building and students living in the buildings along the main road. The idea of this project is to reestablish a separation between student dorms, workshops and studios.

In the future the school wishes to expand even further: The plan is to demolish the current student dorms found adjacent to the graphics and art studios. This will give way to new studios for the art and graphic design departments. Eventually the students will move into ‘Håndværkerbygningen’ next to the ‘Four Boxes Gallery’. This further expansion of the school will take place during the fall 2012.