Reuse: from panels to scates (192)

In the KA13 project in Oslo, the usual design process was reversed. Instead of designing the project first and then selecting the materials to be used, the team first identified unused materials from nearby buildings and proposed refurbishing the existing building they were working on using them.

Specifically, the outer layer of the rain screen façade is made of recovered obsolete cladding panels. This forced the architects to work with materials of different formats and types. The architects addressed one of the key challenges of reuse—adapting to available formats—by cutting the panels into smaller elements, shifting from working with semi-finished products to working with small pieces.

Working with small elements allowed the joints to blur, creating a continuous pattern or texture. The diversity of materials and finishes just enhanced the design with a pixelated facade.

We want to share with you the Reuse and transformation Findings report, and highlight the work of the reuse team for the KA13 project, with Anne Sigrid Nordby (reuse consultant) as the main editor, and Randi Lunke (reuse coordinator) and Rune Andersen (project manager) as co-editors and storytellers. 

This case study was shared with us by students in the MBArch Master’s program: Ignacio Alarcón Leal, Herman Alonso Acosta Vildósola, Joaquin   Rodriguez, and Luis Leonardo Urquieta Rocha.

More information Archdaily