© Binom Architects . Published on January 12, 2012.

In the next 5 years we expect Haugesund to become a key cultural centre at national level and an up-coming tourist attraction along the Fjord coast. In parallel, it is forecasted that it will strengthen its petro-maritime financial growth. In order to accomplish these expectations, the city centre needs to be re-activated according to the following strategies: 1. REINFORCEMENT OF CONNECTIVE ROUTES: EAST-WEST LINKS ACROSS THE CITY CENTRE The connections between the sea front and Flotmyr will be reinforced along Skjoldavegen, Torggata and Kaigata, healing up the wounds caused by the intrusive effects of cars and restoring the Street as a place to play and social interactions. We propose a network of public spaces bridging over a high-speed traffic Flotmyr by-pass that will provide links between the new pedestrianized Green Karmsundgata and Flotmyr.

© Binom Architects . Published on January 12, 2012.

2. REINFORCEMENT OF CONNECTIVE ROUTES: ZIP-RING AROUND THE CITY CENTRE A green ring will zip existing green areas to the extended sea promenade, promoting pedestrian and cycling connections along 3.5km. In order to generate a coherent public space for walking and exercising , we propose a continuous route along wide pavings with tree lines and a network of former derelict sites turned into green events. Consistent streetscape and furniture design will improve the quality of key pedestrian routes.

© Binom Architects . Published on January 12, 2012.

3. INITIAL CONSOLIDATION OF URBAN TISSUE: HIP-HUB STRATEGY The Hip Hub is a unit that combines a building with an enclosed public space: a solid and a void. The hub strategy is used both in the city centre and Flotmyr, adjusting its scale, uses, and life span: - In the city centre a number of Hip Hubs will be built in derelict sites. This allows to quickly recovering the facade frontage at a low cost, providing enclosed public spaces that complement the use of an adjacent building. - In the Flotmyr development the Hip Hubs constitute the core of a cluster of buildings, and become versatile spaces that can be transformed to accommodate social activities.

© Binom Architects . Published on January 12, 2012.

By 2030 Haugesund will help Norway to find its role in a post-oil global economy, taking advantage of the strong coastal winds and tidal power to keep its strength as one of the major energy exporters in the world. Norway is also expected to make the most of the coast along the North Sea, which will become an important national asset from a research, touristic and maritime transportation point of view. The Hip-Hubs strategy will allow for a sustainable growth of both the city centre and the Flotmyr development, together with an expansion of the Zip-Ring that links blue and green.

© Binom Architects . Published on January 12, 2012.

EXPANSION OF THE ZIP-RING: By 2030 we propose to expand the zip-ring towards the sea, reinforcing the link between the Islands of Risoya and Hasseloya and the city centre. The industry along Karmsundet will have evolved into cleaner technologies. The extended green-blue ring will connect the original street grid that covers both mainland and islands, recovering the seafront and transforming the industrial warehouses for new purposes.

© Binom Architects . Published on January 12, 2012.

GRADUAL CONSOLIDATION OF URBAN TISSUE: CITY CENTRE: Haugesund population will increase and the city centre will become more dense, absorbing the Hip-Hubs into the urban fabric. Most of the hubs, initially built to provide activity and street facades at low cost, can be converted into denser schemes with mixed use.

© Binom Architects . Published on January 12, 2012.

GRADUAL CONSOLIDATION OF URBAN TISSUE: FLOTMYR CLUSTERS: The density of programs for the Flotmyr area will increase, creating clusters of new buildings around the hip-hubs. The City can control the density by modifying the rate of sqm built / sqm of hub.

HOW TO RE-ACTIVATE THE CITY CENTRE?

The following problems have been identified reason in the urban fabric as the main that deteriorate the public realm and destroy the sense of community and vitality: - Priority of car space over social space - Filling urban voids with cars - Exposed large party walls - Urban gaps - Key junctions between roads have become urban voids - Lack of engagement with public realm at ground floor level - High speed traffic creates acoustic pollution and safety risks - Too many cars in the city centre

To tackle these issues we propose a combination of the following measures: - Hip-Hubs and associated buildings, filling in the urban gaps and providing a new identity to the city centre - pedestrianisation of Torggata, together with tree planting - wider pavement along Skjoldavegen and Kaigata. Introduction of one way traffic - new access from Kaigata to Karmsundgata, through a pedestrian access reclaimed between two existing houses