November 11, 2014
Architecture professor receives award from Norway
Torgeir Norheim, associate professor and architect in the College of Architecture, Planning & Design's architecture department, was awarded the 2014 Excellence in Building Culture Award, or Byggeskikkprisen 2014, by the municipality of Stavanger, Norway, and presented by Stavanger's mayor Christine Sagen Helgø on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at Ledaal.
The award was given for Norheim's superior command of the Orangerie project that transformed an old Sardine factory complex in Stavanger, Norway and blended a combination of residential and commercial functions. With the focused theme of innovation the city wanted to direct attention toward architectural design that is experimental, distinct and innovative.
The Orangerie project tells a story of change and adaptation to new conditions in the modern city. By adding formal elements and by retrofitting the existing buildings, the neighborhood was turned into a contemporary setting of diverse mixed-use activities. The design configures a harmonious whole where both the historical traces and new elements are legible.
The Orangerie project has created a distinct element of identity and manifesting a diverse urban context. Through high ambition in project construction and by concentrating on high architectural quality the project becomes the model for meaningful urban development.