A mass timber community campus with a turfed roof

International architectural studio Henning Larsen designed a new community campus for the University of the Faroe Islands, made of mass timber, green facades and a turfed roof.

Taking inspiration from historic Faroese settlements and ancient methods of adapting buildings to weather conditions of the North Atlantic islands, the 8000 m2 campus ‘embraces the local Faroese custom of ‘reading the landscape’.

The Faroe Islands are home to some of the world’s oldest functioning timber buildings, dating back as far back as the 11th century. This inspired to build the buildings from wood, though with a modern twist, using mass timber (glulam and CLT). The buildings will be topped with a turfed roof to blend them with the landscape.

The green elements continue down the northern and southern elevations of the buildings, comprising of façade modules which are designed for vegetation growth throughout the year, specifically in the islands’ Northern Atlantic climate.

Images: Henning Larsen