MASS Lab announced as a finalist in the Nordic Built Cities Challenge Competitiotn

MASS Lab, a Portuguese architecture studio, has been named one of four finalists in the Nordic Built Cities Challenge Competition to design a masterplan for a 45,000 square meter site on the Faroe Islands. A steep hill overlooking a fjord, the site requires extensive construction and engineering.

MASS Lab's proposal centers on a single concept: "every patio is framed by four houses and every module is surrounded by four gardens." The project involves dense but low urbanization, with the inclusion of a continuous urban landscape that would serve as a public commons with playgrounds, gardens, and urban farms.

"The structure clearly reflects social ambitions about creating a neighbourhood in the area, and to invite to a greater feeling of community than in a traditional residential area," the jury said about their proposal. "We believe that this points to the future in relation to a concept of sustainability, which includes: environmental, economic and social sustainability."

The other finalists for the competition are Hyde Architects (UK), Cuartoymitad Architecture and Landscape (Spain), and White Architects (Sweden).