An extraordinary modern building constructed from wood and metal is being built to fulfil the owner’s dream of creating a home, workspace and a working hangar in one pioneering space.
At Himmelslätta, outside Gagnef, a truly special building is being constructed. The Hangar, as it is called, will not only be a home but will also be a meeting space, a technical area, and a hangar for electric planes. Behind this multifaceted building is owner, inventor and aviation enthusiast Jan-Erik Strömberg (pictured below). The architecture firm Gert Wingårdh has designed the building. MiTek components have been used in the floor structure and roof trusses, contributing to space efficiency and functionality. The building is taking shape. Here’s the story so far…
At the Himmelslätta airfield outside Gagnef in Dalarna, a dream is being realised. After many years of planning, hard work, and dedication, Dalarna will be the first place in Sweden to have charging infrastructure for electric planes. The person behind the project is the inventor and visionary Jan-Erik Strömberg: “I’ve worked with aviation-related activities my entire professional life, and to now have the opportunity to develop manned electric flight is absolutely fantastic,” he says.
Custom design
A part of this project involves creating a modern building, the Hangar, where people can meet, hold conferences, and learn about new technology. The building will also include a lab for testing new components and system solutions for electric flight, as well as a workshop for creating prototypes. Additionally, the plane and its charging equipment will be housed in the same building, alongside a residential wing.
But how will all these functions form part of one building, within a limited space? The brief to deliver it was given to one of Sweden’s most renowned architectural firms, Gert Wingårdh.
“We received a very special request from Jan-Erik Strömberg and saw it as a fantastic challenge. I love the idea of a building where the future is created, technology is developed, a person can live, and it also houses a plane! There’s something very special about planes – their mobility, design, the dream of travel, the desire. And that it’s about electric planes makes it even more interesting, futuristic, and of course, more sustainable,” says Gert Wingårdh, founder of the architectural practice of the same name.
Advanced technology in a classic environment
The design idea Gert and his colleagues developed was driven by the goal to balance the structure of wood and metal with functionality and longevity. As in all hangars, large spans and high ceilings must be managed to cater for the planes. But this vaulted space makes it a challenge to simultaneously create a cosy environment for a home in the same building.
The Hangar is defined by four large glulam pillars at the outer corners of the building. Where the metal roof meets the large pillars, the eaves form a pointed shape.
The Hangar will be finished in Falun red as a nod to the area’s traditional buildings, as Sofia Larson, an architect involved in the project, explains: “It felt right to make the building red because the area in Dalarna is characterised by many saddle roofs and classic Swedish Falun red buildings.”
Solid structural solutions
The task of building the Hangar went to the family business Arkos Home in nearby Insjön. “It’s a really cool construction project to be part of, with many special solutions, such as the extremely large beams. Both ridge beams and steel beams were needed to handle the heavy loads from the roof structure and transfer them to the foundation,” says Stefan Arnesson of Arkos Home.
The simplicity of Posi-Joist
There’s a lot of technology that needs to fit in the building, so it’s important the space is built as efficiently as possible. “It was Arkos Home who suggested we use Posi-Joist floor structures. I was impressed by the clever solution for building lightweight structures that also make it easy to integrate extensive systems like piping, ventilation, and electricity without them being visible,” says Jan-Erik Strömberg.
“The simplicity of the Posi-Joist system can’t even be compared to other solutions. It saves an incredible amount of time on the construction site, since there’s no need for drilling, and it’s easy to access installations from all directions,” agrees Stefan.
Torbjörn Elfors, project manager at ABB Sverige AB, was tasked with installing the ventilation and all the pipes for the heat pumps. “I was very happy when I first saw that the installations would fit inside the floor structure. I strongly believe in this idea. Often, it’s about working around glulam beams or similar, and it’s not always easy to get the pipes through. This has been a major concern, but the Posi-Joist system is really a fantastic solution that makes our work much easier and faster,” says Torbjörn.
“I think we’ve done a fantastic job of managing the available space and volume. We’ve fit all the installations inside the floor structure without taking up too much space in the building,” concludes Jan-Erik Strömberg.
The project is nearing completion and Jan-Erik will soon be able to install his electric plane in what will be a multifaceted architectural masterpiece.
Watch the video to see the construction of the building with Posi-Joist so far…
Look out for Part 2 coming soon…
