Nodi, Nya Hovås

Along Hovås Allé, in the middle of one of Gothenburg’s newest districts, stands the spectacular wooden building Nodi. The name means hub, and that’s exactly what Nodi will be, a focal point in the Nya Hovås district and one of the architectural landmarks that welcomes visitors to the area. Nodi has five spectacular floors that grow in size with each floor, with an authentic wooden feel from the inside out.

Spectacular and welcoming

In early 2019, we were commissioned by Next Step Group to design one of Nya Hovås’ landmarks. Four floors of office space, on top of an entrance level for shops and city life. The planned development around Route 158 makes Nodi the hub of the area, with a mixed-use city of housing, shops and restaurants surrounding it. The bold design has played a significant role in the occupancy rate for the client.

Client: Next Step Group
Location: Nya Hovås, Gothenburg
Size: GFA 4660 sqm, GFA above ground 4200 sqm, GLA 3680 sqm
Awards: Best business building – Dezeen Awards 2021, Best Building in Gothenburg 2022, Architects Sweden – Västra Götaland Architecture Prize 2023
Status: Completed 2021
Photo: Åke Eson Lindman

The architecture is designed to create an inviting and pleasant indoor climate with a low carbon footprint.

Nodi breathes wood and glass

Those approaching Nodi from the street are drawn to peek in through the large glass panels surrounding the entrance level. The internally visible frame and the façade in linoleum-treated glulam and panel make a warm impression and give a wooden feel throughout the building. Thanks to the deep wooden niches along the entire inside of the facade, visible wooden beams in the ceiling and wooden panels on the walls, the natural wooden feeling is always present.

The five storeys cantilever out and become larger with each floor, especially towards the south and west. In this way, the design of the house contributes to a better indoor climate and protects against the sun’s glaring rays without shutting out the light. The slats together with the large glass sections on the entrance level provide transparency to the interior space and provide an inviting focal point for passers-by. On the street level there are premises for shops that become a natural part of the popular Hovås Allé street. And at the very top, overlooking Nya Hovås and its surroundings, all the building’s tenants can enjoy the lush roof terrace and a spacious communal kitchenette.

Thanks to the close, ambitious and open collaboration between all parties, we have been able to develop a groundbreaking project that has resulted in Gothenburg's, and also one of Sweden's, first wooden office buildings.

Joakim Hansson, Lead Architect

A natural building in many ways

The tradition of building in wood is currently experiencing a renaissance, and with new adapted regulations, research and experience, it is possible to create modern buildings in wood that meet today’s needs. The benefits of wood are not only a low carbon footprint, it is very much an aesthetic choice. In Nodi’s case, we have chosen to expose as much of the timber
frame as possible to make visible the simple but expressive aesthetics of wood. Wood contributes to a pleasant indoor environment, as well as more even humidity and temperature.

We had a high level of ambition with the whole project and together with White Arkitekter we managed to create the qualities we saw in front of us. It is clear that these values are appreciated by our tenants and the letting went very quickly, thanks in large part to the architecture.

Oskar Lindström, Project Manager Next Step Group and responsible for Nodi