Many talented architects will contribute to the development of the former Norwegian School of Veterinary Science

A total of 28 tenders were received, with in total more than 130 architecture firms and consultants involved. This week, letters of notification have been sent out to everyone who has submitted offers. The top three offers came from teams led by LPO, A-lab and Pir2, and these have now been nominated for the assignment.

Good understanding of the assignment
- This parallel assignment has led to a debate about remuneration and scope. We wanted a process with an earlier involvement of professionals - and at a more general level - than we usually have. It was a new way of doing this, but a large amount of the offers we received nevertheless show that they have understood what we want to achieve with the parallel assignment. We are looking for a holistic approach and open strategic input on how we can develop the area in the best possible way. Several of the bidders responded very well to this, while others describe deliveries and level of detail belonging to later phases, says Kjersti Folvik, Director for Portfolio Development at Oslobygg.

The evaluation was carried out in close cooperation between Linstow and Oslobygg based on the criteria "Mission understanding" and "Key personnel and offered team", where the understanding of the assignment was weighted by 70 per cent.

- There were many good offers, however we agreed on the top three offers. Now there will be a 15-day complaint period before we can sign a contract for the assignments. This is a major milestone in our work, and we look forward to seeing the deliveries," says Terje Lorentzen, Director for Development at Linstow.

Exhibition and co-creation

In January there will be a kick-off meeting with the three who will get the contracts. The assessment phase is estimated to approximately four months, and the parallel assignment will culminate in an exhibition of the three deliveries in the spring with the possibility of participation, as well as a subsequent co-creation process with key players.

- Second half of 2024 is dedicated to a co-creation process, where we want to discuss the proposed solutions related to the objectives for the area with other stakeholders before the formal planning process starts. This is a new way of planning – and we are excited to see if this way of working can facilitate even more exciting and innovative urban development, say Folvik and Lorentzen.

Teams
The top three offers came from LPO, A-lab and Pir2. A-lab is joined by Fabel, Arcgency, Natural State, UiO/Include and Multiconsult. LPO's team consists of Reiulf Ramstad ark, ARK bolig, Grindaker, BARK Consulting, DAN, while Pir2 is joined by Built, Local, Briq, Growlab Oslo, U.reist, Sustainable living, Insam, SustEvo and Føreland consulting.