Breivoll is an industrial area in the outskirts of Oslo (see image above). Breivoll has gone through a rich historic evolution going from agriculture activities to logging, followed by a technological evolution and the introduction of the train line to mention the main transitions. Breivoll has always been an area where some type of production was present. Today Breivoll is a fragmented industrial area with a lack of identity. To prevent Breivoll from becoming a degraded area and enabling the area to live up to its full potential a group of interdisciplinary stakeholders among which Oslomet product design Master students and the non-profit organization Pådriv collaborate to make sure sustainable urban development will take place in the future.

Pådriv is a non-profit organization that strives for sustainable urban development to ensure social development, quality of living, protection of the environment and economic development. Pådriv achieves this by collaborating with interdisciplinary stakeholders who share an interest in the area in development and introduce tangible change from the bottom-up.

​​​​​​​Project Objective

The objective is to use GIGA mapping (systems mapping) to visualize data and the dynamics within complex systems associated with the area of Breivoll in order to accumulate, communicate, and interrelate data. This permits us to get an understanding of the wickedness of real-life complex relations that define the area of Breivoll. Methods such as observations, mapping of situations, design probing, play probing, interviews, social mapping, cybernetic analysis are used to reveal hidden systems and information that are part of the composition of Breivoll. This higher level of understanding can lead to the identification of elements that work well within a system and potential intervention points to introduce change.

This approach is important to identify the heritage of Breivoll that needs to be preserved, generate holistic resolutions, increase the possible solutions by keeping as many aspects of the problem field at play and to expose potential approaches on how the existing systems can be used or adapted to accommodate social engagement and a harmonious synergy between industry and housing, work and leisure to ensure relevant durable change for a future proof Breivoll.