Greymatter Vakdsal

Greymatter Vaksdal is an academic and research-driven initiative embedded within the Vaksdal 2030 and 2035 strategic visions, focusing on the village of Vaksdal at Dale and Stanghelle. The future railway line will significantly shorten travel time to Bergen, increasing regional attractiveness and commuting potential. At the same time, it raises critical questions about transformation, local identity, and social sustainability in a climate-conscious and energy-rich landscape.

The project is framed by the vision “Living the Whole Life” and examines how Stanghelle can develop new multigenerational living models while addressing demographic decline through qualitative social and economic development, CO2 neutral construction and more reflected relation to its cultural landscape. Students work individually on site-specific proposals, exploring the future reuse of Dale for textile factory and Stanghelle stations, the transformation of existing railway tracks, the integration of senior co-housing within housing developments, and the adaptive reuse of underused areas in Dale Fabrikker and Stanghelle industrial buildings.

The initiative is part of the Greymatter research project led by Jérôme Picard (LOCAL Architecture & Urbanism / KMD). It is developed in collaboration with ENSAAMA (Paris), KMD – University of Bergen, Vaksdal Municipality and Vestland County Municipality. Through site visits, stakeholder meetings, and landscape analysis, students engage directly with local conditions, cultural heritage, and renewable energy potential.
The project presented are the 3rd year bachelor projects from DNMADE ENSAAMA led by Jean-Christophe Valleran.

The outcomes is presented locally and internationally, strengthening Vaksdal’s visibility and supporting future exchange ERASMUS and research applications. The project demonstrates how architecture, art, and design can generate new values and resilient futures for rural communities near metropolitan regions