Through Building Dignity, The City of Bergen tries to concretize how the design and development of municipal buildings and properties can contribute to achieving the goal of an inclusive urban community. The project is a best-practice example of how cities can focus on people, while using new technology, innovative methods, collaboration, and co-creation to become more sustainable, attractive, productive, and resilient.
Bergen Inclusion Center is the first construction project in the world to be registered as a pilot in Building Dignity, an international program that focuses on human rights and dignity in the built environment. Bergen inclusion center will be established in the old teacher training college at Landås. Here, large parts of the Agency for inclusion's activities will be gathered in one place: administration, introduction center for refugees and training center for adults (Nygård school). The center will contribute to an inclusive urban community, with respect for human dignity as a value base. Through extensive joint use, the facility will also be open to sports and the local community, and function as an open meeting place in the neighbourhood.
Being a pilot in Building Dignity means that Bergen Municipality will prioritize solutions that promote human dignity in all stages of this construction project: Design of the building, extensive reuse of building materials, safeguarding workers' rights during the construction process, and planning how the building can be shared with the local community and volunteering. The project is relevant for a number of sustainability goals; goal 3: good health and well-being, goal 4: quality education, goal 5: gender equality, goal 8: decent work and economic growth, goal 11: sustainable cities and communities and goal 17: partnership for the goals.
The project is one of two projects from The City of Bergen that have been identified as best practice examples for the national «Roadmap for smart and sustainable cities and communities in Norway».
The construction project is scheduled for completion in January 2024.
Read more about Building dignity – Bergen inclusion center on the City of Bergen’s website: https://www.bergen.kommune.no/hvaskjer/tema/arkitektur-i-bergen/arkitektur-og-verdighet/pilot-bergen-inkluderingssenter/bergen-inkluderingssenter