[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-osloworks-case-study":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"authorAvatar":7,"authorEmail":8,"authorLink":9,"body":10,"category":417,"description":418,"extension":419,"gradient":420,"mainImage":421,"meta":422,"navigation":431,"path":432,"pinned":433,"publishedAt":434,"readTime":435,"seo":436,"stem":437,"__hash__":438},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fosloworks-case-study.md","Oslo Works cut their competition prep time: here is how.","Franz Forsberg","\u002Fimg\u002Favatar_franz.webp","franz@spacio.ai","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Ffranz.forsberg\u002F",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":405},"minimark",[13,26,38,43,50,60,63,67,78,85,92,96,99,105,111,117,123,129,132,136,142,145,148,158,161,165,168,199,202,231,234,259,270,274,277,284,313,329,336,340,343,349,355,361,364,368,371,379,382,385],[14,15,16,17,21,22,25],"p",{},"A 47% win rate across 32 competitions in your first five years is the kind of number that gets attention in Norwegian architecture. For Oslo Works, an Oslo-based practice founded in 2017, now with about 20 architects in Oslo and a few more in Trondheim, that number isn't an accident. It's the product of a particular way of working: tight teams, high competition volume, and a ",[18,19,20],"strong",{},"refusal to let"," early-stage design be the part of a project where ",[18,23,24],{},"good ideas get lost to bad workflows",".",[14,27,28,29,32,33],{},"This is the story of how ",[18,30,31],{},"Oslo Works integrated Spacio"," into that workflow, what it changed for them, and what the collaboration has built along the way.\n",[34,35],"img",{"alt":36,"src":37},"Francis Brekke","\u002Fimg\u002Ftestimonials\u002Ffrancis.webp",[39,40,42],"h2",{"id":41},"a-young-practice-with-a-heavy-competition-load","A young practice with a heavy competition load",[14,44,45,46,49],{},"Oslo Works was founded in 2017 and became a four-partner practice the same year. Today the ",[18,47,48],{},"firm runs a diverse portfolio"," across two offices: planning and programming in the earliest phases, transformation of historical buildings, and new construction of offices, retail, and apartments. Their work also spans culture, education, healthcare, and landscape and public space, and the identity that runs through all of it is a commitment to sustainability, adaptive reuse, and conservation (vern), often on complex, large-program building projects.",[14,51,52,53,56,57],{},"That mix means ",[18,54,55],{},"the early-phase workload is unusual",". Most weeks the team is working on more than one feasibility study, often under competition deadlines where client expectations are high and budgets are constrained. ",[18,58,59],{},"The work needs to be fast, defensible, and visually strong enough to land a client meeting on day one.",[14,61,62],{},"Which is exactly the part of the design workflow where most architectural tools struggle.",[39,64,66],{"id":65},"the-tool-problem","The tool problem",[14,68,69,70,73,74],{},"Like a lot of forward-leaning practices, Oslo Works had been looking for early-stage tooling for a while. Spacemaker (now Autodesk Forma), Kreo (now Skema), Finch: ",[18,71,72],{},"the team had tested most of the alternatives"," in the early-design space.\n",[34,75],{"alt":76,"src":77},"The early-design tool landscape","img\u002Fblog\u002Fosloworks-case-study\u002Ftools.webp",[14,79,80,81,84],{},"Each tool had its strengths. None of them quite fit. The team kept reverting to a mix of Rhino, hand sketches, and spreadsheets for the early phase, which worked, but slowly. ",[18,82,83],{},"Generating two or three serious design alternatives for a competition still cost a week",". And the hand-off from feasibility study to the rest of the project always involved more re-modelling than anyone wanted.",[14,86,87,88,91],{},"What they were looking for wasn't an automation tool that took the architect out of the loop. It was the opposite: ",[18,89,90],{},"a platform that “kept the architect in the driver's seat”"," (as Francis puts it) while removing the parts of early-phase work that didn't deserve the architect's time.",[39,93,95],{"id":94},"why-spacio-clicked","Why Spacio clicked",[14,97,98],{},"When Oslo Works first opened Spacio, five things stood out.",[14,100,101,104],{},[18,102,103],{},"• A visually pleasing interface."," This isn't a small thing. Architects spend their days looking at design tools, and a platform that looks like an engineer's spreadsheet has a hard time earning their attention. Spacio reads as something an architect would use.",[14,106,107,110],{},[18,108,109],{},"• Intuitive operations."," Push and pull, split and modify, volume adjustments: the way you actually work with a massing study, mapped onto controls that don't fight you.",[14,112,113,116],{},[18,114,115],{},"• An architect-centric approach."," Built by architects (André, Stian, and Franz are all from the discipline), shaped by architects in active practice. The platform doesn't ask the user to think like a developer. It asks the user to think like an architect, and handles the structured data underneath.",[14,118,119,122],{},[18,120,121],{},"• Comprehensive metrics."," Total control over GFA, unit mix, and area metrics from the moment a building lands on the site. For early-phase decision-making, this is the difference between defensible and guessing.",[14,124,125,128],{},[18,126,127],{},"• A clear development trajectory."," A roadmap for analysis and simulation tools that signalled long-term value, not just a feasibility-stage demo.",[14,130,131],{},"That last point mattered as much as the immediate features. Oslo Works were looking for a tool to invest in, not a one-off purchase.",[39,133,135],{"id":134},"a-real-project-a-master-plan-on-a-constrained-urban-site","A real project: a master plan on a constrained urban site",[14,137,138],{},[34,139],{"alt":140,"src":141},"Masterplan","img\u002Fblog\u002Fosloworks-case-study\u002Fmaster-plan.webp",[14,143,144],{},"The clearest illustration of how Spacio fits into the Oslo Works workflow came from a recent master plan project on a tight urban site, where the surrounding context shaped every massing decision.",[14,146,147],{},"The team's process started where it usually does, with hand sketches. Concepts on tracing paper, partners around a table, the slow conversational exploration that no software replaces.",[14,149,150,151,154,155],{},"Then those concepts moved into Spacio for initial modelling. Multiple massing options were generated. ",[18,152,153],{},"Spacio and Rhino became the two key information bearers in the project",", with data flowing cleanly between them as different specialists came in for different analyses. The team then returned to Spacio for refined design development, and ",[18,156,157],{},"finally used the platform itself for client communication.",[14,159,160],{},"That last step, using the design tool for storytelling, is what surprised them.",[39,162,164],{"id":163},"what-the-platform-handled","What the platform handled",[14,166,167],{},"For the design work itself, Spacio carried:",[14,169,170,173,174,177,180,181,183,186,187,189,192,193,195],{},[18,171,172],{},"• Building mass configuration"," and the geometry-level decisions about how the volumes sat on the site",[175,176],"br",{},[18,178,179],{},"• Storey-count and height adjustments"," as the team tested how to balance density against outdoor comfort",[175,182],{},[18,184,185],{},"• Roof utilisation"," planning, important on a constrained site",[175,188],{},[18,190,191],{},"• Window"," aperture customisation across facades",[175,194],{},[34,196],{"alt":197,"src":198},"Spacio facades","img\u002Fblog\u002Fosloworks-case-study\u002Ffacades.webp",[14,200,201],{},"For communication, Spacio became the source of:",[14,203,204,207,208,210,211,214,215,217,218,221,222,224,225,228,229],{},[18,205,206],{},"• Connectivity diagrams"," showing the green spaces threading between the volumes",[175,209],{},"\n• Visualisation of ",[18,212,213],{},"pedestrian connections"," through the site",[175,216],{},"\n• Documentation of ",[18,219,220],{},"building access points"," and core locations",[175,223],{},"\n• ",[18,226,227],{},"Phasing scenarios"," showing how the master plan could deliver in stages",[175,230],{},[14,232,233],{},"For client engagement:",[14,235,236,239,240,242,245,246,248,249,252,253,255],{},[18,237,238],{},"• VR experiences"," generated directly from the Spacio model for in-meeting walkthroughs",[175,241],{},[18,243,244],{},"• Presentation materials"," that didn't require a separate visualisation contractor",[175,247],{},"\n• A comprehensive ",[18,250,251],{},"visualisation package",", produced in days rather than weeks",[175,254],{},[34,256],{"alt":257,"src":258},"Virtual Reality","img\u002Fblog\u002Fosloworks-case-study\u002FVR.webp",[14,260,261,262,265,266],{},"The team ",[18,263,264],{},"described Spacio as a workflow integrator."," Not the one tool that did everything (that doesn't exist and probably shouldn't) but the tool that connected the design work to the analysis work to the client conversation, with the model staying alive across all three.\n",[34,267],{"alt":268,"src":269},"The Oslo Works tool workflow","img\u002Fblog\u002Fosloworks-case-study\u002Fworkflow.webp",[39,271,273],{"id":272},"what-the-collaboration-looked-like-behind-the-scenes","What the collaboration looked like behind the scenes",[14,275,276],{},"One of the things Oslo Works have spoken about most is the speed of the development relationship.",[14,278,279,280,283],{},"In the first months of using Spacio, ",[18,281,282],{},"the team raised specific issues and requests",". Several were resolved overnight. Some shaped feature work that landed within weeks:",[14,285,286,289,290,292,295,296,298,301,302,304,307,308,310,311],{},[18,287,288],{},"• A defined zero point"," for the project model, for cleaner interoperability between Spacio and other tools",[175,291],{},[18,293,294],{},"• A graphics engine upgrade"," that handled larger terrain extents, useful for the kind of urban-scale master plans Oslo Works runs",[175,297],{},[18,299,300],{},"• A new park tool",", which extended what could be visualised in the open space around buildings",[175,303],{},[18,305,306],{},"• Persistence of facade aperture settings",", so a window pattern designed once stayed in place through downstream edits",[175,309],{},"\n• Early work on the advanced facade systems the team needed for architectural expression at the volume level",[175,312],{},[14,314,315,316,319,320,324,325],{},"This isn't a story about a vendor patching a tool. It's the kind of collaborative product development that happens when both sides treat the platform as something being built together. Direct channels to the developers, weekly feature drops, ",[18,317,318],{},"requests that turned into shipped functionality"," rather than into a \"",[321,322,323],"em",{},"we'll consider it\""," reply.\n",[34,326],{"alt":327,"src":328},"collaboration","img\u002Fblog\u002Fosloworks-case-study\u002Fiterations.webp",[14,330,331,332,335],{},"The work continues. The current threads include enhanced facade systems for greater architectural control at the volume level, and ",[18,333,334],{},"advanced diagramming for storytelling"," and stakeholder communication, both of which serve Oslo Works' particular strength in winning competitions.",[39,337,339],{"id":338},"what-changed-for-the-practice","What changed for the practice",[14,341,342],{},"After integrating Spacio into their early-phase workflow, Oslo Works describe three concrete shifts.",[14,344,345,348],{},[18,346,347],{},"• Faster iteration cycles."," Generating two or three serious massing alternatives for a competition no longer costs a week. The early phase compresses, which means more time for the design refinement that wins the day.",[14,350,351,354],{},[18,352,353],{},"• Better integration between phases."," The model that starts in Spacio carries metadata through to Rhino, to BIM, and to the visualisation outputs. Less re-modelling. Less data lost between hand-offs. Less late-stage friction.",[14,356,357,360],{},[18,358,359],{},"• Stronger client communication."," VR walkthroughs and clean diagrams from the same source-of-truth model mean clients see the project the way the architects see it. Stakeholder engagement gets sharper. Approvals move faster.",[14,362,363],{},"The underlying point is that none of these are about replacing the architect. They're about removing the parts of the work that weren't the architect's contribution in the first place.",[39,365,367],{"id":366},"looking-forward","Looking forward",[14,369,370],{},"Oslo Works continue to expand their use of Spacio as new modules ship, particularly around facade systems and the diagramming work that supports competition storytelling. The relationship has settled into the kind of ongoing exchange where user practice shapes the product, and product capability changes what's possible in practice.",[372,373,374],"blockquote",{},[14,375,376],{},[321,377,378],{},"Spacio is made by architects for architects and puts the architect in the driver's seat, which is a very important philosophy for us.",[14,380,381],{},"Says Francis Brekke from Oslo Works.",[14,383,384],{},"That philosophy is what we'd hoped people would see in Spacio. It's hearing it back from a firm with a 47% competition win rate that lets us know we got it right.",[14,386,387,388,25,395,397],{},"Join our Discord community to share how your firm runs early-stage design, and what you'd want a tool like Spacio to do next: ",[389,390,394],"a",{"href":391,"rel":392},"https:\u002F\u002Fdiscord.gg\u002FuJkvBmKbHe",[393],"nofollow","Discord",[175,396],{},[321,398,399,400,404],{},"If you'd like to share how your practice uses Spacio in a future case study, write to us at ",[389,401,403],{"href":402},"mailto:info@spacio.ai","info@spacio.ai",". We learn the most from the firms in the field.",{"title":406,"searchDepth":407,"depth":407,"links":408},"",2,[409,410,411,412,413,414,415,416],{"id":41,"depth":407,"text":42},{"id":65,"depth":407,"text":66},{"id":94,"depth":407,"text":95},{"id":134,"depth":407,"text":135},{"id":163,"depth":407,"text":164},{"id":272,"depth":407,"text":273},{"id":338,"depth":407,"text":339},{"id":366,"depth":407,"text":367},"Product","Case study: Oslo Works uses Spacio to speed up feasibility studies, improve client presentations, and win more competitions.","md","linear-gradient(135deg, #1A1F36 0%, #2D3561 100%)","\u002Fimg\u002Fblog\u002Fosloworks-case-study\u002Fhero.webp",{"slug":423,"pillar":424,"tags":425,"status":429,"sources":430},"osloworks-case-study","Real Architects",[426,427,428],"Site & context","Product Beta","Feasibility & Massing","READY",null,true,"\u002Fblog\u002Fosloworks-case-study",false,"2026-08-26","7 min read",{"title":5,"description":418},"blog\u002Fosloworks-case-study","Z6wHbOc0lC78LqQdoJGaanw2t-tAlq_Q4V-yvTkS5lI"]