Outdoor recreation and nature conservation at Kalvøya

Kalvøya is located in the Oslo Fjord and is a popular recreational area. The island has a rich natural and cultural heritage, including protected burial mounds and limestone formations from the Oslo Rift. The geology provides favorable conditions for a diverse flora, including several red-listed species.

Kalvøya is also an important destination for outdoor recreation and leisure. With increasing development in the area, more visitors are expected in near future. This creates a need for improved facilities and access, while also protecting the island’s natural qualities from increased pressure.

Commissioned by Bærum municipality, LINK has developed a design manual and provided guidance and detailed landscape design for selected areas of Kalvøya. The work includes two meeting places, upgrades and restoration of a nature trail, and several nature restoration measures. One of these, Store Badebukt, has now been completed and opened to the public. The aim has been to develop solutions that are robust enough to withstand regular use, while remaining integrated into the landscape and respecting its natural and cultural heritage. Accessibility, recreation, nature experiences and conservation have been key considerations throughout the project.

Store Badebukt, a popular bathing cove

A key principle has been to guide visitors towards areas that can withstand use, while protecting more vulnerable natural habitats. The new gathering place at Store Badebukt has been designed to accommodate increased visitor numbers and a changing climate, with more frequent storm surges and increased surface water. Robust materials and careful dimensioning make the area better equipped to withstand wear, erosion and weather exposure.

A natural stone wall in slate serves both as erosion protection and as seating for visitors. Surface water from the terrain above the beach is managed using nature-based solutions, with recessed areas and vegetated swales that collect, convey and slow down water. The beach has been cleared of oysters and replenished with new sand. The gathering place is universally accessible, with a wheelchair-friendly natural stone and slate surface. The paving and stone wall are designed as a cohesive whole, with a form inspired by the natural shapes and formations found on Kalvøya.

The outdoor shower is integrated into the design, framed by a slate wall. Surplus soil and other excavated materials have been reused on site and shaped into new terrain that creates spaces and natural zones within the area. The landscape has been supplemented with native trees, and the site now includes a new sand volleyball court, bicycle parking and waste facilities.

Parts of the walking route and access to the meeting place have been rerouted, both to create a buffer zone towards protected natural areas, where natural succession can restore habitats and biodiversity, and to improve conditions for operation and maintenance.

A landscape designed to withstand use

The landscape architects have worked to balance increased use of Kalvøya with the protection of its natural and cultural heritage.

By concentrating visitor facilities and other interventions in selected areas, Kalvøya can continue to be a place for swimming, recreation and nature experiences, while the island’s most vulnerable areas are better protected.