Transplant is a "design competence center" operating for the last two years on the west coast of Norway in Dale Sunnfjord.

In addition to providing a space for creative work, Transplant hosts seminars, workshops, lectures and an innovative materials library. Upcoming events include an ongoing Xmas Cafe, several Open Bar concerts featuring Swedish talent, a recurrent up-cycling workshop (the next one is scheduled for early 2010), and the "Kabul Oslo" exhibition, a collaboration between Afghan and Norwegian visual artists.

The center is the brainchild of designers Birgitta Ralston and Alexandre Bau, who commissioned the building from Attila Eris, an architect with the Renzo Piano Workshop, to provide a space for communal living, thinking and working among scenic fjords.

Seems like a dream, and there are several ways to visit. It's just been named a popular tourist destination by National Geographic, but if you're looking for more, you can book a company event or rent out the workshops by the day.

Pictured below is Hilde Aagard's project "To Sit Sitting Seated," a piece developed at Transplant with the help of the in-house design team and materials library.

See more projects or get a lay of the land.