Based on the limited budget and with two facades partly underground, we chose prefabricated concrete elements like the exterior building material. All facades, both over- and underground are made insulated concrete (Cellcrete) with a 50mm outer layer in pigmented concrete. Iron oxide is added to the concrete mix to create a distinct red colour. The slabs are exposed in the ceiling to make the structure readable.

The rational building system makes construction easier, permits simple detailing, and in turn a lower building cost. The visible joints between the prefabricated elements and the lines between the boards in the casting blend generates a characteristic pattern in the facades. Concrete elements are repeated in order to reuse the formwork for several elements. The repetitive system of separate elements enables the potential reuse of the building materials in the future.

Wood is often the chosen construction material in projects with high sustainability ambition. However, when we look back at historical buildings of high quality, they have often constructed in stone or concrete – hard and robust materials that are built to last. In the project at Lillehammer we wanted to investigate how to build a house that can absorb the evolution of use as a new hypothesis for a sustainable architecture. It is a house that is built to last by adaption or re-appropriation.

The inner walls are independent of the load-bearing system, which means that the plan can be reconfigured. The house can easily be adapted to future residents or changing needs. The interior of the kitchen and living room is clad in knot-free pine, both on walls and in the ceiling. As for the rest of the house, the concrete slabs are exposed in the ceiling. The floors are covered with standard cement screed. Furniture in pine plywood is built on site.

The combination of a rational and repetitive building system and the substantial effort from the clients resulted in a very low building cost. Through their own efforts in the building period, the owners of the house have gained substantial knowledge about their own house and they feel strong ownership of both the process and the end result.

Text provided by the architect.

The main floor is a concrete construction with three different levels adapting to the terrain. The concrete base, and the big wooden windows in front, support the second floor; a triangular shaped volume of cross laminated timber wrapped in black roofing felt. The interior is characterized by the raw concrete walls, the polished concrete floor, the wooden windows and the 2.nd store all made in Norwegian pine. The furnishing is made out of Norwegian birch. Gutter and other outdoor details are made in untreated copper, and will darken with time. The cabin has a sheltering atmosphere with its protective back wall in concrete and its open glass facade facing the fjord.

Text provided by the architect.

The brick house with a tower is located in a steep hill facing south-west, a few kilometers south of Lillehammer, overlooking the lake of Mjøsa and with views towards the city centre. A trail path runs parallell with the house on the rear side. The placement of the house is chosen to get long views above the adjacent neighbours below, whilst at the same time preserving the views from the trail path. The volume is dug into the ground as a long, slender building body with a small tower rising over the north end of the site. The tower is comprised of one open space overlooking the city in the north and the lake in the west. A part of the tower is open to the floor below, establishing a visual contact between the different levels and providing the kitchen area with air and a generous ceiling height. The plan layout is organised to give long views through the house on all three stories. The children’s rooms are located on the ground floor in addition to a small apartment for rent. The first floor is the main living space with a kitchen, living room and bedrooms. The tower room is a library/living room with long views in two directions.

The house in clad in coal-fired brick in various tones of red, brown and ochre from Denmark. The facade is ventilated with gaps in the mortar on the short end of the bricks. Details and fittings are made in copper which will get a darker patina with age. All windows and doors are built in ash. Visible roof beams in pine create an open ceiling with ash plywood resting on top of the beams. Plywood in ash is also used on the walls corresponding to the 60 cm grid in the ceiling.

Text provided by the architect.