Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture & Design – Norway
ways at the back of our minds. Working in a sustainable way means that every step of a process has been given thought. From the choosing of materials, to transport, to how we work on site,” explains Glomnes.
In tune with nature One of the firm’s latest projects took the relationship between a house and its surroundings to a new level. When a couple wanted that special house that could bring nature into their lives, Vindveggen got on board. “We let the land help decide what the house would look like. Normally, the land is shaped and altered, but this time, we asked ourselves how the house could benefit from untamed surroundings,” explains Glomnes. Every tree was taken into consideration. The surrounding land was always given top priority,
and the team made sure to preserve the precious heather and the blueberry bushes. Every piece of material and tool had its designated place, keeping the flora out of harm’s way. “When a house is built in nature in such a fashion, it makes for a whole new way of living. Instead of a grass lawn, you would have the forest floor as your garden,” continues Glomnes. It has made for a house where walking out of your living room door means you are walking straight out into nature. “There was, throughout the whole process, full awareness about what sort of material we would use for a house like this,” Glomnes adds. And rather suitably, they landed on trees, with untreated spruce as the main component: essentially bringing the surrounding forest into the house itself.
The name Let us return for a moment to the log driving. At Svelle, Øyeren’s neighbouring lake, timber was often pooled up before further transport. Heavy winds made for troublesome working conditions, however, and it was soon decided to build a wall across the lake to protect the timber from the elements. Between 1903 and 1909, a long wooden wall was wedged into the ground, straight across the lake. It was in the surrounding regions named ‘the storm wall’ or ‘the wind wall’ − Vindveggen. Today, Vindveggen is gone, but a small architecture firm in Lillestrøm has kept its history alive by keeping its name and its purpose − to build something that will shield from the often brutal winters of Norway. Web: www.vindveggen.no
Issue 117 | October 2018 | 57