Scan Magazine, Issue 117, October 2018

Page 58

Scan Magazine  |  Special Theme  |  Nordic Architecture & Design – Norway

Hytte Fie. Photo: Luis Bamond

An architectural conversation For 35 years, Arkitektkompaniet has, from its base in Drammen in the south of Norway, drawn pretty much everything and anything with walls and a roof. Armed with a down-to-earth attitude and a ‘nothing is impossible’ philosophy, the company has built everything from 1,000-square-metre shopping centres to cosy little cabins in the rural mountains of Norway. By Lisa Maria Berg  |  Photos: Arkitektkompaniet AS

The 12-person firm are based out of Drammen, but have made their architectural mark all over the country. It is keeping with the idea that no task is too big nor difficult, that has kept the firm afloat. “I think we first and foremost are problem solvers,” CEO Bjarte Ågedal sums up. “Over the years, we have come to not be afraid of the difficult tasks. Those big projects, with level upon level each requiring a different analysis. In fact, often we find those projects to be the most fun,” explains Ågeland. 58  |  Issue 117  |  October 2018

Fearless Ågeland speaks from experience. Since he started the firm 35 years ago, he has, together with his team, come to be well-known in both his field and region. Arkitektkompaniet has had its fingers in a lot of pies: churches, retirement homes, private housing, shopping centres and the odd cabin. There is somewhat a fierceness in the employees of the Drammen firm. “We are modernists seeking to build houses from and for our time. Some dwell in nostalgia, but

we want to build houses for the people of today,” Ågeland explains. And let us not forget, houses have changed. We live differently than we did 100, 50 or even ten years ago. “It has been exciting to experience such a change in clients’ knowledge and requirements when it comes to awareness in building sustainable houses,” Ågeland continues. The revolution in the consideration of energy and the use of space has not escaped the Drammen firm, though it is not just with solid architecture that it makes its mark on the industry.

Dialogue In today’s climate we can find ourselves working in a high gear. Things need to happen fast and there is an urgency to many aspects of our life, personally and professionally. At Arkitektkompaniet,


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