Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Nordic Architecture and Design – Norway
the buildings, protected from cold winds and allowing for a prolonged season of outdoor activities. Located by the sea at Jæren, the buildings are designed in natural materials such as wood, concrete, glass and slate. Clad in environmentally friendly, low-maintenance materials, the colours are subdued and made to harmonise with the surroundings. The view, good lighting conditions and ability to withstand the harsh climate of the Norwegian coast were equally important when designing the project, which won the 2019 Hå municipality Byggeskikkpris (Vernacular Architecture Award). Another example of a house perfectly tailored to its surroundings is a holiday home near the Southern Norwegian town
of Mandal, Norway. The cabin is delicately built among the rocks in the archipelago, with the sea immediately outside the house. The rocky and varying terrain demanded creative solutions, making the house a one-of-a-kind holiday home, seamlessly blending into the beautiful surroundings. With an outstanding ocean view and the opportunity of opening up entire walls towards the sea and the surroundings, the cabin challenges the border between indoors and outdoors. This means that on warm summer days, the surrounding nature extends into the cabin, while still providing a warm, cosy shelter in the winter months. Enhancing rather than interrupting “We always want to add something positive to the landscape and the surroundings with what we build today, so
that our children and grandchildren can see the qualities in what we’ve created,” Aarrestad says. One non-residential project, designed using the same principles, features three boathouses located right on the water in Rogaland county in the South West of Norway. Clad entirely in wood, the three buildings are situated partly on the water. With their eye-catching angles and the way they’re positioned next to each other, they make an artistic addition to the area – enhancing the beauty of the scene, rather than interrupting it.
Web: www.iht.no Facebook: iht.no Instagram: @arkitektkontoretiht
Top left: This holiday home is delicately built among the rocks in the Mandal archipelago, seamlessly blending into the surroundings. Photo: Ingunn Aarrestad/ Arkitektkontoret IHT. Top right: The eye-catching boathouses in Rogaland county add an artistic touch to the area. Bottom left: This Stavanger residence is perfectly adapted to the lot and the surroundings. Bottom right: The environmentally friendly Håvegen residence is built to withstand the harsh climate and harmonise with the surroundings.
November 2021 | Issue 136 | 33