2_3_ScanMagazine_Issue_81_Oct-Nov_2015_Scan Magazine 1 15/10/2015 21:37 Page 104
Scan Magazine | Architecture Special | Norway
Photo: Fredrik Myhre
Photo: Fredrik Myhre
The student homes at Toneheim Folkehøgskole are made of wooden panels, simple concrete and glasswork, and are extremely energy efficient.
When nature sets the tone The most essential component in Nordic architecture is its unique natural surroundings, according to Ola Spangen. He is the head of the Norwegian architecture firm ASAS Arkitektur, a business focusing on honest materials, clear structures and a green mindset as well as a sincere wish to excite.
considered for a structure to even stand up straight, not to mention the measures taken for it to endure the long, cold winters. It requires great skill and excellent materials, and ASAS Arkitektur has access to both.
By Stine Wannebo | Photos: ASAS Arkitektur
The view After 35 years in the field, ASAS Arkitektur has three offices scattered across Norway and over 800 past projects to draw experience from. There is no doubt about the expertise and capability that rests within the team of 12 architects who work at the firm. As CEO, Ola Spangen appreciates that every single one of his employees contributes something different to the team.
Together they handle every project from beginning to end, from the first drawings and explanatory diagrams through to a finished inhabitable structure. “A building should not just complement its surroundings; it should respect it,” Spangen says. In the Nordic climate there is a wide range of elements that need to be carefully The anticipated Foten Café will be facing the sea and is inspired by the tall trees of the environment surrounding the site.
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One of the firm’s most anticipated creations is due to be finished next summer and will be situated at the edge of a beautiful beach just outside the city of Fredrikstad. The structure will be facing the sea, with deep, green woods as a backdrop. The building itself is a café with plenty of room for joyous holiday makers to relax with a refreshing drink, both inside and outside, and