Regjeringen har satt som mål å bygge 130 000 nye boliger innen 2030. I kontrast til fortidens behov må mange av disse boligene bli mindre på størrelse og særlig egnet for en økende del husholdninger som består av én person. I en nylig artikkel «Boligkrisen kan løses i byggefeltet» i tidsskriftet Arkitektur (Nr. 3-2025), argumenterer Camilla Moneta for at mesteparten av disse nye boligene kunne bli etablert i eksisterende boligområder gjennom renoveringer, utvidelser og transformasjoner av eksisterende eneboliger. Hun har helt rett: eneboligen er en undervurdert typologi som byr på spesielle muligheter for fleksible nye boformer når man tillater seg å utfordre sedvanen om at et frittliggende hus i en hage må inneholde bare én bolig til én familie. I tillegg til transformering av eksisterende eneboliger, har jeg lyst til å rette oppmerksomhet mot rommene mellom husene. Mikrohuset er en typologi som kan bli en høyaktuell del av boligsatsingen i tida som kommer. Det er 1,3 millioner enebol

I find great value in studying precedents, good examples of design. Here are some studies of some of my favourite buildings designed by the people that inspire me the most. It is endlessly interesting to study them carefully, examine their motifs and big ideas and explore how their qualities give rise to the final expressions. One day I hope to create a place as wonderful as these. Alvar Aalto A man that needs no introduction. Aalto was a master at composing a facade, as well as integrating interior and exterior spaces in a holistic experience. Every aspect of the spaces in these houses has been carefully thought through. One of the qualities that has always impressed me about Aalto’s works is that they are uncompromisingly «modern» in their expression, but at the same time they do not fall into the pitfall of a generic expression like so much of the undesirable, boring construction of recent years that is attributed to modernism (where «modernist» is used as a derogatory adjective). W

An article about the Japanese philosophy of wabi sabi and its relation to Scandinavian design. I have also created a page for it on my articles page here. «Wabi sabi» is an aesethic world view with roots in Japanese zen philosophy which is based on an intuitive appreciation of fleeting beauty which reflects the irreversible flow of life. It takes as a point of departure two aesthetic senses: wabi and sabi. Naturally it is difficult to translate these ideas perfectly. Wabi is understood normally as natural simplicity and finding a higher beauty in ordinary things which seem at first sight to lack apparent beauty. Sabi is a celebration of the ancient, honourable patina that follows from aging, weathering and frequent use. Taken together wabi sabi attempts to discover a peaceful joy in the full cycle of life, from birth to death and from moments of great honour to others of complete collapse. Prevailing trends and styles have long praised expressions of perfection, permanence, accuracy an

Among many other necessities, to move forward and prosper it is essential to have a place to structure a life. ______________________________________________ Here in a thatched hut hidden among mountain peaks, with barely room for one, I’m suddenly invaded by wandering white clouds. Kōhō Kennichi (1241-1316) ______________________________________________ A home is our corner of the world, which we can form according to our own nature. In the best of cases it will be a distinguishable built space in relation to others, where we are presented with the opportunity to create both an external expression that reflects ourselves and our personal tastes in addition to an internal environment which does the same. The spaces of everyday life should comfort, protect, calm and inspire. I have always described a good home as a positive emotional connection to a place. At its best, conscious design of our home places can attune us to the subtleties and depth of the world. It can make us aware of whe

Certain places seem to express a unique serenity and peace. ______________________________________________ To each thing, its own true deepest inner nature: water does not think of itself as consort of the bright moonlight it hosts. Sōgi (1421-1502) ______________________________________________ It is always whimsical to try to describe what zen is “from within”, as though one can momentarily choose to remove oneself from the flow, suspend one’s judgment and view a situation in completely objective terms. It can though be said that zen offers immediate insight into the true nature of the world. A central concept to zen thought is the Tao: the holistic, harmonic, universal process from which it is impossible to deviate, and from which one cannot escape. This process is what we commonly refer to as “the course of nature”. Even when attempting to name the Tao, one is only acting as a part of the continual play of nature. In a sense one becomes an avatar through which the universe is discu

A home is the realisation of an idea. *** Settling, white dew does not discriminate, each drop its home Sōin (1604-1682) ______________________________________________ People are different, and it can be said that this fact eternally prevents the world from turning grey. There are as many different ways of living as there are ways to build a dwelling. Some people seek out the heights: they long for the prospect and oversight which can be found in living high up in the air, where they can look out at the open landscape each morning and revel in all that appears. Others prefer refuge: they dream of a protected house in a forest glade, where they can feel the comforting presence of the trees surround their living space. Some people want adaptability, and wish to retain the ability to pack up and move at a moment’s notice according to their whims. Others wish to be as close as possible to friends and family, in an expansive house that has rooms together for them all. I think that amongst t