APPROACH
At STRÅ, every project is approached as a unique opportunity to create meaningful contributions to our built environments. Recognizing that no project can exist independently, we are firm believers in establishing intentions that place our projects in a broader context. We see our work as existing on a timeline, with roots in the past, that reflect current ideas, ideals and values, while having a place in the future.
We want to be an office that builds. Building is an exercise in continuously challenging ourselves, our clients and conventions through tectonic investigations. Believing that working across different scales keeps us sharp and focused, we actively seek a diverse specter of projects.
What unifies our work is how it relates to its environment, whether natural or man-made. Sensitivity to nature, urban fabrics and social dynamics are considerations of continued preoccupation that guide our processes. Coupled with a passion for balancing craftsmanship, durability, rigor and joy, our projects embody a certain sense of place, clarity of expression and considered detailing.
PROCESS
We understand that realizing a project for many is the venture of a lifetime. It is furthermore a collaboration between client and architect that will last for many months. We, therefore, take pride in having good client relations, considering every commission an ongoing conversation that evolves throughout the process.
Our projects arise through inspiration, observations, and analyses of both the physical surroundings as well as the non-physical conditions of each context. Every project and every site is unique, possessing its own set of criteria. Our projects are direct responses to these conditions, - unique criteria require unique responses.
Interdisciplinary collaboration and dialogue are essential ingredients in a good process, and the best solutions arise through collective efforts. We work through a variety of media, supplementing precise digital drawings and 3D-models with hand sketches, diagrams, and physical models.
BUILDING WITH INTENT
We are deeply committed to making buildings that become lasting and meaningful contributions to our built environment. In our eyes, the most successful projects are those that manage to unite social, environmental and economic considerations into holistic solutions revealing new potential while adding value.
Specific thematics that we have had the privilege of working on include:
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Open surface water management as an experiential element
(Ørje Bus Terminal, Marker Production Square)
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Social sustainability in the form of recreation and activities
(Marker Production Square, Gravstjern Bathing Structure, FLO, Floating Sauna, Tangen Activity Loop)
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Short-traveled wooden constructions without steel and plastic
(Flishuset, Villa Fuglenesster, Flo, Taraldrud Farm Outlet)
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Subtle landscape interventions
(Villa Furuholmen, Strandhuset, Cabin Knarrvika 2.0, Storesand Cabins, FLO, Floating Sauna)
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Masterplans on nature’s terms
(Glomviklia, Tangen Activity Loop)
We work to create architecture that people care about, feel ownership of and want to look after, so that the buildings can last and become permanent resources for their environments and users.
INITIATIVES FOR BETTER COMMUNITIES
At STRÅ, we are committed to contributing to positive change in our cities. Recognizing that an urban project has a multitude of stakeholders, from clients to users to citizens, we look for responses that will play a positive public role, making our cities safer, more active and more attractive.
A lot of our work takes place in small towns and rural communities, where we through close collaborative processes with municipalities, associations and locally engaged individuals create installations, public buildings, spaces and infrastructure to inspire, activate and increase social interaction. Often springing out of genuine passion and entrepreneurship, these projects can have a big impact, making the processes very rewarding.
Sometimes creating meaningful change means taking initiative. Self-initiated projects are a great way to set the agenda, attract like-minded stakeholders and spark public debate. We have started considering it our social responsibility to articulate opportunities that we discover in the urban fabric, and sometimes, like with Ørje Production Square, they turn into reality.
