bread spring 2020: Opaform architects - online lecture

The cycle of lectures "Nordic Path, A Path to Responsibility" organized by the association KRUH continues with an online lecture in June. In a live stream, KRUH will connect with representatives of the Norwegian architectural office OPAFORM. They will reveal their approach to architecture and nature in the lecture and explain how collaboration with students from the School of Architecture in Bergen looks. The lecture will take place live on the Facebook pages of the KRUH association and the Center for Architecture and Urban Planning – CAMP on Thursday, June 4, 2020, at 7:30 PM. The event will be free of charge, but it is possible to support this lecture and the entire association by purchasing virtual tickets, which are available in advance from the network GoOut.

In the June lecture, the KRUH association continues in the online format. In the virtual world, it will connect with representatives of the Norwegian studio OPAFORM. "We regret that we still cannot meet with architects in person in Prague, but we are glad that we can continue the lectures even in this uncertain time through live broadcasts on the internet," explains Marcela Steinbachová, architect and founder of the association.

The Norwegian studio OPAFORM based in Bergen focuses on constantly exploring the possibilities of individual materials, construction methods, and design processes. Their designs are based on observing the interaction of people in space and on the philosophy that architecture is a learned grand play. An important aspect of their work is teaching and collaborating with architecture and design students in Bergen. The office leads the "Design & Build" project, the result of which is the construction of small architectural interventions (living modules for one person). This process serves as a pedagogical tool and as an opportunity to research various experimental construction techniques. "Good architecture always arises from its specific physical and cultural context, which derives from traditional practices of craftsmanship, form, and material. In our practice, we strive to develop architecture that resonates with both the past and the future," add representatives of the OPAFORM studio about their work.

Among their projects is the mountain structure Tubakuba, which is the result of a workshop held in 2014 by architect Espen Folgerø with students from the School of Architecture in Bergen. The cabin, as a form of sustainable environmentally friendly living, is completely off-grid and is 95% made of wood. The iconic entrance in the form of a tunnel consists of long curved strips of pine wood attached in layers. The façade of the building is made of larch wood using a traditional Japanese method that prevents decay, and the wall facing the valley is entirely made of glass, providing a stunning view of Bergen located in the valley.

OPAFORM Studio is also the author of the conversion of a mountain barn into a residential cabin in Myrkdal on the western coast of Norway, new buildings in the Nøstet district of Bergen, or the wooden mountain cabin Baly in Balestrand, which was also created as part of the "Design & Build" program in collaboration with students from the University of Bergen.

The June online lecture will follow the successful first online event of the KRUH association, which took place in May and featured Ville Hara from the Finnish studio AVANTO Architects. The presentation by OPAFORM will conclude the spring segment of this year’s lecture cycle on Nordic architecture. "From the Nordic countries, we select interesting approaches that could be applied in our environment. We want to showcase the contemporary approach to architecture in Scandinavia and the relationship of architects to our planet. The Nordic countries are among the most responsible in connection to the environment, and this is also reflected in their attitude towards architecture," adds Marcela Steinbachová regarding the theme of the cycle.
The planned lecture by the Norwegian studio Vardehaugen will be moved to the autumn of 2020.

The online lecture by OPAFORM studio will be broadcasted by KRUH association on Thursday, June 4, at 7:30 PM on the Facebook pages of the association KRUH and Center for Architecture and Urban Planning – CAMP. The event will be free of charge, but it is possible to support this lecture and the entire association by purchasing virtual tickets, which are available in advance from the GoOut network.