Playful living in Norwegian style

Don’t be afraid of colors! This was precisely one of the slogans of architect Sevrin Gjerde when he embarked on the bold project of constructing twenty-three houses in the Josefinesvingen housing estate in Trondheim, Norway. A unique residential area emerged on an artificial hill that captivates owners and passersby at first glance. The colorful playfulness that will last for decades was made possible thanks to the PREFA aluminum façade.

It was not an easy task – to create the maximum number of houses in a relatively small space, all while incorporating parking spaces and even planning for an area for a small supermarket so that residents would have a place to shop. Nonetheless, architect Sevrin Gjerde excelled at this challenge. Moreover, he didn’t have to resort to designs that would be detrimental to the surrounding environment, such as constructing a high-rise building. "High-rise buildings are of course the first choice if you want to get the most out of a small space. At the same time, I was well aware that a modern high-rise building would completely undermine the pleasant character of the local housing estate, and I did not want that at any cost."

Once Gjerde dismissed this idea, a plan for family houses that would be identical yet distinct suddenly emerged in his mind. The PREFA brand was to take care of this, as it can create façades in virtually any color desired by the customer. Thus, the architect was not limited at all; on the contrary, he could fully unleash his imagination and creativity. "I decided that my buildings had to play with colors. I chose shades from blue, which was meant to evoke the sky, to red, which at first glance resembles classic red bricks," says Gjerde.

Without PREFA material, it wouldn't have worked

While wood is a beautiful natural material, if Gjerde had chosen to use it for the façade, he could never have afforded such impressive colors as with the aluminum template. "In my view, PREFA templates had several essential properties that were decisive. First of all, aluminum is a very elegant material and has an incredibly smooth surface, which allows sunlight to reflect off it effectively. This, combined with a specific color shade, creates a unique play of light, where the houses constantly change depending on the time of day and year, and at every glance, they are always different." Although the architect experimented a lot with the colors in his design, he did not venture into any eccentricities, as all used colors were derived from local tradition and can also be found in the original Trondheim buildings.

Comfortable and easy work

Material is always crucial. This holds true whether building a small garage, an apartment complex, or an office building. Sevrin Gjerde, as an experienced architect, is certainly well aware of this principle. "When building new houses, it is clear beforehand that their new owners will want to have as little work as possible in the future regarding various repairs. They will wish for their houses to retain their appearance for as long as possible and to look new. This obviously required the use of a material that time wouldn’t easily eat away at. I dare say that I found just such material in the PREFA façade. It is made from recycled aluminum, and the company offers a forty-year warranty on color stability," describes the product's advantages the architect. His words are also confirmed by the head of roofing work Gudensen from Dag-Arne company. "Here in the north, you often have to deal with not only the usual concerns you have on any construction site but also the whims of the weather. Therefore, you appreciate material that is malleable, easy to work with, and everything goes smoothly. The PREFA façade was precisely such material, and I am glad that Sevrin Gjerde chose it," he concludes.

About the project

Project name: Bør Hill
Object, location: Josefinesvingen housing estate, Trondheim, Norway
Building type: new construction
Architects: Agraff Architektur, Arch. Sevrin Gjerde
Realization: Meisterblikk AS
Roof type: Prefalz
Roof color: 5 special colors on request
Façade type: Prefalz
Façade color: 5 special colors on request
PHOTOGRAPHY: Croce & WIR