The Sagene Woodtrade project encompasses six townhouses, three of them already completed, in a lush backyard on Sarpsborggata in northern Oslo. As inspiration for the new buildings, Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter has used the historical legacy of the site, which formerly housed a carpentry workshop. Each of the townhouses is located within the exact footprint of the old workshop, thus resurrecting an abandoned building, breathing new life into the space, and contributing aesthetic value to the surrounding neighborhood.
With a color palette that pays homage to Oslo’s familiar plaster-covered brick buildings and careful material selection, the project showcases how compact urban living can coexist with high quality and thoughtful design. The vertically divided townhouses provide spacious and multifaceted living experiences, from the secluded charm of the backyard entrances to the bright and airy communal areas. The project is a pioneering example of how we can densify the city from within, by building in our backyards.
In order to accommodate families in various stages of life, the homes feature flexible floor plans, with rooms distributed over several levels. The widespread use of wood in the custom-made kitchen, stairs, and floor reference the building’s history as a woodshop, and stands in warm contrast to the bold and contemporary feeling of the concrete walls.
Always committed to offering more than the ordinary, Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter’s design for this site is both playful and respectful, honoring the history of the site while innovating new solutions for modern living.
Typology
Residential
Status
First phase completed (2022)
Second phase on-going
Location
Oslo, Norway
Illustrations by Ivar Kvaal, Kristian Aalerud and Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
