In a lush backyard on Sarpsborggata in northern Oslo, three townhouses were recently completed. A carpentry workshop previously housed on the site provided an existing framework for the Sagene Trevare (Sagene Wood Trade) project’s development.

With a limited footprint in a compact city situation, the townhouse concept appears as a contextually relevant solution, where rooms are distributed over several levels to create a user-friendly and efficient home. In this way, the floor plan facilitates an exciting and varied use that is ideal for families in different phases of life. The color scheme of the townhouses is based on the familiar color palette of Oslo’s older plaster covered brick buildings.

This contributes to a more nuanced experience of the total building mass, and together with the external materials, foster a complimentary relationship with the surrounding context. Internally, the widespread use of wood in the kitchen, stairs and floor speaks to the property’s previous use, and stands in warm contrast to the bold concrete walls.