The main entrance from the terrace, with the sauna in the foreground.

The main entrance from the terrace, with the sauna in the foreground.

The Shingle House is space- and energy efficient, low-maintenance and has simple but robust technical solutions.

Entrance from terrace.

Main entrance.

Kitchen/dining. Heating is by air-to-air heat pump or a log burner.

Rooflight above kitchen.

Window niche.

Window niche seating.

The sauna.

Window niches at nighttime.

Main level plan.

Upper level plan.

Lower level plan.

Section through circulation and bedroom.

Site plan.



Dikehaugen 12 is a small family home sited between tall spruce trees at the outskirts of Trondheim. There are three pitched roof volumes: sauna, main house and outhouse, all clad with pine shingles. The project is meant as a statement in today’s construction debate: how to build with a focus on quality, architecture, materiality, structure and sustainability. It is constructed with a limited area, a flexible plan and permeable construction, with an insulated, heated volume nestled within a larger, uninsulated structure. It challenges the building regulations, but not the planning framework. The architect has been client, designer, contractor and, at times, the builder.


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