Skip to content
Search Options
Cornell University
AAP Architecture Art Planning
  • About
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • News & Events
  • Resources
  • Alumni
    • AAP Advisory Council
    • Alumni Profiles
    • Support AAP

Give Now

  • Campus and Facilities
    • Ithaca Campus
    • Milstein Hall
    • Mui Ho Fine Arts Library

Visit Ithaca

  • College Facts
  • College History
  • College Mission
  • Contact
  • Office of the Dean
  • Staff Directory
  • Stay Connected
  • Student Voices

Student Voices

Isaac de CastroPanama City, PanamaAllison TseAlexandria, Virginia

Every AAP student has a different story. Look through the gallery of profiles to learn more about our diverse community.

  • Department of Architecture
    • Graduate Programs
    • Undergraduate Program
  • Department of Art
    • M.F.A. Program Overview
    • Undergraduate Program
  • Department of City and Regional Planning
    • Graduate Programs
    • Undergraduate Program

Request Program Info

  • AAP NYC
    • Programs
    • Facilities
  • Cornell in Rome
    • Programs
    • Facilities
  • Faculty Directory
  • Faculty Employment Opportunities
  • Student Work

Introduction to Architecture Summer Program

student in foreground working on cardboard project in the L. P. Kwee Studio

A six-week intensive studio class for high school and college students. Learn more.

  • Graduate Admissions
    • Architecture
    • Art
    • City and Regional Planning
    • Costs and Funding
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Tuition

Apply Now

  • Undergraduate Admissions
    • Architecture
    • Art
    • Urban and Regional Studies
    • Application Deadlines
    • Concurrent Degree Option
    • Financial Aid
    • Internal Transfer (within Cornell)
    • Transfer Student Information
    • Tuition and Costs

Apply Now

students wearing black raincoats and white and black makeup celebrate on a large white metallic structure.

Bachelor of architecture students at the end of the 2018 Dragon Day parade. Learn more about applying to the B.Arch. program.

  • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • Functions
    • Lectures
    • Symposia
    • Workshops
  • News
    • Architecture
    • Art
    • Planning

modern curved building in an urban setting

Dan Kaplan (B.Arch. '84) of FXCollaborative will deliver a lecture titled "Urban Alchemies: Repair and Transformation" at AAP NYC on April 24.

a close-in detail of terra cotta woven clay

Three architecture students attended the 2018 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts symposium to present collaborative experiments in ceramics.

  • Architecture Studio Spaces
  • Art Studios and Classrooms
  • Business Service Center
  • Computer Support and Services
    • Digital Classrooms
    • Student Laptop Recommendations
    • Tutorials
  • Darkrooms and Print Media Facilities
  • Equipment Loans
  • Fabrication Shops
  • Faculty Resources
  • Fine Arts Library
  • Galleries and Exhibition Opportunities
    • AAP Postering Guidelines
    • Postering Request Form
  • Jobs and Internships
  • New Undergraduate Students
  • Student Activities and Organizations
  • Student Services
    • Academic Forms
    • Cornell Academic Support and Well-Being
    • Diversity Programs and Services
    • Important Dates and Walk-in Hours
    • Supplies, Fees, and Equipment
  • Supply Store
AAP › News & Events › News
AAP
News & Events
Events
Exhibitions
Functions
Lectures
News
Symposia
Workshops
1232

Architecture Students Develop Interventions for Traditional Villages in Norway

Students on a beach in Norway in winter
Ben Vongvanij (M.Arch. '18), Alexandra Donovan (B.Arch. '18), and Aya Mears (B.Arch. '18), at Ramberg Beach, Flakstad, Norway. photo / Jeremy Bilotti (B.Arch. '18)
red buildings and snowy landscape in a Norwegian village on the ocean
Traditional buildings and fish-drying structures in the center of Å, a small community at the end of the road on the Lofoten Islands. photo / Kristin Ionata (M.Arch. '18)
Four men discussing architecture in Norway in winter
From left, visiting professors Dagur Eggertsson and Sami Rintala; Professor Mark Cruvellier; and Ethan Davis ( (M.Arch. '17), at Ramberg Beach. photo / Jeremy Bilotti (B.Arch. '18)
snow covered mountains along the side of the ocean with a mixture of sun and clouds
The view from Fredvang harbor, site of one of the studio’s three design interventions. photo / Anuntachai Vongvanij (M.Arch. '18)
Students and professors tour a village in northern Norway
From left facing the camera in foreground: Russell Southard (M.Arch. '18), Xiaoyun (Shawn) Wang (M.Arch. '18), and Sami Rintala, in Fredvang, Flakstad. photo / Jeremy Bilotti (B.Arch. '18)
Wooden structures in Oslo, Norway
Rintala Eggertsson Architects' SALT pavilion is inspired by traditional fish drying racks used in Lofoten. photo / Alexandra Donovan (B.Arch. '18)
Four people standing in a line on a staircase against a white wall with black steel railings
Studio instructors Mark Cruvellier, Sami Rental, and Dagur Eggertsson receiving instruction from the director of the Knut Hamsun Centre, a building designed by American architect Steven Holl. photo / Anuntachai Vongvanij (M.Arch. '18)
News
April 4, 2017

Lofoten is a remote archipelago and traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway, known for its distinctive scenery of spectacularly steep mountains, rocky bays, and sandy ocean beaches. Over the winter break, 14 undergraduate and graduate students in the spring 2017 architecture option studio titled Site-specific, Small-scale Interventions traveled to some of the isolated villages in Lofoten to begin formulating class projects.

The group was led by department chair and Nathaniel and Margaret Owings Professor of Architecture Mark Cruvellier, as well as Baird Visiting Professors Sami Rintala and Dagur Eggertsson. Eggertsson and Rintala are the founders of Rintala Eggertsson Architects, a Norway-based architecture firm that focuses on a wide range of types and scales of built work, from public art to architecture, and furniture design to urban planning. They have also frequently led design/build workshops involving students.

Working in teams, the students were challenged with developing interventions addressing public infrastructure, the stresses of tourism, and local industry in three sites around the Lofoten municipality of Flakstad. The sites were suggested by community members before the trip, and included a sandy beach where four women swim in the icy water every day of the year; a small harbor and processing plant in a traditional fishing village; and a scenic beach and mountain with trails and stone ruins utilized by birdwatchers and hikers. According to the class syllabus, an essential challenge and objective of the projects is "to explore how to accomplish a lot with a little in such an environment," taking into account the Arctic climate, ranging from cold and dark winter days, to the brief sunlit summer.

Cruvellier explained how the design process incorporates strong community engagement. "We talked to the swimmers, to the people running the fish processing facility, and to local officials and planners to learn about the sites and how the proposals could incorporate tourism and commercial needs, yet also accommodate the aspirations of the local population and enrich their daily lives," he said. "The idea is to offer design proposals that could get community support and that could plausibly be further refined and built over the next summer or two."

Jeremy Bilotti (B.Arch. '18), Ethan Davis (M.Arch. '17), Paul Fuschetti (B.Arch. '18), Heesun (Joyce) Han (B.Arch. '18), and Kristin Ionata (M.Arch. '18) began their project with a comprehensive analysis of the fishing industry and processing plant in the traditional village of Fredvang. "The village's fishing culture is intertwined with the identity and history of Fredvang itself, as well as with the history of Norway as a whole," said Bilotti. "We'd like to celebrate that culture and propose an intervention on the waterfront that functions as a destination for residents, fisherman, and those who would like to visit Fredvang to interact with and learn about its rich history."

The other students who traveled to Norway were Elie Boutros (B.Arch. '18), Alexandra Donovan (B.Arch. '18), Catherine Ely (B.Arch. '18), Justin Foo (B.Arch. '18), Carmen Johnson (M.Arch.II '17), Aya Mears (B.Arch. '18), Russell Southard (M.Arch. '18), Anuntachai Vongvanij (M.Arch. '18), and Xiaoyun (Shawn) Wang (M.Arch. '18).

The site visits in Flakstad were bookended by stops in Hamarøy at The Knut Hamsun Center, a museum for the writer Knut Hamsun designed by Steven Holl; and two days in Oslo to explore vernacular as well as contemporary examples of Nordic architecture for additional insight into the culture and the landscape. In Oslo, the group visited the Ekebergparken and Skyspace, designed by American artist James Turell. Turell's color and light installation gave the students another way of understanding the Norwegian landscape as it interacts with the sky and the weather.

Teaching associate Erin Pellegrino (B.Arch. '14) said that the trip's experiences — from the country's unique sounds and smells to the unpredictable weather and the presence or absence of light — were key to the design process. "A visit is critical for students to really confront what sort of interventions can be constructed in the landscape," said Pellegrino. "We can see how they are using this sensitivity to the place to focus their studies."

Cruvellier agrees. "One cannot understand this place without being there — weather, landscape, and culture. To develop proposals, the students experienced these and talked to the people who live there," he said. "A lot of them even 'took the plunge' of the early morning swim in the arctic sea."

By Patti Witten

News
April 4, 2017
  • Mark Cruvellier
    Mark C. Cruvellier
  • Sami Rintala
    Sami Rintala
  • Dagur Eggertsson
    Dagur Eggertsson
Contact
AAP Communications
aapcommunications@cornell.edu
Share Post

Also of Interest

  • Anthony Vidler Lecture
    Anthony Vidler and the Legacy of John Shaw
    April 18, 2018
  • Fall 2017 architecture seminar: Guns: Myth and Manufacture
    Seminar Faces the Historical and Societal Impact of Guns
    April 17, 2018
  • Association Volume 9
    Association Publishes Volume 9
    April 16, 2018
  • a detail of bilotti and rosenwassers 3D clay thesis project
    Architecture Students Present 3D Work at National Ceramics Conference
    April 11, 2018

AAP

  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Planning
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • About AAP
  • AAP Alumni
    • AAP Advisory Council
    • AAP News: Current and Past Issues
    • Alumni Profiles
    • Support AAP
  • AAP Student Voices
  • Campuses and Facilities
    • Ithaca Campus
  • College Facts
  • College History
  • College Mission
  • Contact
  • Office of the Dean
  • Staff Directory
  • Stay Connected
  • Academics
  • AAP NYC
  • Cornell in Rome
  • Rome Neighborhood Studies
  • Department of Architecture
    • About the Department
    • Degree Program: Undergraduate
    • Degree Programs: Graduate
    • Department Faculty
    • Elective Courses and Option Studios
    • Introduction to Architecture Summer
    • Student Work
  • Department of Art
    • About the Department
    • Department Events
    • Department Faculty
    • Department News
    • M.F.A. Program Overview
    • Student Work
    • Summer Programs and Classes
    • Teiger Mentor in the Arts
    • Undergraduate Program
  • Department of City and Regional Planning
    • About the Department
    • Clarence S. Stein Institute
    • Department Faculty
    • Graduate Programs
    • Public Engagement
    • Student Work
    • Undergraduate Program
  • Faculty Directory
  • Student Work
  • What are AAP Undergraduate Students Learning?
  • Admissions
  • Graduate Admissions
    • Architecture
    • Art
    • City and Regional Planning
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Tuition
  • Program Information Request Form
  • Undergraduate Admissions
    • Architecture
    • Art
    • Application Deadlines
    • Concurrent Degree Option
    • Internal Transfer
    • Tuition and Costs
    • Urban and Regional Studies
  • News & Events
  • Events
  • Exhibitions
  • Functions
  • Lectures
  • News
  • Symposia
  • Workshops
  • Resources
  • Architecture Studio Spaces
  • Art Studios and Classrooms
  • Business Service Center
  • Computer Support and Services
    • Digital Classrooms
    • Student Laptop Recommendations
    • Tutorials
  • Darkrooms and Print Media Facilities
  • Equipment Loans
  • Fabrication Shops
  • Faculty Resources
  • Galleries and Exhibition Opportunities
    • AAP Postering Guidelines
    • Postering Request Form
  • Jobs and Internships
    • Employers and Alumni
    • Internships
    • Job Search Assistance
    • Resources
  • New Undergraduate Students
    • New B.Arch. Students
    • New B.F.A. Students
    • New URS Students
    • Orientation Schedule
    • T-shirt Request Form
  • Student Activities and Organizations
  • Student Services
    • Academic Forms
    • Academic Support and Well-Being
    • Cornell in Rome: Predeparture Information
    • Diversity Programs and Services
    • Important Dates and Walk-in Hours
    • Supplies, Fees, and Equipment
  • Supply Store

© 2018 Cornell University
Web Accessibility Help

Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
129 Sibley Dome, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

  • About AAP
  • AAP Alumni
  • AAP Student Voices
  • Campuses and Facilities
  • College Facts
  • College History
  • College Mission
  • Contact
  • Office of the Dean
  • Staff Directory
  • Stay Connected
  • Academics
  • AAP NYC
  • Cornell in Rome
  • Rome Neighborhood Studies
  • Department of Architecture
  • Department of Art
  • Department of City and Regional Planning
  • Faculty Directory
  • Student Work
  • What are AAP Undergraduate Students Learning?
  • Admissions
  • Graduate Admissions
  • Program Information Request Form
  • Undergraduate Admissions
  • News & Events
  • Events
  • Exhibitions
  • Functions
  • Lectures
  • News
  • Symposia
  • Workshops
  • Resources
  • Architecture Studio Spaces
  • Art Studios and Classrooms
  • Business Service Center
  • Computer Support and Services
  • Darkrooms and Print Media Facilities
  • Equipment Loans
  • Fabrication Shops
  • Faculty Resources
  • Galleries and Exhibition Opportunities
  • Jobs and Internships
  • New Undergraduate Students
  • Student Activities and Organizations
  • Student Services
  • Supply Store