About the project
Northern Homes is an interdisciplinary research project initiated by the Department of Technology and Safety at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The focus of the project is sustainable refurbishment of the many thousands of reconstruction houses, gjenreisningshus, that were built in Northern Norway after the Second World War.
Heritage and history
The so-called gjenreisningshus were part of a government-led reconstruction of Norway after the destruction of war and were built after a relatively small number of standardized architectural designs. The reconstruction therefore also meant that that the northern part of the country was rebuilt in a uniform architectural style, which replaced other and more diverse building and living traditions. Reconstruction houses have played an important role in the history of Northern Norway, and thereby represent important cultural heritage values. [more]
Solar energy
In Northern Homes, we aim to develop solutions for solar energy integration in the sustainable refurbishment of reconstrutcion houses. [more]
Safety issues
Central to proposals for the regeneration of reconstruction houses in Northern Norway is the issue of safety assurance. Since the construction of the buildings after the Second World war, the expectations of society have altered with regard to risk tolerance, and as with any new technology, the energy generation, energy storage and thermal management systems may bring novel risks that will have to be managed. [more]