In the first of a new series of blogs which will take a detailed look into the property market of other worldwide countries, we focus on Norway. We will be looking at the underlying characteristics of the market in terms of pricing trends and home ownership rates, but in particular we will focus on some of the key design features of homes in the country and how they could be utilised on housing developments in the UK.

Housing Market in Norway

The housing market in Norway is characterised by high levels of home ownership which at approximately 80% is amongst the highest in Europe. As of the end of May, average house prices in Norway stood at NOK 5,112,498 (Eiendom Norge) although there are some significant regional variations with prices highest in key urban centres such as Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger and lowest in the more remote rural areas.

Design Features

There are a number of key themes, many of which will be familiar as typically Scandinavian principles, particularly from an aesthetic point of view. However, looking slightly deeper, it is evident that sustainability, practicality and wellbeing are central to the design of a ‘typical’ Norwegian home.

Energy efficiency

Norway has one of the highest regulatory standards in relation to energy efficiency under TEK17. This sets out a maximum net energy requirement and minimum u-values for new homes. As a result, homes benefit from high levels of insulation, high specification, often triple glazed, windows and the use of renewable energy systems such as heat pumps and solar panels.

Use of natural materials

Wood is a very common building material in Norway with many homes being constructed using timber frame. It is also used as an external finishing material with wood cladding a strong feature of traditional Norwegian homes. Internally, natural wood finishes are a key component of the Scandinavian minimalism that we all recognise. This is used alongside other natural materials and neutral colour palettes.

Minimalist and practical design

It is an overlooked element of Scandinavian design but key to an effective minimalist design scheme is consideration of the practical elements. In Norwegian homes this ranges from the use of sloped roofs for snow runoff to the incorporation of functional entryways (vindfang) which reduce heat loss and provide space to remove shoes and store outdoor wear. This represents a very deliberate departure from the otherwise open plan layout that is typical of a minimalist Norwegian home.

Health and wellbeing – hygge (comfort) & koselig (coziness)

This can be summarised by the Norwegian words hygge, meaning comfort, and koselig, meaning coziness which in many ways can be achieved when each of the points outlined above are implemented successfully. In addition, there is a focus on bringing natural light into properties and connecting indoor and outdoor spaces through the use of balconies and terraces which is believed to improve wellbeing of residents. Given the harsh winters in Norway, renewable heating systems are supported by the use of log burners which maintain the sense of cosiness throughout the year.

Implementation in the UK

There are already several examples of Norwegian principles being implemented in new developments in the UK and Scandinavian design has become increasingly mainstream. However, as changes to building regulations place greater emphasis on the energy efficiency of homes in order to meet ‘net zero’ targets, it is likely that we may be able to take further influence from aspects of Norwegian design in future.

Given the similarities in climate between the UK and Norway it is particularly positive that renewable energy systems have been so effectively implemented in Norway and this is one area we can certainly take influence from. However, key to ensuring the effectiveness in the UK will be in addressing the affordability of renewable energy systems, particularly when compared against more traditional systems.

This will require a holistic view with a fabric-first approach to minimise the pressure placed upon renewable energy systems to compensate for the poor thermal performance of homes. Whilst more difficult to retrofit existing homes, this should be easier to achieve in new build homes where airtightness can be achieved by utilising modern methods of construction. Viability of these technologies is also improved by the continued increase in energy costs which should speed up their implementation.

The other element of Norwegian homes which could have application in the UK is the minimalist and practical approach to design. Against the backdrop of increasing housing delivery targets, delivering more practically designed homes could allow us to build on smaller footprints without compromising the liveability for future residents. This will enable us to deliver homes at a higher density and reduce the need to allocate further land for development in order to meet those increasing targets.

Whilst there are no radical innovations in Norwegian homes, there are certainly elements that could be effectively implemented in the UK and have a positive impact, particularly in respect of sustainability credentials.