Reconstruction Housing in North Norway: Gender and the Reception of the Modern Era

Abstract

At the end of the Second World War, large areas of North Norway had to be rebuilt as a result of war damage. It is estimated that 12,000 dwellings housing 60,000 people were ruined. The limited funds available necessitated a low-budget form of housing when the area was rebuilt. The government perceived in this situation the possibility of house modernization, for which standardized, pre-approved drawings were a solution. This paper focuses on the reconstruction houses and the discussion about what kind of house was most suited to the area. It refers to the housing involvement of one of the female architects, and to the architects in general as mediators between the central authorities in the south and the people/local government in the north. It also sheds some light on the decisions made at a family level concerning the question of housing. Gender differences in the acceptance of, or resistance to, the modernization of these dwellings during the reconstruction period (1945–1960) in North Norway form the main topic of this article.

Keywords:

• North Norway
• Post-war reconstruction housing
• Gender and housing
• Housing modernization
• Standardized drawings
• Pre-approved drawings

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following for letters and/or conversations: Kirsten Sand (1982, 1989), Siri Friis (letter, 2000), Ivar Halvorsen (1996), Einar Giæver (letter, 1995), Kurt Jørgensen (1982, 1989, 2005).