March 3, 2026

National architecture narratives and the unexpected culture of Norwegian rammed earth houses

Key Points

Rammed earth houses reveal a complex socio-political history in Norway's architectural narrative, emphasizing craftsmanship.
Key time periods highlighted include the late 19th century and post-World War II building boom, showcasing shifts in material use.
The paper investigates how local traditions and economic conditions shaped the construction of jordan houses, or jordhus.
Understanding these narratives may renew appreciation for resourcefulness in contemporary Norwegian architecture.

Abstract

This paper examines the neglected story of rammed earth houses in Norway, with a focus on the socio-political conditions that enabled its craft and emergence. Architectural representations in the country have been inexorably tied to craft traditions and localisms, but little attention is given to rammed earth building techniques. Beyond tectonic considerations, the paper's aim is to document and debate the value-tinged and normative discourse around the making of rammed earth houses built at the end of the nineteenth century, between 1920 and 1930, and during the post–World War II building boom. I examine the economic, social, and cultural circumstances and ideologies that caused Norwegian individuals to turn to—and away from—such a material. Notions of self-ownership and resourcefulness, of vernacular knowledge and place attachment, are utilized to qualify and weigh the significance of jordhus for present-day Norway, shedding new light on the country's key architectural (and national) narratives.

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