ACTIVITY REPORT

SEE MOBILITY 2018-2019 (PROIECT EY-MPO-0083)

Teaching staff member: Alexandra-Iasmina KELLER

Sending Institution: Politehnica University of Timişoara

Receiving Institution: Norwegian University College for Agricultural and Rural Development

Subject field: 0788

Period of the teaching activity: 09.07.2019-15.07.2019

The mobility was a useful occasion to strengthen the relationship between the Norwegian

University College for Agricultural and Rural Development and the Politehnica University of

Timişoara, but also create a closer connection with the staff members of the host University.

The main scope of the mobility was to identify common research directions and interests and

find a topic for a future study which could be made in a collaboration between the two

universities.

During the mobility, two meetings with the host staff members were held. The first one, which

was on the first day of the mobility, was meant to understand the main activities of the host

University better. It was noted that the hosts are interested in vernacular architecture, and how

environmental factors shaped and changed their appearance in time. Their interest in traditional

architecture was mainly connected with the development of rural areas and the involvement of

local communities in reviving traditional techniques and knowledge. A debate was held

concerning the correct restoration and reuse of heritage building and how they could be reused

by involving local communities and minorities. In the same time, discussions were held

concerning the history and development of the Norwegian culture.

Subsequently, a lecture was held about research interests at the Faculty of Architecture and

Urban Planning, concerning reuse projects, analysis of heritage structures and assessment of the

vulnerability to climate change of historic buildings. The provided information about the studies

were well received. It was decided to meet once again at the end of the mobility in order to

discuss what could be done in the future.

After the meeting, Prof. Evans and Prof. Barstad were kind to give us a list of locations to visit, in

order to better understand the vernacular architecture and the local way of life. This was meant

to help us find common architectural features, possible projects and help define the next steps

of the collaboration.

The next five days, the provided locations were visited as follows:

Day 1 – Sea-side architecture – harbours and housings (farms) close to the North Sea.

This tour highlighted the main features of the local architecture, stone-based foundations and

the main structure made from timber were observed.

Day 2 – Traditional museums and historic mines.

Since the main features of the local architecture were observed on the first day, the second day

comprised a visit to museums with well preserved traditional houses. The adaptation to local

climatic conditions was observed in this case, with stone walls facing the main wind speed. In the

same time, to close connection of the farmers with their land and the sea was observed.

Subsequently, since there is a large number of mines in Romania and staff members from the

faculty are involved in the revitalisation of these mines, a trip to a local mine was made, which

was part of the Norwegian Geo-Magma Park, which is a UNESCO site. The natural heritage proved

out to be once again a marking element of the experience. Also, it was observed that the cultural

heritage strategy of the area is instead focused on the natural heritage and not on the built.

Day 3 – Architecture in the Lysefjord area and Sandnes

In order to complete the experience, the next day focused on the vernacular architecture in the

Lysefjord area and Sandnes. Once again, the natural environment was eye-catching, leaving the

local architecture only as a discreet insertion. Sandness, on the other hand, brought the main

type of traditional fisherman houses forward, with a ground-floor and one or two upper floors

and white wooden exterior cladding. This type of house was observed all along the main

promenade street of the town

Day 4 – Traditional architecture in urban areas – Stavanger

The fourth day of the mobility focused on how fisherman used to live near the Stavanger bay. As

in Sandnes, the same type of house with wooden exterior cladding was observed. The colour of

the houses in this town was slightly different, the eastern shore presenting rather colourful

buildings, combining a wide array of shades for all the exterior finish elements. On the western

shore, on the other hand, the original atmosphere was preserved, the building owners were

obliged to use only white, which is offering the whole neighbourhood a very coherent and

authentic look.

In order to better understand the Norwegian culture, two of the main museums in Stavanger

were visited, focusing on the Viking age, in the Archeologic Museum and the industrial

development after the oil platforms were built in the Petroleum Museum.

Day 5 – Traditional architecture in the 6th century

The last day of the visit focused on the architecture of farmers from the 6th century, in order to

understand what building techniques and methods were preserved in time and how these

evolved and were adapted in order to suit new climatic conditions and living demands.

The buildings proved out to be long-houses where all the members of the community lived

together. The orientation of the main axis of the buildings and the used materials proved out to

be perfectly adapted to the meteorological conditions. Therefore, the main axis was placed in

the direction of the predominant winds and a stone wall was placed all around the building in

order to better protect the wooded main structure from climatic factors.

Subsequently, on the last day of the mobility, conclusions were drawn. The meeting started with

a presentation about what we have learned about vernacular architecture in Norway. The

presentation also included links to projects made by the students from the Faculty of Architecture

and Urban Planning, which had a similar topic. The hosts could, therefore, understand how

architecture students approach reuse and revitalisation projects and what can be done in a future

collaboration.

In the last part of the meeting, the possibility of applying together at a call for proposals, in the

topic of restoration and revitalisation of monuments. The possibility of considering an industrial

building from a mining town from the western part of Romania was discussed.

The mobility was, in my opinion, very productive and a good way to start this collaboration. It

was an opportunity to get to know each other better and think about what can be done in the

future. In the same time, it was an occasion to show the partners what architecture students do

and what can be done together with them.

However, more important, it was o great experience for me, since it was my first teaching

mobility from which I had very much to learn.

GRØDALAND MUSEUM

GAMLE STAVANGER

LYSEFJORDEN

ØRSDALEN MINES