Episode Details

In this final episode of the series, I sit down with architect, author, and educator Per Olaf Fjeld, a former student and close friend of Sverre Fehn. Our conversation explores not just Fehn’s work, but his worldview — his belief that architecture is a continuous negotiation between memory and modernity, material and metaphor.

Per Olaf offers a rare first-hand insight into Fehn’s creative process: how he thought, how he taught, and how he worked. Together, we revisit the Storhamar Barn, but also travel through Fehn’s other landmark projects — always returning to the question of how architecture should relate to time.

This episode is both personal and philosophical. It’s about what it means to be an architect. And what it means to build with care.

In this episode, we explore:

● Fehn’s idea of the “architectural horizon” - the space between ground and sky, where people live and buildings speak

● How Fehn’s architecture resists nostalgia while still honouring the past

● The role of memory, metaphor, and myth in architectural form

● What Per Olaf learned from Fehn - and why it matters for architects today

Key Themes and Discussion Highlights

● Defining architecture through presence, not style

● Living with ambiguity: Fehn’s comfort with incomplete narratives

● Architecture as a cultural act, not just a technical one

● Teaching and legacy: how Fehn shaped the next generation

● Reflections on life, loss, and building meaningfully

Guest Info:

Per Olaf Fjeld Architect and writer Former professor and rector, Oslo School of Architecture and Design Co-author of Sverre Fehn: The Pattern of Thoughts

Resources and Links

● Watch the full conversation with Per Olaf Fjeld

● Full YouTube walkthrough of the Storhamar Barn

● Read The Pattern of Thoughts – Per Olaf Fjeld on Sverre Fehn

● Explore the full An Architect’s Perspective series

Quotes from the Episode

“He believed architecture should never just imitate the past - it should speak to it.”

“There’s a silence in Fehn’s work. But it’s not empty. It’s full of questions.”

Website: www.jameshamiltonarchitects.com

Instagram: @jameshamiltonarchitects

Production: onefineplay.com