a cabin trio takes shape in norway
In Rælingen, Norway, Rever & Drage reworks a traditional timber dwelling into an modernized red house dubbed Chr. Tomters Veg. The extension is designed for a growing family and retains the scale and familiarity of the original structure. At the same time, it introduces new cabin-like volumes that stretch along a long and constrained plot.
The narrow site is squeezed between two roads, with the terrain falling westward toward the woods. This condition informs the arrangement of the additions, which align along the length of the plot and open selectively toward the forest. The existing house remains central, while new elements extend north and south, creating a sequence of built forms that respond to both access and outlook.
images © Tom Auger
two gardens link three cabins
The composition by Rever & Drage reads as three distinct houses placed in a row, with two green courtyards between them. One of these is an outdoor courtyard, planted and paved, while the other takes shape as an indoor winter garden oriented toward the trees. These spaces bring daylight deep into the plan and establish moments of pause between rooms.
To the south, the architects site a two-story volume holding bedrooms, a bathroom, and a small office. Between this wing and the original house, a glazed room forms a shared living space with views toward the forest. A fireplace anchors this area and gives it a welcoming atmosphere even throughout the colder months.
Rever & Drage extends a traditional timber dwelling along a narrow plot in Rælingen
vertical layering within a horizontal array
Within the northern-most cabin, the program is arranged vertically. A garage and technical rooms occupy the lower level, with a rental unit above and a study tucked beneath the pitched roof. This upper room, defined by exposed timber structure and large openings, offers a quiet place set apart from the rest of the house.
Between the volumes, circulation shifts through narrow passages and wider shared rooms, including a partially sunken level that supports multiple uses. The sequence moves between compression and openness, allowing different activities to take place simultaneously while maintaining visual connections across the plan.
three cabins align in sequence to create a home linked by courtyards
rever & drage composes variations in red
The exterior palette explores a range of red surfaces, from painted timber cladding to brick and metal. Each material carries a slightly different tone and texture, giving the composition depth while maintaining a shared identity. The preserved blue door and fragments of white window framing recall the earlier house, introducing small shifts within the dominant color.
Inside, ash wood surfaces line walls, ceilings, and built-in elements. Brick flooring and exposed concrete provide contrast, while finer details in brass and timber bring precision to joints and edges. The interiors feel composed through touch as much as through sight, with each material registering its own weight and finish.
ash wood finishes meet brick and concrete to create tactile textures
a winter garden opens toward the forest