Mari Blokhus Nordtun

Julie Gedde-Dahl is head of the cluster’s specialist group “Future building solutions”. The group has long wanted to take a closer look at documentation and requirements related to fire resistance in wooden buildings, and now the preparations are underway in earnest.

Useful theme meeting

– “We had a very useful meeting in the specialist group at Mjøstårnet recently. We got a review of current issues and challenges with Norwegian regulations and standards for fire resistance that are relevant to take a closer look at. In addition, three companies shared their experiences with testing and documentation needs, and we had good reflections in groups,” says Julie Gedde-Dahl. She says that the Norwegian Wood Cluster will continue to work on the topic based on the input received at the meeting.

Specialist expertise in place

– We are fortunate to have Leif Tore Isaksen with us in this work, who is the head of fire and safety at Sweco Norway. He is also the head of RIF’s expert group on fire. In other words, Leif Tore is a very strong professional resource in the area, and he will play a key role in the development of the project,” says Gedde-Dahl.

Opportunities and challenges

– There is a great need for documentation for tall wooden buildings. The regulations are function-based and for buildings over 4 storeys, documentation is required in each individual case to show that the building can maintain satisfactory load-bearing capacity and stability throughout a complete fire cycle. “As there are more and more tests that can be used to verify fire safety with the use of wooden structures, the question is whether it is possible to prepare preaccepted solutions for buildings up to and including six storeys,” says Leif Tore Isaksen, Sweco Norway.

– Several of our member companies have already indicated that they want to participate in the further planning of such a project. Going forward, the cluster will lead the process of developing the project plan and maintaining a dialog with relevant stakeholders. We expect that it is possible to set up a useful project in this area to meet the wishes of member companies in the cluster,” says project manager Julie Gedde-Dahl in Norwegian Wood Cluster.

The gathering brought together players from the entire value chain – builders, municipalities, consultants, architects, contractors, suppliers and technology environments – and provided a picture of where the industry stands, what hinders us, and what works in practice.

Concrete examples from FutureBuilt, TEMA Eiendom and Hamar Municipality showed how reuse can be integrated into both projects and ordinary operations when digital tools, physical solutions and clear routines work together. The projects documented significant benefits in the form of reduced emissions, lower costs and new architectural expressions – but also that circularity requires planning and a broad approach, and cannot be solved through individual measures.

The technology presentations from Diplom, Materia and Map.D showed that the tools are now ready: data can be mapped, structured, enriched and shared across systems using standards and artificial intelligence. The challenge is not a lack of technology, but the need for a common data language, high data quality and a willingness to connect solutions.

The group work and panel discussion confirmed a clear common picture: reuse must be introduced earlier in the projects, logistics and responsibilities must be clarified, and culture and level of ambition are crucial to whether the technology is actually adopted. Overall, the gathering pointed to one clear direction: to move from fragmented initiatives to a coherent system that makes reuse easy, safe and truly feasible in the Inland Region.

Nora Håland Hay presenterte Futurebuilts Sirkularitetsindeks, et nyttig verktøy for å måle sirkularitet i et byggeprosjekt, og viste frem prosjekter med høye ombruksambisjoner. “Når vi først kommer i gang med å bruke gjenbrukte materialer, skal det ikke mye til før markedsmodellen snur. Da vi for eksempel gjenbrukte hulldekker i Kristian Augustgate-prosjektet (Futurebuilt-prosjekt), var disse 10 ganger dyrere enn nye. I dag er prisen lik, sa hun.

Foto: Mari Blokhus Nordtun

TEMA Eiendom bruker Loopfront for å registrere gjenbrukbare møbler og byggevarer fra egne prosjekter, og målet er at mest mulig skal gjenbrukes. “Vi ser at vi må legge vekt på å markedsføre varene, også internt til våre egne prosjekter – vi må selge dette inn til nye leietakere”, fortalte bærekraftssjef Ingrid Lotterud.

Foto (fra tidligere arrangement): Mari Blokhus Nordtun

Hamar municipality has 250,000 square meters of buildings, and a lot of furniture and equipment is stored in basements and attics. Hamar has therefore teamed up with neighboring municipalities Ringsaker and Stange to use the app Gjenbrukskommune. They have shared a reuse coordinator and given all employees in the three municipalities access to the app. “In two years, we’ve saved NOK 1.2 million in purchases, as well as 51 tons of CO2 emissions and 216 tons of waste,” said Lise Dufseth Urset.

Photo: Christopher McCormick

Julie Gedde-Dahl is head of the cluster’s specialist group “Future building solutions”. The group has long wanted to take a closer look at documentation and requirements related to fire resistance in wooden buildings, and now the preparations are underway in earnest.

Useful theme meeting

– “We had a very useful meeting in the specialist group at Mjøstårnet recently. We got a review of current issues and challenges with Norwegian regulations and standards for fire resistance that are relevant to take a closer look at. In addition, three companies shared their experiences with testing and documentation needs, and we had good reflections in groups,” says Julie Gedde-Dahl. She says that the Norwegian Wood Cluster will continue to work on the topic based on the input received at the meeting.

Specialist expertise in place

– We are fortunate to have Leif Tore Isaksen with us in this work, who is the head of fire and safety at Sweco Norway. He is also the head of RIF’s expert group on fire. In other words, Leif Tore is a very strong professional resource in the area, and he will play a key role in the development of the project,” says Gedde-Dahl.

Opportunities and challenges

– There is a great need for documentation for tall wooden buildings. The regulations are function-based and for buildings over 4 storeys, documentation is required in each individual case to show that the building can maintain satisfactory load-bearing capacity and stability throughout a complete fire cycle. “As there are more and more tests that can be used to verify fire safety with the use of wooden structures, the question is whether it is possible to prepare preaccepted solutions for buildings up to and including six storeys,” says Leif Tore Isaksen, Sweco Norway.

– Several of our member companies have already indicated that they want to participate in the further planning of such a project. Going forward, the cluster will lead the process of developing the project plan and maintaining a dialog with relevant stakeholders. We expect that it is possible to set up a useful project in this area to meet the wishes of member companies in the cluster,” says project manager Julie Gedde-Dahl in Norwegian Wood Cluster.

Major player becomes a member

Cluster leader Berit Sanness welcomes Splitkon as a new member of the Norwegian Wood Cluster.

– “In recent years, Splitkon has demonstrated its expertise and ability to deliver on a number of beautiful wooden buildings around the country. The company has very interesting experience from these projects, and we look forward to Splitkon’s active participation in the cluster’s work in the future,” says Sanness.

Formally, it is the board of Norwegian Wood Cluster SA that processes applications for membership in the cluster. Splitkon AS was admitted as a member on September 9, 2025.