FOJAB Expands into Norway: Developing a New Center in Roa

FOJAB has been commissioned by the municipality of Lunner to develop and connect the central town of Roa, after winning the Europan architecture competition. This is the firm's first project in Norway.

Roa is located in Hadeland, just over five mil north of Oslo. The town has a vibrant community life and many positive qualities, but lacks a distinct center and a natural heart. At the same time, the municipality faces a growing challenge: meeting the needs of an aging population and a rapidly increasing demand for senior housing and community services.

The competition brief in Europe therefore called for the development of a vision for how a former school site could be transformed into a compact, attractive, and inclusive village center featuring housing, services, and public spaces.

Five employees at FOJAB won the competition with their proposal, “Roa’s Rag Rug.” The idea is based on the rag rug—reusing and repurposing what already exists to create a strong and unique identity. In the proposal, new neighborhoods are woven together with existing ones to form a cohesive and welcoming whole.

The central idea is to extend Roalinna Street into a cohesive sequence that connects the town square, residential areas, services, and nature. The school’s gym is proposed to become a senior center, while the library and youth center will receive new additions and functions. The expansion is intended to take place in phases, with each phase being self-sustaining both socially and economically.

The team behind the competition proposal has now been entrusted with further developing the proposal in collaboration with the Municipality of Lunner and the residents of Roa. The work is being led by FOJAB, with Cobe serving as a subconsultant, as one member of the team now works there. The process begins with a broad dialogue involving residents, the business community, and other stakeholders in Roa, while the basis for a new detailed plan is being developed. FOJAB will also produce a design manual to guide future property owners and developers. The goal is to ensure that the qualities that won the jury’s approval are carried through all the way to implementation.

– We have a unique opportunity to create a new heart in Roa—a place where residents of all ages can live, gather, and thrive. The proposal preserves what is valuable in the village while addressing the growing needs we face, particularly in terms of care and housing for the elderly. “We look forward to working closely with FOJAB as we move forward with this project,” says Torstein Brandrud, housing and business development manager for the municipality of Lunner.

– With the project in Roa, FOJAB is making its entry into the Norwegian market, which is, of course, particularly exciting for us. “We’re seeing that our approach to urban development is generating interest beyond Sweden’s borders—our focus on strong ideas and structures that stand the test of time, with a sense of the place and the people who will live there,” says Daniel Nord, CEO of FOJAB.