Gaia Arkitekter – Norway

Gaia Arkitekter is nominated for the 2024 Nordic Council Environment Prize.

Gaia Arkitekter stands out by going beyond the conventional system boundaries of “the physical building” and “technological solutions”. They address the challenge of renovating existing buildings, including the surrounding landscape, and focus on the practices of the building users. 

For 40 years, Gaia Arkitekter has been a significant driving force in the debate on buildings, communities, and ecology in Norway and around the world. They represent alternative knowledge that goes beyond technology, incorporating ecology and psychology, and align with alternative knowledge traditions such as organic farming and urban ecological movements. 

Their broad and deep ecological focus in construction can be transferred to other forms of physical infrastructure and inspire other architects and developers. 

In recent decades, Gaia Arkitekter has been at the forefront of driving public debate on how to reduce the ecological footprint of new and existing buildings.