practice
Verk Arkitektur is a Norwegian-British architecture studio founded by Heather McVicar and Ivar Tutturen. From our studio in Indre Østfold, Norway, we create thoughtful, site-specific architecture shaped by the relationship between people, buildings and landscape.
Our work begins with what is already there: the qualities of a place, the needs of the people who will inhabit it, the potential of existing buildings and the resources available. We look for solutions that bring together spatial quality, durable materials and careful construction, with an understanding of how buildings are made and how they will change over time.
We work across scales, from furniture, interiors and the transformation of existing buildings, to cabins, homes, housing, places for learning, public buildings and masterplans. What connects our projects is an ambition to make architecture that belongs to its place and enriches the experience of those who use it.
Our studio is based on an organic farm, which we run alongside our architecture practice. The proximity of studio, workshop, fields and woodland brings our work into close contact with agriculture, landscape and the changing seasons, while giving us space to make, test and experiment at different scales.
We believe good architecture develops through an open and exploratory process, where observation, drawing and making happen alongside one another. Through drawings, physical models, material studies and full-scale mock-ups, we test ideas and explore possibilities together with clients, collaborators and craftspeople. Throughout this process, we seek to maintain a strong relationship between the overall idea of a project and its smallest detail.
We work both independently and in collaboration with other architectural practices and disciplines, adapting our approach to the needs of each project. We value the knowledge of consultants, builders and craftspeople, and see collaboration as integral to developing and realising good architecture.
We recognise that commissioning a building is a significant personal commitment. We work closely with our clients, treating each project as an ongoing conversation and remaining personally involved from the first ideas through to construction and completion.