Architecture and Design
Want an exciting year where you can explore architecture and design at its finest?
A year of design, drawing, and model building, inspired by the works of some of the world’s best architects and designers.
Study trip to Japan!
Course content
You’ll learn about different project phases, like visualizing and communicating your ideas through freehand drawing, 3D software, and models in various materials. Your ideas will be challenged, and you’ll develop your imagination and creativity.
- Architecture
- Visualization and Drawing
- Project Phases
- 3D Drawing
- Model Building
- Admission Tests and Portfolio
Study trip: Japan
The spring semester study trip goes to Japan, a truly special country where exciting developments are happening in technology and product design. We visit several recent architectural projects, both in central Tokyo and the region. Previously, we’ve visited the renowned Japanese architectural firm Kengo Kuma Associates, who designed the Tokyo Olympic Stadium. In Kyoto, we experience traditional architecture; temples, old wooden houses, and beautiful Japanese gardens. We take the bullet train to Tokyo – and if we’re lucky, the study trip coincides with the amazing cherry blossom season!
Suggested day-by-day program:
- Day 1: Fly from Bergen to Osaka
- Day 2: Arrival in Osaka. Train to Kyoto
- Day 3: Visit historical temples and Japanese gardens in Kyoto
- Day 4: Workshop/Free exploration in Kyoto
- Day 5: Take the Shinkansen bullet train to Hiroshima
- Day 6: Free exploration in Hiroshima
- Day 7: Take train and ferry to Naoshima. Art museums designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando
- Day 8: Rent bikes/Experience Naoshima
- Day 9: Take ferry and bullet train to Tokyo
- Day 10: Company visit
- Day 11: Free exploration in Tokyo
- Day 12: Departure from Tokyo
The teaching
In Architecture and Design, you’ll learn to create buildings for specific target groups through idea development and research. You’ll experience how much you can influence and change a space using light, colors, function, and more. We draw inspiration from international trends and explore challenges while uncovering needs and opportunities related to specific tasks.
We’ll work on idea development through sketches and sketch models, using pencil and paper, simple cardboard models, wooden models, or clay forms. You’ll also learn to shape your ideas on a computer using 3D drawing software. Throughout the process, you’ll receive the guidance needed to work with various techniques and gain knowledge about different materials.
We conclude all assignments with a group review where we go through sketches and models, both analog and digital, visualizing and explaining our processes and proposed solutions. You’ll present your thoughts and ideas for your results and receive thorough feedback. We also create many exhibitions throughout the year where the class showcases their projects to the rest of the school.
Throughout the year, you’ll receive targeted instruction from skilled teachers and guest lecturers in architecture and design. We’ve collaborated with star architect Todd Saunders, who is world-renowned for his architecture, had workshops with Atelier Particular architectural firm, and projects in collaboration with architects Håvard Fadnes and Rolf Magne Bjørnevik.
Equipment and Facilities
The Architecture and Design program has its own workshop and workspace that you can use daily. Here you have your own workstation for sketching and building models, with plenty of shelf space to store your work.
We have a ceramics workshop that’s frequently used to create beautiful clay products.
If you want to work on your projects beyond class hours, the classrooms are open until 11 PM.
We have our own 3D printer in the workshop.
We have all the tools and materials you need for our work.
You must bring your own PC with good storage capacity.
Teacher Ingunn Halland
Ingunn is one of the teachers for Architecture and Design. She holds a master’s degree in industrial design from the Aarhus School of Architecture and has designed for renowned firms within architecture and product design. Products Ingunn has designed have achieved broad recognition and use both nationally and internationally, and have won several international design competitions. Her greatest wish for the students on the course is that they experience the joy of creating and gain increased self-confidence in working with creative processes. Ingunn is happiest outdoors and always has her hiking boots in the car should the opportunity for a mountain hike arise.
Teacher Nora Samset
Nora is also one of the teachers for Architecture and Design. She is a trained architect from the Bergen School of Architecture and is passionate about creating learning situations that spark curiosity, engagement, and the joy of creating. On the course, she facilitates learning through exploration, experimentation, and practical work with students’ own ideas. Through conversation, reflection, and creative processes, she encourages students to become more aware of their surroundings and investigate how architecture and design affect people, places, society, and the world around us. Nora wants to create an inclusive and inspiring learning environment where it is okay to try, fail, and think differently.
Guest Lecturers
The year will offer instruction from skilled teachers and inspiring guest instructors.
Håvard Fadnes lives in and grew up in Bergen. He has studied in Trondheim, England, and Bergen; in Trondheim he studied language and graphic design, and he completed a bachelor’s degree in graphic design in England.
When he returned to Bergen, he began architectural studies at Bergen School of Architecture, graduating in 2019. Afterward, he continued as a teaching assistant for third-year students at the school for 2 years, and today works full-time as an architect at CFA Architects.
Lena Margrethe Hoen Berge is an architect educated at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. In 2020, she started the architectural practice Atelier Particular with Karsten Lunde, where they work with small-scale architecture in transformation, installation, and communication. In 2021, Atelier Particular was part of Oslo Architects Association’s New Voices. In 2023, Atelier Particular exhibited three drawings in the Hand and Machine exhibition at the National Museum. She is also involved in the Oslo Architects Association, where she serves as the association’s coordinator.
Karsten Lunde is an architect and dancer, educated at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design and HFDK. In 2020, he started the architectural practice Atelier Particular with Lena Margrethe Hoen Berge, where they work with small-scale architecture in transformation, installation, and communication. In his dance practice, he works with creative dance, based on improvisation, focusing on themes such as perception, the relationship between body and space, and performance in public spaces. In 2021, Atelier Particular was part of Oslo Architects Association’s New Voices. In 2023, Atelier Particular exhibited three drawings in the Hand and Machine exhibition at the National Museum.
This is what the students say
The year at the Folk High School in Bergen gave me the opportunity to explore my interest in architecture and confirm that this is the right path for me. I received close follow-up and good guidance in working on entrance exams and applications, which made me more confident in my future choices.
Throughout the year, I met many wonderful people and made friends and connections that I greatly value. At the same time, I was able to develop professionally through exciting and varied projects in architecture and design.
Now I am studying at Bergen School of Architecture, and I notice how useful the experiences from the Folk High School have been. That year gave me both professional insight and personal growth, and I wouldn’t have wanted to be without it.
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My year at the folk high school was filled with long and good conversations with close friends, educational classes, beautiful nature experiences, and, not least, memorable trips. On the Architecture and Design course, I was given exciting challenges and a solid foundation to begin further architectural studies. I wouldn’t have gotten into my dream program (Bergen School of Architecture) if it hadn’t been for the good help I received in Architecture and Design. My year at the folk high school in Bergen has taught me a lot about friendship, adulthood, and the importance of having playfulness in everyday life, which I will carry with me throughout my life.
Architecture and Design has definitely been a good preparation for further studies and for life in general, while also being a very pleasant break from everything. Only now, after starting to study Architecture at NTNU in Trondheim, do I truly notice what a huge advantage everything I learned at the folk high school has given me. I really make good use of the experience I gained in model building, graphic design with Photoshop, InDesign, and a bit of Rhino, plus using a flamethrower (which was absolutely awesome!) Not only Architecture and Design, but the entire Bergen fhs has offered unforgettable experiences, knowledgeable and incredibly cool teachers, and fantastic friends. But if I had to choose one number-one memory from fhs, it would definitely be the study trip to Japan! That trip alone almost makes the whole year worth it and then some 😉
Whether you’re like me and have wanted to become an architect since kindergarten, or you’re not really sure what you want to do next, Architecture and Design is a fantastic opportunity to find out whether architecture or design is something you’re truly interested in or not. It’s a great break from grades and homework, a wonderful reality check for what your future life might look like, and, last but not least, an amazing source of knowledge and great memories! I will always say it was worth it, and I’m forever grateful that I got the chance to experience it.
My year at Bergen Folk High School was a turning point for me! Not only did I make lifelong friends, but I got to explore architecture in a creative and free way without pressure, just curiosity and enthusiasm! Now I’m studying architecture at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen. During the application process, I received incredible help from my teacher and the school! Something I’m enormously grateful for, because now I’m attending my dream school!
I had a really great time during my year at folkehøgskolen. It was incredibly nice to be able to learn and explore completely without stress and pressure.
With feedback and follow-up from teachers and fellow students, I got the opportunity to develop my skills in drawing, model building, creative thinking, and work processes. This is knowledge I’ve now taken with me into my studies at AHO, the Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
The architecture and design program is for you who want to develop and challenge yourself within the field of architecture and design.
I was personally especially interested in architecture, and had ambitions to improve my skills leading up to the entrance exams in the spring. I received good guidance and my goals were taken into account and accommodated throughout the year.
Annelin Uthushagen
Studerer nå arkitektur ved AHO i Oslo
Arkitektur og design,
23-24
My year at the folk high school, in the architecture and design program, was an incredibly enriching experience that has shaped both my academic and personal growth. It was a year filled with creative expression, learning, and new friendships with people who shared the same interests as me. I experienced a strong sense of belonging in such a creative community.
While we learned a lot academically, the year was also about personal development. The folk high school year gave me the freedom to experiment with different ideas and approaches without fear of making mistakes. It was a safe space to explore my own creativity and the possibilities of architecture. This has undoubtedly better prepared me for my studies at Bergen School of Architecture, where I’m currently studying.
I am taking both the academic knowledge and friendships with me. The year at the folk high school in Bergen was an important preparation for further studies, but also a year that shaped me as a person and gave me the confidence to continue on my path in architecture.
The year I spent studying Architecture and Design at Bergen Folk High School is something I will always be grateful for. On this course, I had a daily life where I learned a lot while being around great people with similar interests to me. At Bergen Folk High School, you become part of a safe environment where you have the freedom to explore, but also the help to develop skills that will be useful if you continue with creative subjects. For me, this folk high school year meant, among other things, that I gained better self-confidence and became more motivated to pursue architecture and design further.
Hi, my name is Eline and I study architecture at NTNU. I think my year at folk high school was a fantastic opportunity to explore architecture as a subject, while also developing as a person and having a pleasant gap year. Bergen folk high school is full of dedicated teachers who see you every day and do their best to help you, whether it’s a school assignment or something more personal. The class trip to Japan was a real highlight where you get to experience a new and exciting culture and impressions. The school also gives you great opportunities to get to know BAS and KMD. I recommend the Architecture and Design program to anyone who is a little curious about architecture or design, or if you just like drawing/art.
My year at the folk high school gave me tremendous freedom for creative development. There was great variety in the assignments, with introductions to different techniques and digital tools. I received excellent support and guidance when I applied and took entrance exams for various design and architecture schools. I would recommend a year in Architecture and Design at the folk high school in Bergen to anyone who is curious and wants a taste of what design and architecture studies have to offer.
Ida Karina Tande
Ida studerer nå landskapsarkitektur på AHO.
Arkitektur og design,
20-21
During my year in architecture and design, I was able to work and explore new materials and techniques. With good guidance and a good learning environment, I was able to express myself creatively. The program was also structured so that we could work on entrance exams, which was a great help.
Apply for a place at school now
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and processed in the order they are received. It is always a good idea to be early.
In addition to completing a regular school application, it would be good if you could write about your motivation for joining the program. If you have done work in art, design, or architecture, you’re welcome to include pictures showing things you’ve worked on. This could be images of drawings, cardboard models, or similar items.
Architecture and Design - Prices
Registration Fee
NOK 2 800,-Food and lodging
NOK 99 000,-Joint costs
NOK 12 000,-Group trip
NOK 5 500,-Line price incl. study trip
NOK 44 000,-
Total:
NOK 163 300,-
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the program for?
The course for those who want to become better acquainted with architecture and design at its best, and for those who want to prepare for further design and architecture studies.
What is Architecture and Design?
Do I need experience?
It will be an advantage, but it is not a prerequisite for joining this program. The most important thing is that you are curious, creative, and eager to learn. The teaching is structured so that everyone can develop, regardless of their starting point.
What do we work on in the program?
Among other things, you will work with:
- architectural thinking and idea development
- sketches, drawing, and model building
- form, space, and function
- materials and sustainability
- design of buildings, spaces, and concepts
The teaching is practical and project-based.
Are sustainability and the environment part of the course?
Yes. Sustainability, the environment, and the conscious use of resources are important themes in the teaching. You learn to think holistically about how architecture and design affect both people and the environment.
Do we work individually or in groups?
Do I receive individual guidance?
Yes. You receive close follow-up and guidance from the teacher throughout the year. If desired, you can receive guidance for entrance exams and building your own portfolio.
Do I need my own equipment?
You will need a PC or Mac with good capacity for the Adobe suite and 3D drawing software. Otherwise, the school provides materials and equipment used in the teaching.
The school provides materials and equipment used in the teaching.
What can I use the year for going forward?
This year will give you:
- basic understanding of architecture and design
- experience with creative processes
- increased visualization skills and creative self-confidence
- a good preparatory foundation for further studies in architecture, design, or creative subjects