Prototyping with the CNC router

Thibaut Devulder

We have now access to an amazing CNC router at our new office space at Kroloftet. I tested it today for the first time, initially to fabricate some simple wooden gears for a homemade “analog music sequencer” I am developing for our next Ooo-Ya-Tsu art project (more in this later…)

The wooden gears, cut on the CNC router, with MIDI music “encoded” into grooves on the right

These gears were modelled in SketchUp and imported into AutoDesk Fusion, before being sent to the CNC router for fabrication. The geometry for the round grooves on one of the large gears was generated by a computer program I coded in Processing that reads musical MIDI files and convert them into 3D shapes, which can then can be grooved into the gears, effectively “encoding” the music into the wood. Fairly simple to start with, but it worked, so on with the prototyping!

Many thanks to Peter Magnus, expert digital fabricator at Kroloftet, for the heads up on using this amazing machine!

Building work starting in Rudsveien

Thibaut Devulder

Panoramic view of the existing ground floor, all walls stripped to the log structure of the original house.

Building work on our remodelling of a family house in Gjettum has now started. The walls have been stripped, revealing the log walls of the original house, before the key change to the structure is reorganise the kitchen and living-room.

We have also done an updated survey, so that the furniture and benches of the new fitted kitchen can be produced.

Credits to our clients for tackling the demolition work themselves!

New office and wood workshop at Kroloftet

Thibaut Devulder

We are delighted to have joined the dynamic and eclectic work collective at Kroloftet, in Oslo.

In addition to a shared workspace, we now also have access to a fully equipped wood workshop, including a large-scale CNC router, to fabricate custom-made furniture and fittings for your next project!

We are looking forward to exciting collaborations with the many skilled crafts(wo)men at Kroloftet, whose disciplines include (among many others) metalwork, wood joinery, upholstery, boat building, illustration, film direction, ceramics and puppet making!

The collective wood workshop at Kroloftet

Tom's teaching awards

Tom Hughes

I am a senior lecturer on the architecture course at Nottingham Trent University and am proud to say that I’ve been nominated for and won a few awards there recently.

The last couple of academic years have created enormous pressure for the staff and students as we’ve all had to adapt to Covid-19. It was great in 2021 to have my work on the integration of online learning and teaching techniques recognised with a Teaching and Support award from the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environments (ADBE).

I learnt later this year, in April 2021, that the students had nominated me for a Student-Led Teaching Award, and, in July, I was awarded a second ADBE Teaching and Support award, this time specifically for my pastoral support and coaching of students.

This last award recognised the pastoral support system I put in place using Microsoft Bookings to create a “virtual open door” for students. It turns out that returning to face-to-face education has created almost as many pressures as did lockdown, so I’m happy to have helped in some way to mitigate the problems for some of our students.

Hands-on with traditional arch masonry

Thibaut Devulder

A dry stone arch built during the course, under testing!

While working on the restoration of century-old stables in central Oslo, I was invited to take part in a practical workshop on traditional arch masonry. The course was organised by the Norwegian Heritage Association (Fortidsminneforeningen) for mastermasons, handworkers and architects who are involved in the restoration of old masonry buildings in Norway.

We explored the complete process of building traditional stone arches, using both dry stone techniques and traditional brick and lime mortar masonry, Over five intensive days, we built from scratch five different types of arches, starting with the design and fabrication of the formworks, the preparation and mixing of traditional lime mortar, the shaping of natural stones and, finally, the erection of the arches themselves.

This was a fantastic opportunity to learn new practical skills to develop our continued interest in historical buildings, as well as to network with talented craftsmen from all over Norway, for future collaborations.

You can admire the completed arches in Oslo’s Medieval park (Middelalderparken), next to the ruins of St Mary’s Church.

Ever dreamt of giving a new life to an old building?

Roof garden under construction

Thibaut Devulder

After getting planning permission more than a year ago , the roof terrace we designed on top of a residential building in central Oslo is finally under construction. The work on site is taking place under a “roof over the roof”, so that the construction of the new staircase and roof garden can take place with minimum disruption to the inhabitants.

Construction in progress: the demolished existing roof, under the temporary scaffolding cover…

Samba in the stair

Thibaut Devulder

Following our complete remodel and extension of their cabins in Hvitsten, overlooking the Oslo Fjord, our clients asked us to also fit an extra living space in one of the little annex buildings on the site.

Sections through the proposed tiny annex cabin, showing the “samba” stair to the sleeping space above

The tiny cabin that we designed accommodates a play space for the children during daytime, a small workstation, sleeping space for two adults and two children, as well as a small terrace for summer breakfast overlooking the fjord. To reach the private sleeping space tucked up over the small living-room, we custom-designed a compact alternating tread stair, called sambatrapp (“samba stair”) in Norwegian, which also doubled as a bookshelves for the desk underneath.

We love working on self-build projects and custom-made furniture, so we were thrilled when our client announced that he wanted to build the stair himself. As with our custom-made screen wall in the main cabin, we developed in collaboration with him alternative designs for the stairs, adjusting the design to joinery techniques he mastered, to produce a full cut-and-assembly manual to build the stairs.

Visit to the seaside cabin in Hvitsten

Thibaut Devulder

A visit to the summer cabin in Hvitsten we remodelled and extended a few years ago. The little annex cabin and terraced landscape that we have just finished designing are now in the process of being built. The landscaping on this steep site overlooking the Oslo Fjord is really bringing together the different indoor and outdoor spaces, happily used by three generations of families and friends!

Portfolio project
Vertical living in a former boiler house

Tom Hughes
A pod-like extension provides services, daylight and ventilation.

A pod-like extension provides services, daylight and ventilation.

This intriguing little project is now under construction in Nottingham. Our client’s town house occupies part of a former builder’s joinery workshop in a Conservation Area. Entry to the main house is through the ground floor of a free-standing former boiler house, complete with an 11m high brick chimney. Our challenge was to re-purpose this special, tiny building to contain a home working office and guest accommodation.

We stripped out and redesigned the boiler house interior to fit a mezzanine level under the opened-up roof structure, and used ‘space saver’ stairs to maximise the floor area. The tiny floor plan is offset by an impressive vertical connection between the levels- with everything needed for occupation accessed off a vertical circulation route culminating in the bed platform.

Careful organisation of the section creates space for a mezzanine level

Careful organisation of the section creates space for a mezzanine level

The temptation is to cut lots of holes in an existing building to let in light, provide ventilation and create new service routes, but in this case we decided to preserve the integrity of the boiler house by adding a highly-serviced pod to the exterior. This provides the necessary service connections, and brings light and ventilation to the interior. The addition is anonymous, in keeping with the industrial heritage of the building whilst creating intrigue and mystery of its own.

Design Team:

Need some creative input to transform an old historical building into a living space?

Portfolio project
A birdwatching 'eyrie' to hover over Wicken Fen

Tom Hughes

We recently achieved Planning Permission for a new birdwatching hide and observation deck for the National Trust at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire.

Set at the edge of the fen, the structure was inspired by the singular setting of the SSSI site. The fully accessible birdwatching hide is nestled like a cocoon inside a screen of undulating timber battens. The observation deck above gives view over Sedge Fen, roosting site for Marsh and Hen Harriers. A final eyrie-like observation level gives 360° views ,which take in the whole of Wicken Fen nature reserve and the big skies for which it is famed.

The building nestles into the Carr (tree scrub) at the edge of the Fen.

The highly sensitive eco system of the site is based on 3 meters depth of peat soil, so the structure is designed in collaboration with Canham Consulting Engineers to “touch the earth lightly”, elevated above the Fen on piles so that the habitat can flow underneath. A gently ramped boardwalk, designed for wheelchair accessibility, connects the hide to the existing boardwalk footpath some 30m away.

A fully accessible bird hide at the entry level floats 1.5m above the fen, upper levels can be explored via a triangular staircase to the rear.

Wicken Fen is the National Trust’s oldest nature reserves and one of the most important wetlands in Europe, supporting over 9000 species including a spectacular array of plants, birds and insects. 2hD won the commission via a competitive interview in partnership with Sheltered Spaces, with whom we went on to design the timber cladding and the public consultation process. It is a great privilege to be entrusted with such a sensitive site and to be supported by a client keen to think afresh about how visitors might experience and understand the Fen’s sense of place.

Project team:

Timber screen experiments with Marcus of Sheltered Spaces

A roof top terrace in central Oslo

Thibaut Devulder

Our visualisation of our proposed roof terrace in central Oslo

Having secured planning permission for our roof terrace project in central Oslo, we are now finalising the detailed design, with construction of the staircase extension and roof landscape due to start on site this spring. Above is a quick visualisation we prepared for our clients’ presentation to the residents of the housing cooperative — based on the 3D model that will also be used to communicate all the technical documentations for the construction phase.

Would you like to create new places for your community to meet and thrive?

Our Norwegian branch moves to a new office

Thibaut Devulder

Our Norwegian branch has just moved to a new work space, just next to the Oslo School of Architecture and design (AHO).

The new shared work space of our Oslo office (Photo: © Alliance Architecture Studio)

The new shared work space of our Oslo office (Photo: © Alliance Architecture Studio)

We are delighted to share this new office with three exciting architecture practices:

Here are our new contact details:

2hD Architecture Workshop
Akersbakken 12
0172 Oslo
Norway