Building Physics in Norwegian Historic Brick Apartment Buildings

Around 1900, Kristiania—now Oslo, like many other Norwegian cities, is shaped by brick architecture built from the 19th century through the interwar years. These buildings form part of Norway’s architectural heritage and play an important role in giving cities their identity and distinctive character.

They also belong to a wider European story. Oslo’s historic brick-built neighbourhoods are among the largest and best preserved in Europe. Taken as a whole, they are truly exceptional.

The project will investigate how these historic brick apartment buildings can best be protected from moisture and fungal damage. Stricter energy-efficiency requirements and limits on certain chemicals make this work more challenging: poorly designed upgrades may trap moisture inside walls and floors, damaging the building fabric and worsening indoor air quality.

Commissioned by VIS Insurance and carried out in collaboration with Mycoteam AS, NIKU will develop a method for monitoring temperature and moisture in these buildings. The project will collect data on conditions inside their structures, helping identify risks and support safer maintenance and renovation.

Project manager: Anne-Cathrine Flyen.