The community house Flishuset in Ørje is one of three projects nominated for The Wood Building of the Year 2023. With STRÅ Arkitekter as the creative force behind the project, and Jens Frøne AS as the installation partner of blown-in insulation, the result is a powerful tribute to timber, craftsmanship, and sustainable architecture.
Located in the protected industrial area of Ørje Brug, Flishuset was originally constructed in the early 1900s and served as a timber warehouse connected to local wood pulp operations. Its historical character and material legacy set the tone for a restoration project rooted in respect for the past and responsibility for the future.
“When it came to choosing insulation, wood fiber was a natural option. We were focused on ensuring a healthy indoor climate and that Flishuset would be an all-wood building, and Hunton’s products met both of those criteria.” – Anders Byng Strøm, STRÅ Arkitekter
STRÅ Arkitekter’s vision was clear: to create a faithful reinterpretation of the original building—maintaining its proportions, materials, and expressions—while integrating high ambitions for sustainability. The result is a new community gathering place that embodies both heritage and environmental responsibility.
Flishuset is a consistently wooden building, where everything from the structural system to the nails is made of wood. Both the exterior and interior walls are clad in spruce, and the framework is insulated with wood fiber insulation, supplemented by a wind barrier made of wood fiberboard.
The building has had a strong focus on sustainability, and the wood fiber products have played a key role in realizing the vision of an all-wood structure — while also ensuring a healthy and comfortable indoor climate.
Locally sourced materials were key. All structural timber was harvested, sawn, dried, and planed nearby. The building’s insulation and wind barrier were supplied by Hunton and made from 100% PEFC-certified spruce chips, processed just a short distance away in Gjøvik.
The original Flishuset was a storage building for wood chips at the former wood pulp mill, and the symbolic use of wood fiber products helps reinforce the project’s cultural historical continuity.
“From the spruce-clad walls to the insulation between them, every material in Flishuset tells the same story — and Hunton’s products are part of that continuity.” – Gustav Jerlvall Jeppsson
Jens Frøne AS also insulated the building with Hunton Nativo® Wood Fiber Insulation, which has a documented low climate footprint and stores carbon throughout the life of the building.
“Hunton’s solutions fit perfectly with the project’s ambitions,” Frøne adds. “It’s about creating something lasting—both in structure and environmental impact.”
The Wood Building of the Year 2023 Award is a collaboration between Treteknisk, TreFokus, and Byggeindustrien.
