Kyrre Midtbø Kalseth is an Industrial Designer and Passivehouse & Energy Advisor living in Gratangen, Northern Norway. From here he runs the design collective and design studio Erlikpluss (EgualsPluss). The practice focuses on doing both commissioned and self initiated work within the field of design & architecture that in some way or another aims on creating ecological conscious and fun projects.
He works with various scales and disciplines and the projects are therefore spread within the field of architecture, sustainable building practices and materials, co-creation, product design, graphic design as well as the physical building of small scale architecture. He has worked a great deal with arena development for festivals and cultural arenas such as SALT Art & Music (Oslo), HAVET Arena (Trondheim), Trænafestivalen (Træna) and Rakettnatt Music & Arts Festival (Tromsø). He produces visual profiles, as well as products, architecture and art projects. Kalseth has received numerous design awards and in 2021 was awarded a work scholarship from Kulturrådet (Statens Arbeidsstipend), to work with self initiated regenerative architectural projects.
Last year Kyrre also established a new practice together with architect Sami Rintala and Cultural Entrepreneur Erlend Mogård Larsen where they design and build both floating and land based sauna and bathing projects; Vulkana Floating Objects. (www.arkobjects.com)
Image 1: The Snolke Cabin (open hiking mountain cabin, Gratangen, 2019)
- An open hiking cabin in wood that is prefabricated and carried to site and mounted by the efforts of the local community.
Image 2: Haihuset / The Shark House (Explorers Club for marine life, Engenes, Andørja, 2020).
The project had the aim of utilizing the terrain without any harm to the site, using a floating steel structure to hold the massive wood buildings hovering above the rocks towards the sea. The buildings are almost self sufficient, using an air-to-water heating system and natural ventilation.
Image 3: Hemmingodden Lodge (Fishing & Hiking Hub, Hemmingodden, Lofoten Islands, 2021)
- All the new units for the site were prefabricated and craned on to piers out towards the sea that bears resemblance of old fish racks (hjeller) that use to be here. They are fully removable from the site in a matter of days.
Image 4: ARK Lauga - Floating Sauna & Bathing Village (Havet Arena, Trondheim, 2022)
- ARK Lauga is a part of a large urban development scheme in Nyhavna. We have developed and delivered a floating village which measures 400 square meters. It boasts four public saunas, a Russian inspired banja, one bathtub inspired by the Japanese Onsen, as well as a salt water pool, bar and reception and outdoor shower. The buildings are made in massive wood and are topped off with sedum / green roofs. The whole structure is fully demountable.
