The blocks came in a variety of shapes and colours; most were cubes, some were long and thin like beams, a few resembled circular columns, and others resembled arches. I remember exploring overlays by offsetting the upper block, seeking a degree of overhang that felt visually engaging.
Color has always been an important feature. Some blocks were painted different colors on different sides; rotating a cube 90 degrees could produce a completely different effect. To make a cohesive composition, the same color had to be used, while different colors divided large shapes into smaller pieces. Perhaps certain aesthetic preferences had already developed at that time.
Later on, my interest in light emerged. As a child, I spent a lot of time trying to understand the patches and spots of light that occasionally appeared around me, and then I tried to create similar ones myself using mirrors and shiny objects like spoons.
I gradually understood that architecture is much more complex than the composition of shapes in light, as the famous French architect Le Corbusier announced in 1900. Architecture is about designing spaces for people (and other living organisms). Hundreds of technical aspects must be considered to create safe, comfortable and sustainable buildings.
Buildings are seen from different distances; the play of large volumes dominates when perceiving buildings from far away, but from a short distance, the architectural details create the impression; they decide if the building appears well designed, nice, inviting, open, generally interesting to look at, or if it makes you indifferent.
One of the topics I stumbled over during my academic career was the visual effect of fluctuating surfaces. I experimented with varying degrees of protrusion and depth, exploring the forms that emerged by allowing the surface to fluctuate.
The partnership with Karstein Sørli opened a new path in the search for new forms of expression and novel methods of creating reliefs. He introduced the use of a CNC machine to engrave forms into wooden surfaces. Reliefs could be created by following the lines of a drawing with a graver (stylus), instead of a pencil or a pen. The lines of a drawing are engraved in the material, for example, the scriptures on the old Egyptian temple walls. Use of the CNC technique enables huge variation; the engraved lines may differ in thickness and depth. Engraving offers greater durability; it cannot be easily wiped off the surface. Additionally, it involves light as a crucial actor, as the darkness of the shadows appearing in the cuts depends very much on illumination.
The process of designing and building the house was an exciting and rewarding way to discover new possibilities, test them, and apply them immediately. In a way, each architectural element, each detail is a new experiment, new discovery, both on the aesthetic and technical plan. The process could not have been so fruitful without harmonic cooperation between two people having mutual respect, trust, and love for each other.
Barbara Szybinska Matusiak
Trondheim, December 2025
