Meet the JAJAs: Kristin

Kristin is our newest JAJA member and will be in charge of our newly opened office in Oslo, Norway. She has previously worked on JAJA projects such as Torp Bruk in Fredrikstad and “Roald Amundsen Gate” Housing

To get to know her better, we’ve asked her a series of questions

How are you and how does it feel to be part of the first JAJA office abroad?

Hey! I’m fine! Really excited to be part of the JAJA family as the first seed of the “Norway branch” here in Oslo 

You’re from Norway – so how did you end up working at JAJA?

Yes, I am Norwegian and have worked in Oslo for many years. In the last couple of years, I worked together with Jakob on different projects and him being a fellow Norwegian, we’ve found common ground in the Norwegian world of architecture.

What interests you the most about your job?

Hmm, a difficult question as I tend to characterize myself as an architectural potato, but the short and easy answer might be the concern for people, spaces, and the urban fabric, and then again how we built our houses, cities and spaces affects us both physically and mentally. The bridge between urban planning and built form, in the edge between public/private, indoor/outdoor etc. really intrigues me.

Which projects are you working on now?

In addition to pursue new business, relations and collaborations I continue working on the projects that I’ve been doing in collaboration with JAJA for the past few years,. These days that’s mainly planning and housing in the Norwegian town Sarpsborg, where we work with city development at “Nypappen”, and a housing project close to the city center called “Amundsen”.

When you’re not at JAJA – what do you like to do?

Being a self-proclaimed workaholic, I try to use my spare time as much as possible with friends and family, enjoying a good cup of coffee or having a better glass of natural wine, or exploring the cultural life of Oslo. If I need some headspace, you’ll find me sitting at the wheel making pottery in a joint pottery workshop that I’m part of. 

Do you have a go-to meal and movie on a rainy Sunday?

If I’ve planned well, I tend to make some kind of slow-cooked stew or steak or anything that takes a long time and makes delicious leftovers for the week to come. Movie-wise I’m a sucker for either easy-going pompous costume dramas or nerdy arthouse-movies, depending on the mood and how much in need of intellectual input I am.