Wenche Elisabeth Selmer (23 May 1920 – 30 May 1998) was a Norwegian architect. She specialized in timber architecture, working residential projects. Her wooden cabins and houses were inspired by nature and designed to not overwhelm or dominate but rather blend with the natural landscape.

Biography

Wenche Elisabeth Reimers was born in

Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

while his father was pursued law practice. She was the daughter of attorney Herman Foss Reimers (1874-1961) and Birgit Bødtker Næss (1882-1945). Her family returned to Norway when she was six years old and settled at

Vestre Aker Vestre Aker (Western Aker) is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. It has a population of 50,157 as of 2020. The previous Aker Municipality was merged into the city of Oslo in 1948. The borough of Vestre Aker was organized as part of the 1 Ja ...

in Oslo. She graduated from the

Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry The National College of Art and Design ( no, Statens håndverks- og kunstindustriskole) was established in 1818. In 1996 the National College of Art and Design became part of Oslo National Academy of the Arts (''Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo'', KHiO). ...

(''Statens håndverks- og kunstindustriskole'') in 1945. After graduating, she apprenticed with architect

Arnstein Arneberg Arnstein Rynning Arneberg (6 July 1882 – 9 June 1961) was a Norwegian architect. He was active professionally for 50 years and is often considered the leading architect in Norway of his time. Personal life Arnstein Rynning Arneberg was b ...

who was married to her older half-sister, Eva Reimers (1901–1987). She followed with a year of training with architect Marcel Lods at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. From 1948 she worked for architects Arne Pedersen (1897-1951) and Reidar Winge Lund (1908-1978) in Oslo. In 1954, she started her architectural firm and began a collaboration with Jens Andreas Selmer. She taught at the

Oslo School of Architecture and Design The Oslo School of Architecture and Design ( no, Arkitektur- og designhøgskolen i Oslo, AHO) is an autonomous institution within the Norwegian university system. The School offers a unique research-based education with a strong international stan ...

from 1976 to 1987.

Awards

*1962-63 - ''Sundts premie'', with Jens Selmer *1969 - ''Treprisen'', with Jens Selmer

Personal life

In 1941, she married James Robert Collett (1914-1941). In 1954, she married Jens Andreas Selmer (1911-1995)

References

Other sources

*Elisabeth Tostrup (2006) ''Norwegian Wood: The Thoughtful Architecture of Wenche Selmer'' (Princeton Architectural Press)

External links

* * 1920 births 1998 deaths Norwegian women architects Oslo National Academy of the Arts alumni École des Beaux-Arts alumni Academic staff of the Oslo School of Architecture and Design Norwegian expatriates in France {{Norway-architect-stub