Foxes & Dragon, the Norwegian firm’s name in English, seems fitting for the three-person outfit. “We wanted something that was a bit silly and a bit adventurous,” says Tom Auger, 38, who founded the firm with former classmates Martin Beverfjord, 37, and Eirik Lilledrange, 39, following their graduation from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s architecture program in 2008.
Photo courtesy Rever & Drage
But pragmatic is also how Auger describes their work and personalities, despite the fantastical ideas behind some of their projects. For instance, in a commission for a toolshed, the architects successfully proposed expanding the program to include a retractable glass roof so “you can lie down and watch the stars at night.”
Creating structures in harmony with Norway’s rugged and beautiful countryside—be it a cliff’s edge or a nearby mountain—the firm puts its own twist on the vernacular with unexpected elements. In the recently completed Troll’s Peak cabin, part of the gabled structure is encased in glass, exposing its wood frame, while another part is covered in grass.
“We try to test out new things on every project,” says Auger, explaining that clients in rural areas, who have commissioned the bulk of their portfolio to date, seem more open to this approach. It may help that all three of them come from different parts of the country, and Lilledrange, who “runs the office,” according to Auger, is based in the town of Flekkefjord, about six hours outside of Oslo, where Auger and Beverfjord work.
One unusual project is an underwater restaurant they collaborated on with Snøhetta. According to Auger, Rever & Drage participated in selecting the site and made early design contributions with respect to the building’s roof and plow-like position; however, they left the project after about a year due to their limited experience with complex projects. Though many firms might have reacted by hiring more staff, for Rever & Drage, expansion isn’t a priority—“maybe in the next 10 years” they’ll hire someone, Auger says.
Upcoming projects include a roadside structure commissioned as part of Norway’s scenic National Tourist Routes, a prestigious series of architectural interventions— Peter Zumthor has designed two—embedded within landscapes of high, barren mountains, lush hillsides, and deep fjords. Since founding the firm, the threesome has often helped construct their buildings alongside local carpenters— some of whom are frequent collaborators and make introductions to new clients. “It’s very satisfying running your own office and building things yourself,” Auger says. “That’s the main reason we do this.”
Rever & Drage
FOUNDED: 2008
DESIGN STAFF: 3
PRINCIPALS: Tom Auger, Martin Beverfjord, Eirik Lilledrange
EDUCATION: Auger/Beverfjord/Lilledrange: NTNU, Master in Architecture, 2008.
WORK HISTORY: Auger: Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter, 2007. Beverfjord: Niels Torp Arkitekter, HUS Arkitecter, 2006
KEY COMPLETED PROJECTS: Kvåsfossen Visitor Center, Kvås, 2017; Cabin at Troll’s Peak, Sunndal, 2017; Cabin Straumsnes, Møre & Romsdal, 2016; Hustadvika Tools, Fræna, 2014; Feinsteinveien, Stavanger, 2013 (all in Norway)
KEY CURRENT PROJECTS: National Tourist Routes, Farstadsanden, Fræna; House Horse Hill, Flekkefjord; Cabin Kritle, Ulvik; Housing Ringvegen, Sunndal (all in Norway)
