A neighborhood that belongs.


—Article published on Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið on June 9th, 2026Article about a proposal for a small residential neighbourhood in Hafnarfjörður that takes its cues from the old town rather than the box-shaped blocks rising across Iceland today. Drawing on the colourful roofs, simple forms, and distinctive Hafnarfjörður gable of the older built fabric, the author argues that beautiful, human-scale housing need not be expensive to build, and that homes designed to grow and adapt over time serve buyers and communities far better than dense development optimised for short-term profit. A case for building the way people actually want to live, and for the kind of neighbourhood worth preserving fifty or a hundred years from now.


A scar on the cityscape: What kind of city does Reykjavík want to be?  




—Article published on Icelandic newspaper Vísir on May 18th, 2026 Reykjavík was born at its harbour, but for three decades the old harbour at Vesturbugt has languished as a half-finished parking lot while the city debated what to do with one of its most historically sensitive sites. This is the story of that fight: of Vesturbær residents who spent twenty years defending their neighbourhood's character, of an environmental psychologist and an artist whose work explains why people respond so deeply to human-scale, visually rich places, and of an independent charrette that let the public walk through competing visions of the harbour in virtual reality before permits were sealed. The city held its course and a generic apartment block will rise anyway. But the conflict surfaced a larger question that won't go away: Reykjavík needs housing and density, but what kind of city does it want to become in the process, and what happens to memory, identity, and continuity once they are built over?

Planning at odds with what residents want.


—Interview published on Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið on May 2nd, 2026Architect Rafael Campos de Pinho believes the new survey by the Housing, Construction and Planning Authority (HMS) shows that current planning policy in the capital region does not reflect the wishes of residents. The survey was published on Tuesday 21 April. The results indicate, among other things, that opposition to densification increases with age and is greater in the suburbs of Reykjavík than elsewhere in the capital region. The survey also suggests that many respondents are looking toward smaller and medium-sized multi-family buildings, which HMS considers reason "to reflect on whether the composition of new construction sufficiently reflects the diverse housing preferences of households." (Read more...)


An epidemic of junk architecture.



—Interview with artist Egill Sæbjörnsson and architect Rafael Campos de Pinho published on Icelandic newspaper Heimildin February 25th, 2025 Under the banner Byggjum Betur (“Build Better”), a group of citizens is urging Reykjavík to confront what they call an epidemic of junk architecture. In this conversation, architect Rafael and artist Egill Sæbjörnsson describe how decades of soulless, box-like developments such as Hlíðarendi and the new National Hospital are scarring the city, erasing tradition, and damaging wellbeing. They call for a cultural shift toward beauty, ornament, and human-scale design, and for the public to finally have a real voice in shaping the urban environment. (Read more...)




Smarter ways to increase urban density.


—Interview published on Icelandic newspaper Morgunblaðið on January 4th, 2025 After the controversy over Reykjavík’s so-called “Green Monster” — a massive, boxy apartment block in Álfabakki widely criticized as ugly and emblematic of poor planning — journalist Baldur from Morgunblaðið interviews Rafael about why Iceland’s regulations and financial system keep producing such buildings, and how small-scale, human-centered development could offer a better path forward. He argues that Reykjavík should preserve its identity of  warm, walkable neighborhoods instead of repeating the mistakes of large contractor-driven blocks. (Read more...)


How to grow buildings in your backyard.



—Published on HA Magazine in June 2019 Published in HA, the magazine of the Icelandic Design Center, this article looks at engineered timber as a sustainable alternative to concrete. It explains how CLT is made and why it’s faster to build, lighter to transport, and capable of cutting emissions while still delivering strong, beautiful buildings — even in Iceland, where local forestry might one day supply the material. The piece also explores obstacles such as building codes, adhesives, and industry skepticism, and how these are being challenged by new technologies. (Read more...)

Crowdfunding the built environment.


—Published on HA Magazine in January 2019A piece on crowdfunding as a new way to finance architecture and urban development. It begins with Joseph Pulitzer’s campaign to fund the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal and moves to contemporary examples such as Rotterdam’s Luchtsingel bridge, equity crowdfunding platforms, and blockchain tokenization. The article shows how these tools can democratize financing, give the public a real voice in shaping cities, and reduce dependence on traditional banks and private capital. (Read more...)

When an earthquake in Chile reveals a solution for the housing crisis in Iceland.



—Published on HA Magazine in January 2019This article examines incremental housing as a response to Iceland’s housing crisis. It looks at Alejandro Aravena’s award-winning Chilean model of “half a house” that residents can expand over time, and considers how the idea could be adapted to Iceland’s climate and culture. The piece highlights the potential benefits for municipalities, developers, and buyers alike, and presents Reykjavík’s first experiment with incremental housing through the Vaxtarhús development group. (Read more...)

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