Sverre Aasland was a Norwegian functionalist architect. He is particularly recognized for his collaboration with Arne Korsmo.
Aasland pursued architectural studies at the Technische Hochschule in Munich, obtaining his diploma in 1926. In 1927, he received a craftsman's certificate as a master mason.
Until his collaboration with Arne Korsmo, Aasland worked in the family firm, Ole Sofus Aasland & Sønner. His initial significant independent project was a residential block at the transition between neoclassicism and functionalism at Evald Ryghs gate 16 in Oslo, designed in 1927.
From 1928 to 1935, he operated the architectural firm Aasland and Korsmo together with Korsmo. Their collaboration began with the design of the residential block at Pavels gate 6 in Oslo in 1928. Aasland and Korsmo jointly designed over 40 houses in the former Aker, now Ullern, Vestre, and Nordre Aker districts in Oslo. They regulated and developed several areas in Frøen, Blindern, Vinderen, and Ullevål. Their most notable work was the development of Havna allé near Blindernveien station in Oslo, where they constructed 12 villas and received the Houens diploma for Villa Dammann. In 1934, Aasland commenced the project for Villa Riise in Hamar, and both Villa Riise and Villa Dammann are considered two of the most important villas in the international functionalist style in Norway.
Aasland and Korsmo's perhaps most influential work is the wooden and brick villa at Lille Frøensvei 16 in 1929. It is the most published villa from the 1930s, extensively used in advertisements and articles describing contemporary villas. The villa was featured on the cover of the architects' trade magazine, Byggekunst, and served as a model for thousands of villas in the 1930s. Here, Aasland and Korsmo pioneered Norwegian functionalism.
After the collaboration with Korsmo ended, Aasland established his own office and collaborated with several other architects until 1940, including Erling Viksjø and Ulf Nyquist. The latter shared an office with Aasland in 1937–40. Aasland's most well-known work from this period is Krusesgate 7b in Oslo (1937), a functionalist multi-family house.
After the war, Aasland collaborated with architect Karl Grevstad in the architectural firm Grevstad and Aasland, founded in 1958. They designed the Oslo Vocational School at Sogn (1958-63).
In 1963, Aasland moved to Switzerland and changed his name to Lasanda.
Sources
Buildings
Oslo, Norway
Havna residential area