Age, Biography and Wiki

Olav Selvaag (Jens Olav Walaas Selvaag) was born on 17 December, 1912 in Vanse, Norway, is a Norwegian engineer and residential contractor (1912–2002). Discover Olav Selvaag's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 90 years old?

Popular As Jens Olav Walaas Selvaag
Occupation Engineer/contractor
Age 90 years old
Zodiac Sign Sagittarius
Born 17 December, 1912
Birthday 17 December
Birthplace Vanse, Norway
Date of death 2002
Died Place Oslo, Norway
Nationality Norway

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 17 December. He is a member of famous Engineer with the age 90 years old group.

Olav Selvaag Height, Weight & Measurements

At 90 years old, Olav Selvaag height not available right now. We will update Olav Selvaag's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
Hair Color Not Available

Who Is Olav Selvaag's Wife?

His wife is Andrea (“Dea”) Marie Brøvig

Family
Parents Ole Walaas Selvaag (1870–1930) and Kathrine Amalie Samuelsen (1884–1970)
Wife Andrea (“Dea”) Marie Brøvig
Sibling Not Available
Children Cecilie Nustad, Kari Lene Selvaag, Ole Gunnar Selvaag

Olav Selvaag Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Olav Selvaag worth at the age of 90 years old? Olav Selvaag’s income source is mostly from being a successful Engineer. He is from Norway. We have estimated Olav Selvaag's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income Engineer

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Timeline

1870

His father, Ole Walaas Selvaag (1870–1930), was a medical doctor who rose to prominence as a public health official at the district and county level; and was also a member of parliament for the Liberal Party.

1884

Olav's mother was Kathrine Amalie née Samuelsen (1884–1970), a home economics teacher.

As a result of his father's political and professional prominence, the young Selvaag was early acquainted with politicians and statesmen of his time.

After having earned his examen artium, he enrolled at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (then known as the Norwegian Institute of Technology), where he was in the first class that learned structural engineering with reinforced concrete.

Upon his graduation, Selvaag worked briefly as a consulting engineer in Moss.

1912

Olav Selvaag (17 December 1912 – 14 January 2002) was a Norwegian engineer and residential contractor, known for his innovative approach to designing and building affordable housing during the later half of the twentieth century.

He was largely responsible for the post–World War II development of the neighborhoods Veitvet and Vestli at Groruddalen and Rykkinn at Bærum in Oslo, Norway.

Jens Olav Walaas Selvaag grew up in the small community of Lista in Vest-Agder, Norway.

He came from a home with socially-committed parents.

1936

In 1936 he was accepted into an engineering job at a small contracting firm run by Fredrik Ringnes, leaving 14 other applicants behind him.

Selvaag brought much-needed structural engineering expertise to the firm, and Ringnes seemed to appreciate this, increasing his salary after only 10 days and delegating more and more of the leadership responsibilities to him.

1943

In 1943, Selvaag was made a full partner at the firm, and in 1956 Selvaag bought out Ringnes's interest and renamed the firm with his own name: Selvaag Gruppen.

During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during World War II, Selvaag and Ringnes were among the very few firms of their time to immediately take a principled stand against performing any construction project for the occupying powers.

Both were active in the resistance.

Ringnes had to go undercover toward the end of the war, and Selvaag managed weapons stores for Milorg.

Selvaag gained his reputation as an innovator in the austere post-war years, when he wrote an open letter (with drawings) to the Norwegian parliament (with copies to twelve leading newspapers) severely criticizing residential regulations and codes for their inefficiency, and claiming that three times as many residences could be built with the same amount of materials and effort.

1948

Challenged to prove his point, he built a test home in the Ekeberg section of Oslo, the so-called Ekeberg House (Ekeberghuset) and first exhibited it on September 3, 1948.

The Ekeberg House was met with skepticism, many thinking it was not durable.

Skeptics also thought that the savings in time and material were only possible for a single house, but could not be replicated for larger projects.

Selvaag's approach differed from previous practices in two respects:

These practices ran up against prevailing building codes that favored specifications far in excess of expected use, social policy that emphasized public works projects, and the architectural establishment.

The first projects based on this approach were in the residential areas of Bestum and Veitvet in Oslo, but multiple large projects followed: Selvaag took on large projects in Moss and Bærum, building homes on entire tracts.

It is estimated that fully one half of all inhabitants of Moss live in homes designed and built by Selvaag.

About 35,000 homes in Oslo were built by his company.

Selvaag also pioneered the so-called terrace apartments.

His approach and outspokenness made him one of the most controversial figures in post-war Norway.

Although non-partisan in his outlook, he commented on a wide range of political issues, including taxation, transportation, and telecommunications.

He was asked to serve as minister of industry in the short-lived John Lyng cabinet, but turned the invitation down, citing his wish to remain independent.

1959

In 1959, he also founded the first music school in Norway in 1959 in Veitvet and ran it until 1972, when he gave the school to the city of Oslo.

This school evolved into several other music schools, notable among them the Norwegian Academy of Music.

1975

Brynjulf Bull, the former mayor of Oslo, commented in 1975 that his greatest regret was that the Labour Party had treated Selvaag shabbily.

Selvaag's contribution to the housing scarcity in Norway following World War II, and subsequent years, created entire urban neighborhoods, especially in the Greater Oslo Region.

His persistent philosophy was that society owed it to itself to use all its available resources to benefit as many of its citizens as possible, and especially those who were disadvantaged.

He was an active proponent of building functional and affordable housing, hospitals, and support for the elderly.

Starting with the project in the neighborhood of Veitvet, Selvaag made a custom of buying a sculpture for each of his projects.

As a result, he became the largest purchaser of sculpture art in Norway, second only to the Norwegian government.