Norwegian wood: LEGO-assembling rural prefab cabin in 1 day

There are 500,000 cabins in Norway for 5 million people, explains Oslo architect Marianne Borge. While the size of these second homes has grown in recent decades, Borge wanted to return to the simple living roots of traditional Norwegian hytter (cottages). According to Borge, the cabin tradition is about forgoing the comforts of modern homes to escape into nature: no electricity, a wood-burning stove for cooking and heating and an outhouse or field as a toilet.

Her Woody15 is a 15 square meter one-room cabin with no kitchen, bathroom or electricity (but complete with wood-burning stove). She attempted a modern take on the traditional log cabins by creating an all-wood (Norwegian spruce) cottage from 29 cross-laminated timber (CLT) pieces. The tiny prefab can be assembled in one day (though the cladding, foundation and windows take more time). She shows us the Woody15 on her friend's organic farm outside of Oslo.

Photo credits: Monica Strømdahl (construction); Jonas Adolfsen (completed).

Woody15: http://www.marianneborge.com/woody-15/