Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

A Swedish Summer Cabin That Sits  Above and Among the Trees

A Swedish Summer Cabin That Sits Above and Among the Trees

Perched on stilts, a minimal timber-frame cabin rises in Sweden's Archipelago.

Hovering above the treetops on the island of Viggsö, a serene cabin sits perched into a stone cliff, its pale timber frame and translucent, silvery roof blending into the fog and vegetation of the Swedish Archipelago, a landscape marked by wild bent pine trees, heather, and a lichen-covered forest floor.



On Viggsö, an island of the Swedish Archipelago, architecture firm Arrhov Frick designed a two-story retreat, using simple but hardy materials. The timber frame is made of pine; the roof is made of corrugated metal and fiber-reinforced plastic.

Designed by Stockholm-based architecture firm Arrhov Frick, the two-story retreat was designed for a family of five, who spend their long, warm summer days here. "The materiality of the house had to be efficiently transported and assembled on the island, yet able to withstand relatively large spans," says principal Johan Arrhov, who led the design with his partner, Henrik Frick.

Despite working with a challenging, rugged site and on a tight budget, "it was a fun and relaxed process-a lot of creative freedom, and no stress," says Arrhov, who attributes the smooth process to his clients, with whom he had been well-acquainted for some time. "We just had to do this construction in the right way," he says. "The process started by spending some time discovering the site, rocks, and vegetation until we found the right spot. Then the house developed from there."



The roof portion made of corrugated fiber-reinforced plastic hangs above deck, which measures roughly 215 square feet and overlooks views of the water.



The open-plan interior measuring roughly 430 square feet, with a bedroom and a living room with wood-burning stove on the ground level, and a lofted level above it.

Structured by glue lam beams and wooden studs, all specified in pine, topped with a corrugated metal roof, which alternates to a corrugated fiber-reinforced plastic, above the terrace-all ingredients from "an old receipt from the 1950s," adds Arrhov. Though the structure is stick-built, he notes, the design adapts simple and hardy, standardized parts where possible, which helped keep costs and transportation logistics feasible.



A simple timber frame and wide expanses of glass enhance the structure's connection to Viggsö's varied terrain, marked by rocky cliffs, wild-bent pine trees, heather, and lichen.

Construction took eight months, and was completed earlier this June-just in time for Sweden's famous Midsummer's Day, a peak reprieve from the country's long and harsh winters, and a celebration of its brief but intensely jubilant summers, where evenings dim only to a prolonged twilight. "The foundation, a series of posts, minimizes the buildings impact on the ground conditions, while elevating it among the trees and vegetation," says Arrhov. "The client always had this dream of one day building a house here."



Though a clear celebration of Sweden's intense but fleeting summer seasons, the cabin is used year-round, and was constructed in eight months.



The cabin features an open-plan organized around three main areas: The deck, living area, and bedroom and bath. The lofted level (right) includes another bedroom.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×