To build is to add to the existing. Three existing wooden buildings in Visby, made in three different local techniques (a post and plank, a timber frame and a log construction) have been the starting point for what to build upon. After studying these techniques, new buildings have been added in line with the principals of the existing. The existing buildings are situated on two sites, both courtyards, and have generated three additions: a kiosk, an apartment building and a visitor centre.

This thesis project is an attempt to learn from vernacular building traditions when designing sustainable homes for families in a contemporary rural setting. My proposal is a multi-generational home consisting of reused old log houses, which would otherwise be torn down, joined together through a composition of local materials for new rammed earth structures.  The site is located in Dalarna, a province known for its image based around traditions closely related to small-scale farming and tight knit local communities. Vernacular architecture has been, and still is, the icon of this region. Vernacular buildings in the north part of Sweden have been almost exclusively log houses. The widespread accessibility of good quality wood has enabled sturdy log structures to be built that may last for hundreds of years.  The construction method of stacking logs on top of each other, held together only by their own weight and the pieces interlocking, is a flexible building method. The house can grow if needed by adding on additional logs, or taken apart completely for easy transportation. This is something that has enabled me to gather existing building from different parts of Sweden and bring them new life. This proposal consists of seven log houses, all found for sale online.