Trappudden Vindbåk Wind Shelter / Umeå School of Architecture
Text description provided by the architects. From Concept to Structure is an annual hands-on summer course offering students an intense design-build collaborative learning process embedded in a local social context. This year, the course set out to explore the island of Holmön (northern Sweden) in the Baltic Sea, which offers an opportunity to explore the questions of self-sufficiency, resilience, and community engagement.
The wind shelter stands adjacent to a scenic hiking trail on Trappudden in a coastal nature reserve. The land uplift is evident here – the shingle fields are covered in beautiful ancient lichens. The structure is inspired by an old sea mark – a beacon. The top of the building is at about the same level as the sea was when the first people started to inhabit Holmön. Each division of the facade represents 100 years of land uplift. This is a look-out structure and a shelter for an overnight stay, giving the travelers a cozy retreat with framed views towards the lighthouse on the neighboring island Fjäderägg.
Due to the natural constraints of the site, building elements were prefabricated and transported by boat to be dropped into the ocean and naturally transported by the waves onto the shore. On-site, the structure was erected and installed without the use of any machinery. The structure rests directly on the rocks, and to resist the harsh winds, the structure reuses old cable wires anchored in surrounding stones that previously supported a sea sign no longer in use.
The otherwise closed structure has a skylight installed at the top to bring in natural light. A small hatch in the floor reveals an opening to the shingle fields below, serving as a space to gather around and to place your camping stove. The stone found on site operates as counterweights assisting the users in interacting with the large opening hatch. The structure is built by students from locally sourced and sawn timber under supervision of a local carpenter and UMA teachers.
