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The bath house log cabin (above) and the peisestua
(left), a garden house with a fire place, were built by Hans Schaanning around 1907 after his young wife Elsa died. The peisestua is built like a
Gamme (a Sami
turf house). The pyramid shaped roof is clad with turf and the
walls are surrounded by mounds of earth right up to the eaves on
three sides. Being partially buried helps to shield the house from
Norway's
cold winters. Hans was an ornithologist and the peisestua was
the room where he worked and reflected on life. Hans built the peisestua
beside
the stone where he carved
Elsa’s name just before she died.
Pasvik, is best known as a
nature reserve. It's a place bird watchers from all over the world
visit, but people who know Hans and Elsa's story visit to see
Elsa’s name carved in the stone. Perhaps to understand a little about what
loosing the person you love feels like.
Natural Homes often writes about the 253 design
patterns, known as the
Pattern Language. These patterns help to make a place a community and a house a home.
There are
occasions when we think there might be a few patterns missing.
This then is the first unofficial addition to the Pattern Language:
No.254,
‘An Expression of Love’.
When you are building a house, or making
a house a home, design something into the structure to express
your feelings for the people or person you will share it with. It
should be something that becomes part of the fabric of the building, and dated, so
the building tells your story to the other owners that will
eventually follow you. Houses should be, can be,
built to last
centuries and tell the story of the many generations of people who
lived their lives there.
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