Dan Pearson Studio

I have just returned from a site visit to Sweden to discuss a new project.  The wooden buildings are extraordinary and many date back to the 18th century. The aesthetic is pared back and principled. Simplicity is key, with log walls on granite foundations. The walls are painted with a mineral paint made of linseed oil, eggs and pigment.  This is predominantly iron red, but there is a yellow (originally inspired by French architecture and used to mimic buildings made from sandstone), pale ivory white and soot black. 





The buildings are simply made, often from log wall construction so they feel heavy and seated on the land.  The majority of the buildings have turf roofs, which were a traditional means of insulation long before their green credentials made them popular again. Gardens are often detached and protected from wildlife with distinctive wooden fencing. These enclosures are workmanlike, ordered and a counterpoint to the power of the woods and nature.  I was struck by the similarities to Connecticut timber architecture and gardens, which have come through the Swedish immigration to America in the mid-1800s. There are also distinct connections to the architecture and crafts of the Shaker and Amish traditions.

We went to Linnés Råshult, the birthplace of Linnaeus, where the 18th century house and landscape have been developed to reflect his life.  I loved the feeling that everything here was accomplished on a human scale.  Piles of boulders topped with nut trees meant that animals couldn't access them while low, wide dry-stone walls demonstrated field clearance, with tiny meadows and cornfields full of wildflowers.  The produce garden was particularly wonderful with its hop poles, straw and dirt paths and rustic fencing.