Olle Hagman, a retired professor from Gothenburg University in Sweden, built this beautiful cordwood writer’s cabin in a faraway forest. He carries on a long tradition of cordwood building in his home country and has written extensively about Swedish Kubbhus (cordwood).
Olle’s well-researched paper about the five phases of cordwood’s history from 1850 to the present day, appeared in the Cordwood Conference Papers 2011, entitled, “A Social History of Cordwood Houses in Sweden.” Olle’s website is www.kubbhus.se
He also documents the resurgence of cordwood in his current article in the Cordwood Conference Papers 2015, “Wood Masonry in Sweden: Historical Variation and Re-Introduction.” Both sets of Papers are available in print and ebook format at the Cordwood Online Bookstore https://www.daycreek.com/dc/html/paypal_flatau.htm
Olle has written a book about his research and the current state of Kubbhus.
Olle is leading cordwood workshops in Sweden and documenting newly constructed cordwood buildings in his homeland.
Olle attended the Cordwood Conferences in Winnipeg, Manitoba (2011) where he was part of a group of intrepid cordwood builders we lovingly named “The Fab Five.” He presented his paper at that conference and was also a main speaker at the Cordwood Conference in 2015 at Earthwood Building School.
Olle and friends: the self-proclaimed “no hairs.” Olle is on the right showing off his log end heart T-shirt. Tom Huber. cordwood builder of renown is in the middle and Jim Smart is on the left (sporting his Cordwood Conference 2005 T-shirt).
Here is the crew from the Cordwood Conference in 2011. Olle is on the far right. This is the cordwood entrance kiosk for the Alternative Village run by the engineering department. Dr. Kris Dick, PEng, is in the middle with the burgundy shirt & beard.
Should you wish to learn how to build a cordwood cottage, cabin or home, please visit www.cordwoodconstruction.org While you are there, click on the pictures, read the brief articles, check out the latest workshops and newsletter and if you are interested click on the Online Bookstore to see all the cordwood literature available in print and ebook format.
If you have questions that aren’t answered on the website you can email me at richardflatau@gmail.com
Readers have requested a brief bio, so here goes:
“Richard & Becky Flatau built their mortgage-free cordwood home in 1979 in Merrill, Wisconsin. Since then, they have written books, conducted workshops, facilitated the 2005, 2011 and 2015 Cordwood Conferences and provided consultation for cordwood builders. Cordwood Construction: Best Practices and Cordwood Conference Papers 2015 are the newest publications available from their online cordwood bookstore. www.cordwoodconstruction.org
