Friggebod Friday - Pildammsparken

Here we have some multi purpose sheds, a series constructed in Pildammsparken, Malmö, Sweden, writes Shedworking's northern Europe correspondent Sy Willmer. Realised from appealing chunky timber sections with industrial fixings and sitting on concrete pile foundations, they feature a fantastic array of flap down surfaces with open and enclosed spaces. They are used by a range of social groups such as the local scouts - theirs is surrounded by wigwams - and all are opened up during communal park activities, namely the summer open air music programme when concerts are held in the open green area of the crescent woodland where these sheds lie enclosed. As is often the case in the more northern climes of Europe there is a distinct lack of these sheds having suffered any abuse or vandalism. I have long pondered upon this difference of respect for the public space with other EU state’s societies. You the reader may have noticed this from the previous images I have posted of Scandinavian sheds in the community environment as part of this Friggebod Friday section. Perhaps it is the consideration in design or commitment to spend the taxpayer’s money wisely? I can’t answer that here, but these beauties sure beat the damp pre fab Nissen hut I spent every Wednesday night in as a youth.

Friggebod Friday - Sten Jensen

I'm feeling more than a little out of my depth with Friggebod Friday posts while Sy Willmer is away - I can appreciate the marvellous shedlike atmospheres but in my deep ignorance I don't understand a word of the web sites. Here's one I would particularly like to know more about, Stens sma hus. Sten Jensen obviously knows his garden offices since there looks to be plenty of technical information about building regulations and designs among his pages. He has also written articles on the subject. And that's about all I can tell you. But please do have a browse around his site which is marvellous.

Friggebod Friday - plussarum

A collection of lovely examples of the friggebod form from Stockholm-based plussarum. Here's what they say:

"Smakfullt, flexibelt, tidlöst… den moderna friggeboden för de mest skiftande miljöer. I skärgård, vid Gotlandshus, Skånelänga eller funkishus, eller med dagens arkitektur… Du behöver inte längre rita eget eller anlita egen arkitekt – du kan beställa våra arkitektritade småhus på knappt 10 kvm som byggsats. Och är du händig kan du själv montera huset."

Friggebod Friday - public conveniences

The range of public toilets on offer in today’s average street can be such a turn off, says Shedworking's Northern Europe correspondent Sy Willmer. The filth and the fury doesn’t just stop at council erected conveniences and “super loos” as I’m sure most of are familiar with the blue hell portable toilets even if you have never been to music festivals such as Glastonbury (UK) and Roskilde (DK). Once again advanced shed technology offers the solution and here are some examples I have seen recently. Whilst the polyester clad unit is sympathetically finished in green to suit its rural layby location and the single worker's example is very personal, my favourite is the pavilion style strap on that brings back memories of long hot summers as a boy in Brighton.

Friggebod Friday - kiosk

When is a shed not a shed? writes Shedworking's Northern Europe correspondent Sy Willmer. A question I have asked before, but this time the answer is when a shed is a kiosk. Fast food is everywhere in the 21st century but not all societies share the same tastes in processed flesh. Other than the high street and drive through franchise restaurants one finds independent establishments offering fish and chips, chips with mayonnaise and kebabs full of eastern promise to sooth the post pub blues. In some parts of Europe the sausage is king and Scandinavians like to take theirs accompanied by lashings of mashed potato. Sheds are the perfect venue to enjoy a warm length and have a much loved place in the population’s heart. Street kitchens, as they are know after translation, not only supply food but are also the traditional hangout for the local youth with their mopeds along with weekend bikers, and make a perfect stop off for classic car enthusiasts out on a run. Not only am I a shed addict but I'm also a sucker for cheap meat. My needs are well catered for where I live as I can count three of these jolly hot dog huts in my street.

Friggebod Friday - Skåne Christmas market

I’ve been busy out and about like most others doing my Christmas shopping and preparing for the annual mid winter festival, writes Shedworking' Northern Europe correspondent Sy Willmer. Never one to miss a shed retail opportunity I visited this Scandinavian shed market in Skåne, Sweden, where I found that traditional Lapland reindeer herder’s hat my Gran asked for and the book detailing herring pickling through the ages for my cousins in Australia.After a good dose of retail therapy I refuelled on German style schnitzel and mould wine, all on site, then I was home in time for the Abba documentary (I kid you not). Lovely examples of what can be done with the format of a temporary city market, much more cosy for the men and women running them than an open sided market stall. So the 10 points once again go to la Suède.

Friggebod Friday - Kim B Dalgaard

For this week's Friggebod Friday we've given Sy Willmer a short holiday and nipped across to Kobenhavn to profile the marvellous work of architect Kim B Dalgaard. Pictured above and below are images of his Havebygning followed by the lovely looking Feriehus. My Danish is not even as good as rubbish so in my ignorance I can't give you any more details at the moment, but the work is obviously marvellous.And the Feriehus.

Friggebod Friday - Öland: shed odyssey

My pilgrimage to the Swedish shed island Öland led me to discover some real treasures created by farmers and the public alike, writes Sy Willmer, Shedworking's north Europe correspondent. These examples would hold their own in any coffee table publication. I’m still spinning this compact shed around in my mind - I came across it in a farmyard and is small enough to throw one's arms around in response to the warm feelings it inspires.Shed adaptation is something really close to my heart: the human factor never ceases to surprise and on Öland an inventive soul has combined their passion for sheds with a passion for rock climbing. Everyday yellow timber siding of a common Scandinavian shed is suspended several metres above ground level with surrealist qualities, reminding one of the Belgian artist René Magritte's work.

Friggebod Friday - Öland: island of sheds

Off the east coast of Sweden lies the nation’s second largest island, Öland, writes Sy Willmer, Shedworking's north Europe correspondent. It's a favoured vacation destination for all shapes and sizes of Scandinavians in the warmer mouths and home to a community of islanddwellers who when not employed in the tourist industry are occupied with sailing, agriculture and small fishing concerns. Charming villages are arranged around the long thin coastline and one finds a wealth of sheds related to all of the island’s activities used by fisherman, farmers and holidaymakers, through to artists' ateliers. The livestock of choice here is the ever popular sheep (shepherds are well known to the readers of Shedworking as the mothers of shed invention). On my arrival on Öland my first destination was the island’s southern tip, favoured by birdwatchers and the Swedish royal family, to view a well preserved traditional “Herdes skjul” or shepherd's hut.Shed technology has a long history on Öland and the island is home to some excellent examples of classic Nordic sheds. The pitch roof is worthy of mention, especially the timberwork that is different to that present on British thatched roofs. The interior is lined and plastered creating a cosy retreat for the sheep professional from the elements of this windswept island.

The farmers of Öland have been productive the length and breadth of the island - while circumnavigating one frequently finds the familiar Scandinavian red lock panel style of shed by the side of the road. But my particular favourite is the pole mounted version. Life on an island can be full of surprises and as the wise men of Öland are fond of reminding wandering shed enthusiasts, look out for your shed and your shed will look out for you.

Friggebod Friday - Sopstugan: the rubbish cottage.

Sheds have a million and one uses, writes Shedworking's North Europe correspondent Sy Willmer. Needless to say everyone must have somewhere to put their rubbish and as the debate hots up surrounding the domestic chore of recycling home waste the good burghers of Malmö, Sweden, have taken the fight outside. We're all used to Scandinavian countries being some of the “greener” EU member states but consider the fact that most apartment buildings up north traditionally, and until recently, had a rubbish “shoot” found on each floor. So the transition from streamline convenience to taking all one’s rubbish down flights of stairs out into the snow has been quite a sacrifice.The Belgians get community tax incentives to encourage recycling but here Swedes receive improvements in the build environment. The example shown is constructed and finished with typically Nordic finesse. The building’s scale and material complement the surrounding low-rise urban block it services. This facility is with all the details you would want to see such as ramps, wide self opening doors, swipe card locks, vandalproof, plus with the inclusion of a “green roof”. Malmö is really is becoming Sedum Über Alles: as one of Scandinavia’s fastest expanding urban areas the city’s planners are committed to using green roof technology on the majority of flat roofs and low rise buildings and unlike a Nordic dish of dark Game meat and fruit jam, it looks good and you can sit on it.On the inside, larger models of “wheelie bins” or waste containers are parked side by side under illustrated information signs aiding the user to separate successfully. Waste collection services are then able to enter the shed for regular collection by means of a master key. The current norm when “doing the rubbish” at home in most of Europe is to just separate waste into recyclable material groups. In the future we will all have to go further and divide into categories, similar to what we do now with coloured glass but next will be types of plastic and metal. Several thousand kilometres south from here in Vienna they are already separating something like ten or more different types of individual material. I think that sheds may just save us – get your council to build you one today.

Friggebod Friday - Fiskbod/Fiskhodda

As one travels around Scandinavia, one sees the shed format used in different ways, writes Sy Willmer, Shedworking's North Europe correspondent. Rental holiday cabins are popular with Swedes but even more appealing to mobile Germans and the travelling Dutch. Picture the scene, a natural beauty spot where the rolling pine forest meets the lake, holidaymakers frolicking in the clear waters and a petrol station surrounded by red and white cabins just off the motorway. Ok, not where one would choose to spend the entirety of the summer holidays but these places make an excellent overnight stay when moving across the Nordic region.Swedes, Norwegians, Finns and the Danes are naturally attracted to water and a Friggebod or Fiskbod (fisk = fish) is where one may choose to stay when sailing or fishing. In Scandinavia, fresh or sea water is never far away and the shed as boathouse is prevalent on the rocky west coast where Sweden meets Norway, up in the Fjords and in the archipelagos in the east between Stockholm and Finland. Scandinavia’s commercial fishermen also like a good shed, not only as boathouses but also for smoking and sales venues. In a similar manner to the front at Hastings in Sussex, excellent examples of traditional wooden Swedish fishmonger’s huts covered in layer upon layer of thick paint can be visited close to the museum and city castle of Malmö in southern Sweden. Fiskhodda is the local name for these charming buildings that are held in great affection in these parts.A two story shed is a viable option: compact of course but cosy in the extreme!

Friggebod Friday - Koloniområden

Known in Swedish as Koloniområden these are shed community areas with allotments for hobby farming, flower tending or just as a personal green chill out space, writes Shedworking's Northern Europe correspondent Sy Willmer. It is common in Sweden for urban residents to live in low rise apartment buildings: on average far more purpose built blocks of flats are constructed in Scandinavia than in the UK.Families living during the week in 150 – 200 square metre rental apartments is the norm and this mean those that do owning some kind of summer/weekend house. This can be a holiday home, cabin by the lake, beach or in the forest. Obviously not everyone can afford an extra property or may not even want to travel far from the city or town limits but still wants to get out for the weekend.So one finds well-kept micro societies on the outskirts of towns and cities in Scandinavia. Just as in the UK they have members' associations, rubbish collection, mains water and electricity supply with most usually including a central green with flagpole proudly flying the Yellow and Blue.The main focus of activity at a Swedish Koloniområd is not gardening but recreation, more in keeping with the weekend caravan user of the UK.

Friggebod Friday - an introduction

Sheds are held in high esteem by the British public, writes Sy Willmer, Shedworking's Northern Europe correspondent. They take pride of place in most private gardens, enable one to live out Arthur Fowler fantasies on municipal allotments and help shelter sandwiches from sand in much loved beach huts. Yet they are not not alone in their specific shedness: in Britain’s neighbouring European countries one also finds the allotment, garden shed and surf shack. In Holland the Dutch Arthur Fowler may know his weekend retreat as a Volkstuinhuisje (people’s garden cottage) and in Swedish life “dad’s calendar” hangs in the Friggebod. So when is a shed not a shed? When it is a Friggebod.
Sheds are as important to the Nordic societies as they are to the British and the Friggebod is an interesting introduction to the world of Scandinavian sheds for its name reflects the differing attitudes of building law in the European Union. Sweden allows for single story construction of less than 4 metres high (pitched) with an area of up to 15 square metres without the need for permitted building development application. The name is wordplay for the housing minister who first introduced this rule, Brigit Friggebo, and the Swedish word for a shed is Bod.

Scandinavia like most countries has a long tradition of shed building. In fact the Swedish word Bod means more than a just a shed as it commonly refers to a facility that has more possibilities than a building centre purchased “put up” to cover the lawn mower. Then again as expectations differ from place to place, to the average Swede a Friggebod is a shed - consider the Volvo and the Rover.
So what can be highlighted as Friggebod features? The standard area of a Friggebod, 15m2, can adequately accommodate a range of activates from woodworking to home office usage. 15m2 also supplies room enough for a sauna, gym and even overnight accommodation in one’s garden or closer to a hobby or work location. Buildings of these dimensions merit the inclusion of insulation, substantial roofing, doors, windows and the installation of basic building services. A fully kitted out example makes an excellent one room cottage that Thoreau would have been pleased to frequent.
Tradition prevails in Scandinavia: exterior coverings of timber “lock panel” and “sidings” (see image above) are the norm from coast to coast. Colouring of red and yellow never go out of favour for the Swedes and not left too long to fade, although Norwegians seem to just go for dark stained brown wood. A Friggebod can of course be constructed by a building firm or purchased as a self assembly kit but what is really about is building one’s own. Deciding how it will be look, getting the building materials and dragging in friends and family can be a cultural rite of passage in a society far less suburban than others. But whether its Bod, hut or cabin, everyone loves a shed.

Friggebod Friday

While the UK has a long tradition of shed culture, it is certainly not the only place with a history of shedlike atmospheres. Today Shedworking starts a new regular slot devoted to Swedish Friggebod (a topic we have touched on before). Here, for example, is a lovely model from Finja (which for those of us whose Swedish is woeful does have an English site) and you can download pdf details here. Helping with these posts will be our new Northern Europe correspondent Sy Willmer, whose own friggebod we covered here. As he explains: "The Swedish word 'bod' kind of means 'shed plus' - the word for shed is in fact 'skjul' but 'bod' is used in conjunction with a shed usage so Fiskbod = fisherman's hut, Snickbod = small wood work shop."

In fact friggebod is a play on words. When Swedish politician Birgit Friggebo was the country's Minister for Housing, she put a stop to the legal requirement to apply for a planning permit for small sheds under 10 square metres. As wikipedia explains, "the word was coined when someone tried to say "friggebo-bod" and stumbled on the words." The limit has now been extended to 15 square metres.