Nature's Choice

Visiondivision got the commission to build a vacation house for two families in the north of Sweden. The plot is situated within a beautiful coastal area that has been included on the world heritage list due to its outstanding land uplift geology which is the most progressive on earth.
The site itself has two levels; the upper one is a patch of beautiful untouched wood and the lower one is a rocky meadow with a rather steep cliff that connects the two plateaus.
Due to plot’s protective status, the family wanted a house that would blend in with the surroundings.
On the site lies also an old bunker which was constructed to prevent a potential invasion from the Russians. The bunker also had to be discreet when built, but used the underground to disguise itself.
We saw three potential alternatives for this site which we wanted to explore; either a wooden house set amidst the forest or a stone house that lies in close connection with the rock outcrops.
There is also a third alternative that is a little bit trickier to achieve; a house that should blend in with two different types of natures.
The three different variations are related to each other when it comes to the layout of the plans and the outer perimeter of custom made bearing pillars that imitates the surrounding nature.


The three variations, wood, stone and mixed, axonometric view

The forest house consists of two mirrored units with a separating wall in the middle that can easily be folded away when having family reunions.
One enters in to a small hallway and thereafter into a kitchen with a dining table and a living room further in to the room.
A fire place stands in the centre along the wall that separates the housing units.
When the wall is folded away, one gets a twice as big living room with a large central fire place.
The columns slant a little bit, becoming somewhat smaller at the top.
They also vary slightly in size to resemble tree trunks. Some of the columns are strictly structural while the bigger also functions as wardrobes and such, especially in the bedrooms.
The result becomes a light and welcoming house that merges with the forest and that is highly flexible with its folding wall.


Forest house, exterior


Forest house, interior


Forest house - axonometric view


Forest house, plans and facade

The boulder house has also two mirrored units with a separating wall in the middle that can be folded away.
Two piles of boulders on the forest plateau conceal two stairs that leads down to each living room. The roof is covered with grass to blend in with the nature.
Taking the stairs down, one faces a fire place as first impression.
When the separating wall is removed the families will get a quite impressing dining area with two fire places flanking the dinner table, a place worthy a medieval king.
The columns are much heavier set than the forest house to mimic the massive boulders on the site.
These pillars are mostly hollow, creating great storage space for the families.
Some of the pillars are also carved out becoming alcoves where one can sit.
The result of this variation is a rustic and homey feel.
The house is almost invisible from the forest and integrates well with the rocky meadow.


Boulder house, exterior


Boulder house, interior


Boulder house, axonometric view


Boulder house, plans and facade

The third house leaves a smaller footprint and has two floors.
The house is also based on our tailored pillar system, wide at its base and slender at its top that also fades from stone to wood.
The columns cause the two stories to become completely different even though they are based on the same plan. With different material treatments on the two levels, we enhance the differences even further.
The heavier set columns on the first floor create a cavernous and comfortable feeling with a lot of niches and a high contrast between dark and light. As with the boulder house, some of the columns are hollow and have various functions like wardrobes, furniture and storage. The flooring is made out of stone and continues out on a terrace overlooking the bay.
The upper floor with the more slender columns blends in with the surrounding tree trunks behind it and have large windows with great views of the scenic cove.
The result becomes an exciting house that has two completely different floors with two completely different perceptions.
One family can for example live on the boulder floor one year and the year after switch to the forest floor.


Mixed house, exterior


Mixed house, close up


Mixed house, axonometric view


Mixed house, plans and facade

Cauldron Claw

Visiondivision has made a flaming bathtub for an old man in the very north of Sweden.

An old welder wanted a bath in his childhood creek in the deep forests of Northern Sweden.
Old metal scrap was welded together and fused as legs to a bath tub from the WWI.
Custom made metal hooks carry a perforated steel plate that hangs over the creek, where you put logs to heat the water inside the tub.
The stream under the tub gives the fire a steady flow of air through the perforations.
A steel plate regulates the flow of the water from the creek and has medicinal plants growing on it, to give the bath a soothing experience for aching bodies as the water trickles through this pharmacy of nature and in to the cauldron.
The first phase of the project was carried out during winter time so that we could transport the heavy structure on the hard snow all the way to the site.
When the winter finally subdued and turned the landscape around the Cauldron Claw into a lush and paradisesque environment, we went back to pick the medicinal plants and constructed the steel aqueduct and witnessed the old man take his premiere bath.

See the movie of the building process here or the premiere bath here.

Fly Feast

When the humans started to settle down and farm the land we also changed our behaviour, becoming less a savage and more of a thinking species. This could also be adaptable on animals. When a bird dedicate less hours on finding food, they will have more time to develop other interests.
A good example is the magpie who has become a smarter bird just by being close to human settlements and taking advantage of the food output that the people provide, thus having more spare time and developed a great taste in jewelery, which shows in their notorious silver thefts.
So as part of visiondivisions ambitious Animal Speed Evolution Program (ASEP) the team has designed a construction to learn the birds to feast in a more intellectual and less time consuming manner. The construction provides a fully nurturing dinner with both protein, carbs and water mixed into a refined gastronomic composition. To not neglect the birds natural hunting instincts the flies are served alive and fresh , all made possible through a genius design. This pre-summer feast will not only invite the birds into the more refined world of restaurant culture and give them a well deserved dinner before the short Swedish summer but most important; more time to think and evolve.



The construction is a simple yet genius one. The constructive elements is made out of hard rye bread. The bread is not only known for its likability among Scandinavians and animals, the bread is also very suitable for building small constructions. The bread is glued together into a pyramidal truss system. The construction is then clad with a thin felt that is easy to land on and is also easy to pick the flies through.
Inside the construction is a fly hatchery hosting around 2000 flies.


Maggots are stored in room temperature until becoming chrysalis

The partners inspecting the Hard Rye bread construction

2000 chrysalis are placed into the small pits in the hard rye bread inside the construction .

The not yet closed hatchery.

The hatchery on its way to Norrland.

The hatchery in Norrland.

Stake out food.

Hatchery at place in the Norrland forest.

Picnic watching the bird feast.

Fire Bath in the Cauldron Claw

Here are some images and drawings for the Cauldron Claw project, if you haven't seen the movie about this project yet, we highly recommend you to do so: http://thegoldbrain.blogspot.com/2009/01/caldron-claw-movie.html, please have patience while watching, it will pay off.

Cauldron Claw

Building process, carried out by a 85-year old welder in northern Sweden during the coldest month so that we could transport it smoothly through the woods while there was snow on the ground.

Prototype drawing; three custom made steel legs holds the heavy tub and is later placed in a local stream.

A perforated steel plate hangs underneath where you can make a fire to heat up the tub.

A fourth leg regulates the flow of water to the tub.

Heating up

The stream under the tub gives the fire a steady flow of air through perforations in the steel plate

Fire bath in the Cauldron Claw

Two projects, Two old men

visiondivision are going to the Northern regions of Sweden to build two projects for two different clients. They have the thing in common that they have a site in a very delicate contact with nature and the clients are both old men.



AB is going to a harsh and isolated island to build a house for a fisherman/duck hunter; the house must shelter a boat during the nordic storms and also handle the occasional owerflows on the site. The building will feature new innovative doors and an overflow system among other things.
UM is going to the extreme north into the wild black forrests to help an old man fulfill his last wish in life, to be able to bath in his childhood forrest while waiting for the bear that he once met during dramatic circumstances.
The VD-team will live and work close with them to take advantage of their craftmanship and life experience to make the uttermost tailor made solutions for these two highly regarded old men.
We will brief you when we are back in civilization while filling up on the food suplies.

We have also made a Christmas gift for all you 10.000 people that has visited this site during this year. You will get it soon.