Oak House by Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA)
Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) builds Oak House, a hexagonal wooden structure that merges a hollow ancient oak with a small red house. About 6.5 meters tall, it rises like an oversized woodland character, familiar yet slightly surreal.
The installation stands along Värsnäs Preschool, at the edge of the new Snurrom district in Kalmar, Sweden, where the new neighborhood meets the protected oak forests of the Värsnäs nature reserve. Around fifty ancient oaks tower here, sculptural giants shaped by time, weather, and long life. Their almost fairytale presence forms the starting point for a two-part sculptural artwork: the outdoor Oak House (Ekstugan) and the indoor Oak Place (Ekplatsen). Together, they anchor the preschool in the landscape and let the oak tree become both guide and companion.
all images courtesy of Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA)
Children enter through an opening low in the ‘trunk,’ where light filters down from above through thick, branch-like volumes. Inside, it holds equipment for excursions, natural finds to explore, and framed illustrations revealing the oak’s hidden world of insects, birds, and fungi.
Studio Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) continues the story indoors with the Oak Place. Shaped like a generous stump, it is both furniture and a space of its own. Its form echoes the Oak House but suits indoor use. End-grain oak floors and wide oak boards on the walls create a warm, tactile atmosphere. The Oak Place can shift roles easily: reading corner, workspace, exhibition surface, or tiny stage. From here, children can also look out toward the Oak House, linking the two works into one living gesture. Together, the Oak House and the Oak Place create a continuous experience that blends play, nature, and architecture. They encourage children to explore both outdoors and indoors, letting the oak tree shape discovery, learning, and the preschool’s identity.
Oak House
Oak Place
project info:
name: Oak House
architects: Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) | @ulfmejergrenarchitects
location: Kalmar, Sweden
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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