a hut of spruce bark by ulf mejergren grows around a living tree in sweden

UMA builds spruce bark hut from beetle-damaged trees

Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) constructs Spruce Bark Hut from layers of bark, collected in a forest affected by the spread of the spruce bark beetle. In recent years, large areas of spruce forest have been damaged or killed by the insect, causing the bark to loosen and fall from the trees. What is typically understood as a sign of decay becomes, in this case, the very condition that makes construction possible. The project, situated in Grödinge, Sweden, is shaped by the influence of two insects: one that destroys, and one that builds. The bark beetle weakens the tree and separates its outer layer from the trunk, producing an excess of material. Ants, on the other hand, suggest a method, using the tree as a structural core and gradually constructing a body around it through accumulation. Between these two logics, the hut takes form.

all images courtesy of Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA)

bark skin wraps a timber frame around a spruce trunk

Built around a living spruce, the structure shaped by studio Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) uses the trunk as a central pillar. A lightweight frame of timber studs clad with masonite boards forms a secondary skeleton, allowing the bark to be layered and attached using a staple gun and a screwdriver. Due to its thin, almost paper-like quality, spruce bark behaves more like a skin than a rigid surface, folding, overlapping, and adapting to the form. In contrast to the thicker bark of pine, it creates a softer, more permeable envelope. The hut takes on a tent-like form, enclosing a small interior space that can be entered through a narrow opening. Inside, it functions as a simple shelter, a place to sit and observe the surrounding forest, almost as if being inside the tree itself, beneath its outer skin. The structure is partly camouflaged among the trees, yet its form stands out as a distinct and slightly uncanny presence.

Spruce Bark Hut is built from bark collected in a damaged forest

the project reuses material loosened by the spruce bark beetle

layers of bark form the outer skin of the structure

a lightweight timber frame supports the layered envelope

the material folds and overlaps like a natural membrane

spruce bark behaves like a thin, flexible surface

diagram

project info:

name: Spruce Bark Hut

architects: Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) | @ulfmejergrenarchitects

location: Grödinge, Sweden

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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