Break With Traditions

As cabins traditionally are seen as having a great sentimental value, being something personal and kept in the family for generations, this way of using a cabin can seem odd to many Norwegians. A cabin, traditionally, is a place where family comes together and engage in certain activities together.

We understand that this project wants the cabins to be used more than traditional cabins, and owners would probably have to rent them out or share them in some way. Therefore, this type of cabin will most likely be less personal than the traditional cabin, both for the owners because they may not want to decorate the cabin with personal pictures and interior, and of course for the renters/visitors as the cabin is not theirs. Hence, it will be a different social experience using the cabin.

New Groups Get Access

As mentioned on the page about the economic aspect, it will be possible to access the same resources at a lower cost compared to owning a traditional cabin. In this cabin project, the owners and renters will get access to common resources such as a sauna and guest rooms. If people want all these facilities in their own cabin, it would be more expensive. This project gives people with less money access to the same luxury, provided they share the facilities with the co-owners. When new groups get access to such cabins in the mountains, more people will get the opportunity to engage in outdoor recreation at Nerskogen. If these cabins are used large parts of the year, there is a probability that it could lead to noticable increase in use of the outdoor recreational activities available, such as the mountain trails and ski tracks in the winter. This is an issue that should be addressed in the planning process, but increased tourism and use of the areas could be a goal in itself. Nevertheless, it is important to reflect on the consequenses it could have.

Community

The cabins being built in a cluster around the shared facilities, could facilitiate the emergence of a social community for the cabin owners and users. That they have something in common, and reside close to one another, could make it easier to start conversations and engage in new friendships. What could possibly weaken this social community, is if there is a frequent change in who resides in the cabins if they are often rented out. If the cabins are rented out, you cannot expect to go to the same place and engage in the same social community as last time you visited. Nevertheless, the previously mentioned aspects would still have the possibility to make a social community for the people who are there at a given time.

In the concept study pamphlet on this project, they imagine having a common living area where the people living in the different cabins can meet to socialize. Additionally, the sketch shows a building with shared showers, toilets etc., and one building with a shared workshop. They imagine a common sauna and a common hot tub. Furthermore, they want a common outdoor space and a playground for children in the woods. All of these common facilities are of course something that will create a community for the people using the cabins. The community with all these shared facilities goes to a much greater extent than for users of cabins close to one another, built in a traditional way.

This distinctly social way of using cabins is probably not for everyone. As we will address in the next paragraph, a great amount of people go to the cabin to enjoy peace and quiet. Part of the experience is, for many, to get away from the neighborhood and relax far away from social relations. Therefore, this project can be coveted by many, but undersirable for many as well.