Stedsans in the Woods: Permaculture Farm & Retreat Made From Upcycled Materials

Set to open later this month, Stedsans in the Woods is a permaculture farm offering a sustainable retreat amid the natural beauty of southern Sweden, plus comfortable accommodation made from upcycled waste materials. Nestled amid the beautiful forests and lakes of Halland province, the farm lies at the heart of one of Europe’s least populated regions. But despite its seclusion, Stedsans is just four hours from Stockholm and two and a half hours from Copenhagen.Aiming to set “new standards for sustainability”, Stedsans in the Woods is the vision of Mette Helbæk and Flemming Hansen, who spent 15 years managing restaurants together and most recently ran Stedsans ØsterGRO in Copenhagen, Denmark. But by 2016 they were seeking their own patch of land away from the big city, and found the perfect place on the shore of Lake Halla, not far from the town of Hyltebruk. To help bring their vision to life, the pair sought the services of sustainable architects Lendager Group, who designed the building’s around existing materials already present at the site, upcycling waste wood from old barns and glass from abandoned greenhouses. The goal was “to create a development that exists in harmony with the landscape,” designboom reports. “Treading lightly on the terrain, the design team used rammed earth for the buildings’ inner walls, while external façades use stones and boulders uncovered during the excavation process,” the website added. With accommodation to suit all budgets, Stedsans will serve as both a retreat “where wild nature meets beautiful luxurious meals and permaculture farming”, and a “lab for discovering better ways to eat, live and connect with nature”. From the website: “From the summer of 2017 Stedsans is realising a dream of combining the surroundings of wild nature and a permaculture farm with the luxury of eating a beautiful meal made from the best and freshest ingredients possible, and a comfortable and stylish place to rest by the lake. All this in a living laboratory searching for better ways to live and eat.”