КОНТЕКСТ:

But according to local bylaws the property could not be expanded more than 320 square feet, nor come within 15 feet of the property line.

House call - Bending the rules

Considering an extension on your house? Here’s one example, Swedish style…

Dutch architects Maartje Lammers and Boris Zeisser bought the original hut in Sweden’s Glaskogen nature reserve in 2000. But according to local bylaws the property could not be expanded more than 320 square feet, nor come within 15 feet of the property line. So they set out to, in Lammers’ words, “get around the rules”.

The result? “Dragspelhuset” or “accordion house”, where one end of the cottage can be extended or retracted using pulleys to suspend it over a stream at the property’s edge. And because it has no fixed foundation, it’s entirely legal.

The cottage is designed to complement its location and its impact on the environment is minimal. But if you think this sounds like your thing, brace yourself for chilly nocturnal walks to the loo – the cottage’s only toilet is a traditional utedass outhouse.