A small house with a long history – moved plank by plank from Tromsø and brought back into the light after many quiet years.
Hulderbu was rebuilt as a cabin around 1960. After taking it over in 2026, I began the work of understanding its structure, clearing it out and preserving what can still be saved. The aim is to make it usable for my own family without erasing its history.
Built
Around 1960
Footprint
Approximately 34 m²
Now
Rehabilitation in progress
Hulderbu before rehabilitation began
The story
From Røstbakken to the countryside.
Hulderbu began as an older house in Røstbakken, Tromsø. It was dismantled plank by plank and rebuilt outside the city by my father's godparents.
According to family history, my father's godmother, ‘Tante Haaldis’, helped establish the youth work of Norwegian People's Aid. At Hulderbu she would sometimes bring around 15 children for outings and overnight stays. The cabin was small, but there was room for community.
Later, my parents, my sister and I used the cabin regularly until I moved to Spain in 1999. It then stood untouched for many years.
Hulderbu through the years
An older house from Røstbakken is dismantled and rebuilt as a cabin outside Tromsø.
Outings, overnight stays and family life give the small house a rich history.
A break-in empties the cabin, and the historical guestbook is also lost.
I take over Hulderbu and begin the work of bringing it back into use.
The starting point
34 square metres – and many layers.
The cabin has a footprint of approximately 34 m². The loft, or second level, already exists, but its low height limits its use. Before new solutions can be chosen, the building must be opened up and its condition understood.
Hulderbu from the side before work began.The living room before clearing and dismantling.The existing loft has limited headroom and usability.
The work
Investigation comes before decisions.
The first stages are about clearing, dismantling and exposing the structure. Once the floors, walls and roof construction are visible, it becomes possible to see what can be preserved and what needs a new solution.
01The loft is opened to examine the original construction.02The first materials are removed and the area around the cabin is cleared.03Surfaces are removed, revealing the structure of the walls.04The roof structure and limited loft height are documented.05Floorboards are lifted to inspect the layers beneath.06Work continues around the chimney and floor structure.
The way forward
An old place will be given a new life.
The project will continue step by step. The aim is not to strip Hulderbu of its history, but to make the cabin safe, usable and recognisable for a new generation.
Preserve its character
The cabin's simple expression and traces of its history should remain visible.
Bring it back into use
Hulderbu should once again be a place for family life, outings and overnight stays.
Document what comes next
With the old guestbook gone, preserving the history being written now matters even more.
Hulderbu will not become a new place. The old place will be given a new life.
