Omg love that you watch her channel and actually saw this. Luv ur channel! Such a fan ! Maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to meet you one day! Keep up the awesome videos. Although hard going and at times gruesome it’s still framed as a beautiful and enlightening look Into our past. 💜 so cool 😁 Living simply is actually a lot more complicated. That’s what channels like yours and others that show true life Situations have made me see and learn from. And that our past needs to be recalled and remembered, so we don’t continue the same mistakes into our futures.
I love how you let people tell their stories punctuated with "still" video with no voice. This is one of the best channels on UA-cam! And kudos to this man's preservation efforts.
I've been watching your channel for a long time now in order to gain inspiration for when I eventually create a house of my own. I've been fascinated by your videos and was excited when I came across this video of a house that is only a few miles away from my hometown in Shropshire, England (the next county along from Herefordshire). What an amazing restoration project, using a mix of incredibly old and locally sourced materials and workers to complete the job! One of the most captivating videos yet, its up there with one of my personal favourites Charles Bello's NorCal redwood paradise. Keep up the great work!
What a fascinating story! Loved the relationship he has with the old structure. “ I don’t know why it’s worth it, but it is.” Thank you Kirsten Dirksen for bringing these amazing videos on your channel.
That mighty oak, that superb dwelling. Hallelujah! We are deconstructing a 1947 timber one room school, to rebuild in our back yard. And believe me the empty bottles, coiled fencing wire, hay bale twine, old letters and every decrepit but beautiful piece of timber will be retained and celebrated. Thanks David and Kate for the inspiration and encouragement.
It must be amazing to lay there and spend the night, knowing that 300 years ago someone else in a completely different time, was laid in that exact same spot, protected from the elements by those exact beams...
billieblue Sheepie I think just like you. When I go to historic places I am always in awe that I am standing where another stood hundreds of years before. When you touch something ancient you can almost feel the energy and passage of time through your fingers.
@@nikiannecoleman Have to agree with you. After standing in ancient buildings of Europe, it's hard to explain to others who have not traveled as I, the massive age of other places, buildings.
Agree, but I don't think he sleeps there. I think this is their office and/or the company's office, and perhaps guest bedrooms. I suspect they actually live in the much larger house 20' away.
This is true appreciation of what once was. What was nearly long gone and forgotten has been given a second chance at life by the dedication of human touch; that is what makes this home such a unique and remarkable piece of art.
Excellent! I would not want the old mold and dust in my living space - big time allergies and sensitivities. Still pretty awesome. Love the 'over-the-top' preservation!
What a totally strange and wonderful concept! And in England. I have dreamed for years of visiting the UK and Ireland. This is beyond anything I could have imagined. Really special. Thankyou!😍
This give me an idea to me to preserved my grandmother old traditional Malay house in Malaysia and maybe other traditional Malay (Melayu) house made of wood to be preserved
I would advice against preserving a home like this. The old homes are very, very sturdy and can be brought to their original state with "ease" depending on the current state of the home. It's quite amazing to have an old house which can still function as a home. Of course insulation would be abysmal. If you decide to build a house over the existing one please treat all the wood in the house against insects and if there are bricks have a professional check for any fungus. Otherwise the new shell over the house would be useless. If you'd restore it find some people with real skills. It's easy to use new materials and build a house but you need people that can think of a solution to all the difficulties in rebuilding a home like that. I'm currently renovating a house build in 1900 and it's a lot of fun honestly.
oekalaboeka55 What remains of the building he enclosed, only a little remains. He said it would have cost him too much to try to preserve it any further. To treat the wood would mean using chemicals & therefore killing your self & others earlier by causing serious health problems over time. It's cool you are preserving a 1900's house, where is it? It would be great to post it on a blog! 🤗
@@goodliving2171 Yeah in his case it would certainly cost a lot more though I find it odd he was allowed to build a house over it. Normally with protected houses this is not allowed, no matter how much is damaged. My house is in Bruges (Belgium) the centre of Bruges is Unesco protected so you have no choice but to restore it. Within the protected zone there are also many homes that have an additional protection which includes the inside of the house. Floors, chimneys, certain wooden beams etc are all protected in those homes. Restoring in old cities like mine is a lot harder since the infrastructure is not adapted for the current big trucks we have. Many parts of the city can't be reached by trucks since the streets are too narrow. You need permits for everything. From changing your door's colour to having a truck deliver goods at your house (also only allowed in the morning). When you don't follow the rules there is no slap on the wrist or fine to pay. The only option for you is to demolish whatever you did wrong or the city will put a lock on your home. Sadly enough there are quite a few homes locked like this because big firms thought they can get away with it and pay some fines. I agree on the chemicals part. I used it in my house since it was infested with woodworms. Part of the building already collapsed because of the damage done. I don't know what else you can do to protect your house from insects though. What would your advice be? Replacing all the wood is an option but putting new wood in will be either new feeding grounds for the woodworms or chemically treated wood which is the same issue. Replacing the wood with steel or concrete is an option but isn't allowed.
thank u for showing ;as usual ,that there's another point of view of the architecture , and being humble and unprejudiced respecting the process of creation
Thank you for this video. What a great way to combine usability with conservation. I love this house. "It has to pragmatic as well as poetic" What a great way to look at architecture.
Seeing that he couldn't destroy the old house the question seems oxymoronic (to me) ... If HE had decided on his own NOT to destroy the old house and keep it ..then yeah I get the question .....
exceptional project due to imposed limitations. I admire the Darby-Connor's for taking up the (ridiculous) conservator's dictates and creatively and politely turning them on their head! Fortunately they had the means; others may have to give up. Conservators have a difficult time recognizing that decay/change are natural. Tx so much for bringing this education to us :)
Preservation by isolating it from the exterior environment is interesting but what's novel to me is making it a space that's livable in. The juxtaposition of new and decay that's been suspended does make for contemplation 😁
The Poetry Of Place, I feel blessed for the many places I have lived that exuded such splendors. Sure I went in many times thinking I would make them more "presentable" or "desirable" and due to lack of money or their undeniable to me charms, I somehow left undisturbed, changing only what was necessary for safety, utility, cleanliness and order. Conservancy of sorts, building a language all it's own, indiscernible to many, revealing it's secrets and history...a witness to our knowing... Truth windows to our souls.
"...that's probably holding that up." LoL. Very interesting preservation and the techniques utilized. It still seems to still be evolving. A work of art, actually.
I love it. they're preserving the past and at the same time, living with it in the 21st century. I would certainly love to live there. It would be quite the commute. I work in Los Angeles.
I am impressed at how they "finished" the interior walls of the over-structure, without getting paint, plaster on the old structure! It's done very well.
Haha this guys too much. He's keeping the dust. He's keeping cobwebs. Metal ties from 2000? Of course! Old discolored, illegible pictures? Stick them in a frame!
this is phenomenal! i am beyond impressed with how they not only preserved and honoured history, but took creativity to the next level. who needs wallpaper when you can have a 300 year old wall full of beauty and unrivaled character! wonder how old those cobwebs and the nest are lol absolutely brilliant solution
What a wonderful way to make a home of old and new materials. Only a couple of designers would do a preservation on a crumbling 300 year old cottage on common land. 🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌳🌳🌳🌳🌴🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀☘☘☘☘🌿🌿🌿🌿🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌿🌿🌿🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌻🌻🌻🌻🌱🌱🌱🌲🌲🌲🌲
This is amazing. I've been designing and building handcrafted log homes for over 50 years. I found out about 25 years ago that my Swedish great grandfather and his father were also both carpenters and log builders. That led me to discover that even my father's father who worked in the Alaskan gold fields as a carpenter in the 1930's, 40's, 50's and 60's, had built a log church in Fairbanks in 1948. It turns out that at least 4 of the last 5 generations have had a log builder and carpenter in the family mix. Seeing this video reminds me of a very large log estate built in Seattle in 1906 by 'min farmors far' (Swedish for 'my father's, mother's father). No one in the family at that time knew anything about having more than one log builder in the family history, by the way. I found out about the structure just after it had a major fire in it. At the time of the fire, the building was being used as a restaurant. I was called in by the owner to do an assessment of what it would take to restore the building and make it structurally safe. I felt that it was too far gone to do a credible, respectful repair and restoration. There were many years of neglect and poor remodeling choices involved in addition to the fire. I was not very popular when I suggested that I could recreate the structure newly for less than half the price of trying to do a restoration. I believe that Anton Borgen, my great grandfather would have agreed with me. The owner agreed as well, yet some locals thought differently. They thought I had ulterior motives in that recommendation. I countered with, "Who else on this planet would want to see a log structure that his great grandfather had built over 100 years before, be restored other than me!" I told them that I was the heir to the very pragmatic Swedish nature of saving anything that had any value at all. In the end, I walked away from the project because I could not, in good conscience, do what they were asking me to do. Someone else came in and did a horrible job on the structure and I have never been back. It never occurred to me that this type of a structure could have been an answer that all parties would have found acceptable. I will put this idea on my shelf of useful alternatives. Instead of trying to fight the system in the US in situations like this, I have moved my business from Oregon to a farm about three hours north of Stockholm where I am recreating a business in providing period correct restoration materials for the hundreds of thousands of old log and timber structures that are prized by the people of Sweden. It is kind of a crazy move for someone that is now 73. But good health and strong Nordic genetics should keep me going for quite a few more years.......working on and caring for more historic log and timber frame structures in a country that deeply appreciates their heritage in a very pragmatic way. This is the country that gave me a lifelong career and now I will be able to give back as well. There is much more to this story, but I wanted to take the time to deeply acknowledge the work and the creativity that it took on the parts of all involved in this unique preservation project. It is truly amazing. I also want to than Kirsten and her team for following up on leads like this one and then sharing them so well that moves the craft forward by leaps and bounds. Great job, to all of you that were involved in this.
Truly amazing. I would say though, that at the 6min 45 sec mark, that looks like lath and plaster, not wattle and daub. An amazing project. This is way beyond the"wealth of exposed beams" so beloved of estate agents.
Beautiful. The whole is like an artwork and the nooks and crannies are also like pieces of sculpture. He wasn't precious, either, about the ancient and decaying elements. So much respect for David and Kate. Thanks Kirsten.
Love this one, an amazing way to preserve a building and still use it.
Townsends, nice to see you here
looks like someone searched for "18th century cabin" ;)
I second that. Good to see you! 😃. Love your channel!
Omg love that you watch her channel and actually saw this. Luv ur channel! Such a fan ! Maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to meet you one day! Keep up the awesome videos. Although hard going and at times gruesome it’s still framed as a beautiful and enlightening look Into our past. 💜 so cool 😁
Living simply is actually a lot more complicated. That’s what channels like yours and others that show true life Situations have made me see and learn from. And that our past needs to be recalled and remembered, so we don’t continue the same mistakes into our futures.
Oh wow, your here? Must be a great video, think ill be heading over to you next ; ).
This guy has so many great quotes. He's almost as interesting as the house.
He’s really just a big kid, playing a lil fort on the ol’ English weekend.
“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” Mahler. What a Top Boy !
this is an amazing quote!
“I don’t quite know why it’s worth it, but it’s worth it.” That says it all, in a few words.
"It has to be pragmatic as well as poetic, otherwise it's pretty useless"... I love that!
I love how you let people tell their stories punctuated with "still" video with no voice. This is one of the best channels on UA-cam! And kudos to this man's preservation efforts.
So provocative. Utterly beautiful. The way they kept the old one inside is so beautiful.
This has got to be one of the most interesting living situations I've ever seen. Cool!
YASSSSSSSSSS! Agreed.
I agree!!!! Compared to the BS we see on the main steam medias theses days, this is a fresh air subject!!!
Thanks for posting. This is something that makes Britain so special!
I've been watching your channel for a long time now in order to gain inspiration for when I eventually create a house of my own. I've been fascinated by your videos and was excited when I came across this video of a house that is only a few miles away from my hometown in Shropshire, England (the next county along from Herefordshire).
What an amazing restoration project, using a mix of incredibly old and locally sourced materials and workers to complete the job! One of the most captivating videos yet, its up there with one of my personal favourites Charles Bello's NorCal redwood paradise. Keep up the great work!
What a fascinating story! Loved the relationship he has with the old structure. “ I don’t know why it’s worth it, but it is.”
Thank you Kirsten Dirksen for bringing these amazing videos on your channel.
What an awesome beautiful way to preserve history. This should be done more often.
You always have the most interesting content. This is no exception.
Such a great channel/series.
Beautifuuuuul place. Awesome🍃☄️🐝🌅🐾🌬️🌄
The contrast between really old and really new is very beautiful.....its still totally crazy though
It was very lucky for this old building that this guy came along
The ivy was pissed as it lay dying, though. ; )
That mighty oak, that superb dwelling. Hallelujah! We are deconstructing a 1947 timber one room school, to rebuild in our back yard. And believe me the empty bottles, coiled fencing wire, hay bale twine, old letters and every decrepit but beautiful piece of timber will be retained and celebrated. Thanks David and Kate for the inspiration and encouragement.
It must be amazing to lay there and spend the night, knowing that 300 years ago someone else in a completely different time, was laid in that exact same spot, protected from the elements by those exact beams...
billieblue Sheepie I think just like you. When I go to historic places I am always in awe that I am standing where another stood hundreds of years before. When you touch something ancient you can almost feel the energy and passage of time through your fingers.
@@nikiannecoleman Have to agree with you. After standing in ancient buildings of Europe, it's hard to explain to others who have not traveled as I, the massive age of other places, buildings.
Dave 00000 It’s an incredible feeling to think that someone thousands of years prior was in that exact spot.
You might enjoy reading "The Children of Green Knowe", you should look it up.
Agree, but I don't think he sleeps there. I think this is their office and/or the company's office, and perhaps guest bedrooms. I suspect they actually live in the much larger house 20' away.
OMG. This gentleman is so lovely and the house so lovingly preserved. New house protecting the 300 year old house - such a great idea.
A faint hearted cannot pull off a masterpiece like this. This guy got some balls. It’s beyond beautiful
It's quite nice, indeed! Frozen in time, and all that there within and on! Thank you for your time and God bless amen.
This is true appreciation of what once was. What was nearly long gone and forgotten has been given a second chance at life by the dedication of human touch; that is what makes this home such a unique and remarkable piece of art.
I love how you built around. Incorporated it into you daily living spaces. Fascinating. Love it
I'm glad they like it. I couldn't live there.
Yes, to each his own. I like it but would have built around it with more rustic decor, I still appreciate his enthusiasm...
What a clever idea....stunning house within a house!
What a fantastic outlook and way to live with history. Well done
It's a picture of what it used to be and at the same time it keeps on living... Time is key in this house
I love how he makes it sound like he was coerced into preserving and then goes on to put a ridiculous amount of passion into the concept.
This one absolutely made my day.
What a brilliant design. To protect the very old with ruining it. Simply marvelous!
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I could totally see myself living there & being inspired by this place. Thank you so much for sharing this beauty with us.
Excellent! I would not want the old mold and dust in my living space - big time allergies and sensitivities. Still pretty awesome. Love the 'over-the-top' preservation!
I believe this is the best of all the videos & places they exist. Like he said, it’s truly impossible to recreate 300 years of “interesting.”
This idea is fantastic! It's like they're living in an installation art!
my lord, what a beautiful piece of land. Stunning.
What a totally strange and wonderful concept! And in England. I have dreamed for years of visiting the UK and Ireland. This is beyond anything I could have imagined. Really special. Thankyou!😍
A great lesson in architectural history. Thank you!
Wow. Just when you think you’ve seen it all on this channel. So interesting!
U & this guy need a show where u just stroll around, and talk. He’s a gem, funny as all, I’m dying over here(fordshire!). Cheers to decaying!
Beautiful home, love the philosophy of protecting decay
This give me an idea to me to preserved my grandmother old traditional Malay house in Malaysia and maybe other traditional Malay (Melayu) house made of wood to be preserved
Great idea! Make sure you invite Kirsten to come and film it!
I second Jane's comment!
I would advice against preserving a home like this. The old homes are very, very sturdy and can be brought to their original state with "ease" depending on the current state of the home. It's quite amazing to have an old house which can still function as a home. Of course insulation would be abysmal.
If you decide to build a house over the existing one please treat all the wood in the house against insects and if there are bricks have a professional check for any fungus. Otherwise the new shell over the house would be useless. If you'd restore it find some people with real skills. It's easy to use new materials and build a house but you need people that can think of a solution to all the difficulties in rebuilding a home like that. I'm currently renovating a house build in 1900 and it's a lot of fun honestly.
oekalaboeka55
What remains of the building he enclosed, only a little remains. He said it would have cost him too much to try to preserve it any further. To treat the wood would mean using chemicals & therefore killing your self & others earlier by causing serious health problems over time.
It's cool you are preserving a 1900's house, where is it? It would be great to post it on a blog! 🤗
@@goodliving2171 Yeah in his case it would certainly cost a lot more though I find it odd he was allowed to build a house over it. Normally with protected houses this is not allowed, no matter how much is damaged. My house is in Bruges (Belgium) the centre of Bruges is Unesco protected so you have no choice but to restore it. Within the protected zone there are also many homes that have an additional protection which includes the inside of the house. Floors, chimneys, certain wooden beams etc are all protected in those homes.
Restoring in old cities like mine is a lot harder since the infrastructure is not adapted for the current big trucks we have. Many parts of the city can't be reached by trucks since the streets are too narrow. You need permits for everything. From changing your door's colour to having a truck deliver goods at your house (also only allowed in the morning). When you don't follow the rules there is no slap on the wrist or fine to pay. The only option for you is to demolish whatever you did wrong or the city will put a lock on your home. Sadly enough there are quite a few homes locked like this because big firms thought they can get away with it and pay some fines.
I agree on the chemicals part. I used it in my house since it was infested with woodworms. Part of the building already collapsed because of the damage done. I don't know what else you can do to protect your house from insects though. What would your advice be? Replacing all the wood is an option but putting new wood in will be either new feeding grounds for the woodworms or chemically treated wood which is the same issue. Replacing the wood with steel or concrete is an option but isn't allowed.
A unique, rebellious solution. What an individualist!
So profound, so very profound...
That was wonderful. Makes me think about the value and worth we give or take away again instead of preserving and acknowledging it.
thank u for showing ;as usual ,that there's another point of view of the architecture , and being humble and unprejudiced respecting the process of creation
Thank you for this video. What a great way to combine usability with conservation. I love this house. "It has to pragmatic as well as poetic" What a great way to look at architecture.
Probably only British people can invent such a solution to preserve an old building ! And I love it
We love your videos, Kirsten! Thanks
this one was really amazing. as a builder who does restoration work this absurd project is absolutely stunning
Interesting that a legal restriction required, and therefore inspired, this work of art.
This was fascinating! The question you asked him about living with decay seemed to really hit home.
Seeing that he couldn't destroy the old house the question seems oxymoronic (to me) ... If HE had decided on his own NOT to destroy the old house and keep it ..then yeah I get the question .....
Fascinating house! What a lovely guy, hope he enjoys great years in there!
This is the best, most unique home I've ever seen.
I live how they incorporated the old with the new, preserving the original structure!
exceptional project due to imposed limitations. I admire the Darby-Connor's for taking up the (ridiculous) conservator's dictates and creatively and politely turning them on their head! Fortunately they had the means; others may have to give up. Conservators have a difficult time recognizing that decay/change are natural. Tx so much for bringing this education to us :)
Loved the video. History is so great. Imagine living, just walking around in a space where people lived 300 years ago.
Preservation by isolating it from the exterior environment is interesting but what's novel to me is making it a space that's livable in. The juxtaposition of new and decay that's been suspended does make for contemplation 😁
I'm really touched with respect to the old building.
Once again. Thank you Kirsten. You find the most interesting homes
Wow. Absolutely brilliant blend of conservation and new structure. Nice to have the money to do innovative stuff like this
I don't like it at all, but I appreciate it. If that makes any sense.
yea and you would have to tip toe through doors etc and try not to snag on walls and it would make your clothes moldy
@@catm2454 Its not always about the comfort of the body , but the comfort of the eyes and mind :D
@@valerioskonosov6609 If building a home it should be pure comfort and utility...anything more is why the world is burning.
One of the more interesting episodes. The first time I have seen this kind of preservation of an old building. Thank you for the lesson.
Sweetest man...thank you
What a totally amazing story. Thank you David & Kate, what a wonderful job you have done. (from Australia)
The Poetry Of Place, I feel blessed for the many places I have lived that exuded such splendors. Sure I went in many times thinking I would make them more "presentable" or "desirable" and due to lack of money or their undeniable to me charms, I somehow left undisturbed, changing only what was necessary for safety, utility, cleanliness and order. Conservancy of sorts, building a language all it's own, indiscernible to many, revealing it's secrets and history...a witness to our knowing... Truth windows to our souls.
This is fascinating and so worth watching. I've never seen anything like it!
Fascinating project and such a good interviewer staying in the background and not interrupting.
A very large commitment to the preservation of history, well done sir. Well done indeed ! Cheers.
Extraordinary! A beautiful mind of this man. A great house. Congratulations for this amazing channel. The best in my opinion.
"pragmatic as it is poetic" I love that concept. GREAT video!!
BEAUTIFUL, ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
"...that's probably holding that up." LoL. Very interesting preservation and the techniques utilized. It still seems to still be evolving. A work of art, actually.
Very nice, I'd most likely vacuum the cobwebs, yeah I see no value there. Thanks for bringing us along. God Bless.
@Maxx Kroes cobwebs may belong in YOUR home, not mine, God Bless.
What a heroic effort to preserve history!
I love it. they're preserving the past and at the same time, living with it in the 21st century. I would certainly love to live there. It would be quite the commute. I work in Los Angeles.
I am impressed at how they "finished" the interior walls of the over-structure, without getting paint, plaster on the old structure! It's done very well.
I love how obvious he made the additions of bolts, posts, etc that are new. The contrast somehow works.
Such a beautiful life lesson and enriching perspective! Thank you for sharing.
Absolutely gorgeous! Amazing philosophy and great job
Definitely the best restore this pile of rubble into a home video I've ever seen!
Videos like this is what makes UA-cam worthwhile. Absolutely amazing.
Haha this guys too much. He's keeping the dust. He's keeping cobwebs. Metal ties from 2000? Of course! Old discolored, illegible pictures? Stick them in a frame!
“It’s probably quite stable” lol that exactly the type of confidence you want in your home. They did an amazing job with this!
this is phenomenal! i am beyond impressed with how they not only preserved and honoured history, but took creativity to the next level. who needs wallpaper when you can have a 300 year old wall full of beauty and unrivaled character! wonder how old those cobwebs and the nest are lol absolutely brilliant solution
Every day, he can see how the building was built. The building’s bones are fascinating.
What a nice gentleman to showcase that piece of history.
love this guy
Much like the young man who built a house around a skating ramp, or the "LOL cats" couple, he is an absolute madman -- and I am here for it!
Out of the dozens of videos of yours that I've watched, this is one of my favorites. Thank you!
A really great attitude towards conservation!
Truly inspiring, very Wabi-Sabi.
I look forward to your videos so much, keep up the great work!
What a wonderful way to make a home of old and new materials. Only a couple of designers would do a preservation on a crumbling 300 year old cottage on common land. 🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌳🌳🌳🌳🌴🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀☘☘☘☘🌿🌿🌿🌿🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌿🌿🌿🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌻🌻🌻🌻🌱🌱🌱🌲🌲🌲🌲
I'd still be afraid that it would collapse. I LOVE old architecture, but I wouldn't live here.
This is amazing. I've been designing and building handcrafted log homes for over 50 years. I found out about 25 years ago that my Swedish great grandfather and his father were also both carpenters and log builders. That led me to discover that even my father's father who worked in the Alaskan gold fields as a carpenter in the 1930's, 40's, 50's and 60's, had built a log church in Fairbanks in 1948. It turns out that at least 4 of the last 5 generations have had a log builder and carpenter in the family mix.
Seeing this video reminds me of a very large log estate built in Seattle in 1906 by 'min farmors far' (Swedish for 'my father's, mother's father). No one in the family at that time knew anything about having more than one log builder in the family history, by the way. I found out about the structure just after it had a major fire in it. At the time of the fire, the building was being used as a restaurant. I was called in by the owner to do an assessment of what it would take to restore the building and make it structurally safe. I felt that it was too far gone to do a credible, respectful repair and restoration. There were many years of neglect and poor remodeling choices involved in addition to the fire. I was not very popular when I suggested that I could recreate the structure newly for less than half the price of trying to do a restoration. I believe that Anton Borgen, my great grandfather would have agreed with me. The owner agreed as well, yet some locals thought differently. They thought I had ulterior motives in that recommendation. I countered with, "Who else on this planet would want to see a log structure that his great grandfather had built over 100 years before, be restored other than me!" I told them that I was the heir to the very pragmatic Swedish nature of saving anything that had any value at all.
In the end, I walked away from the project because I could not, in good conscience, do what they were asking me to do. Someone else came in and did a horrible job on the structure and I have never been back. It never occurred to me that this type of a structure could have been an answer that all parties would have found acceptable. I will put this idea on my shelf of useful alternatives.
Instead of trying to fight the system in the US in situations like this, I have moved my business from Oregon to a farm about three hours north of Stockholm where I am recreating a business in providing period correct restoration materials for the hundreds of thousands of old log and timber structures that are prized by the people of Sweden. It is kind of a crazy move for someone that is now 73. But good health and strong Nordic genetics should keep me going for quite a few more years.......working on and caring for more historic log and timber frame structures in a country that deeply appreciates their heritage in a very pragmatic way. This is the country that gave me a lifelong career and now I will be able to give back as well.
There is much more to this story, but I wanted to take the time to deeply acknowledge the work and the creativity that it took on the parts of all involved in this unique preservation project. It is truly amazing. I also want to than Kirsten and her team for following up on leads like this one and then sharing them so well that moves the craft forward by leaps and bounds. Great job, to all of you that were involved in this.
Wow, how amazing to preserve it , and share the beautiful history .
Truly amazing. I would say though, that at the 6min 45 sec mark, that looks like lath and plaster, not wattle and daub. An amazing project. This is way beyond the"wealth of exposed beams" so beloved of estate agents.
what an incredible bulding and realisation! love it! this man is so relax with all this, very nice!
Very nice. never imagined a concept like this will work. the beauty in decay. how profound.
I like it wonderful way to preserve the past and give new life to it 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Beautiful. The whole is like an artwork and the nooks and crannies are also like pieces of sculpture. He wasn't precious, either, about the ancient and decaying elements. So much respect for David and Kate. Thanks Kirsten.
amaZZZZINNNNGGGGGG im Speechless, thanks for this video Kirsten!!! Kind Regards from Chile.