Norway’s magical care retreat for those in need

Located in verdant woodland just a stone’s throw from the entrance of Norway’s largest hospital, two sensitively designed wooden shelters are aspiring to make hospitalisation easier and more comfortable for patients and their families. The two naturally crafted Kebony-clad outdoor care retreats offer patients and visitors much-needed physical and mental respite from hospital treatment by providing them with a calm oasis to rest in the beautiful Norwegian forest.

Originally developed in collaboration with the Department of Psychosomatics and Child Psychiatry at Oslo University Hospital, the 35sqm secluded wooden shelters were designed to provide a peaceful space where visitors can truly experience nature. Surrounded by fresh air, the unique natural setting allows patients to gather strength and nurture their mind, which can be of great benefit for long-term disease management and mental health.

Inside, visitors are able to star gaze through the circular ceiling window whilst children play around them, helping patients to distract themselves from the hospital environment. The large windows can be fully opened, inviting the outside world in, whilst the interior is fully clad in oak, echoing the woodlands outside. The cabins have also been adapted for both wheelchairs and hospital beds to give access to the most unwell patients.

Internationally acclaimed architecture and design firm Snøhetta selected Kebony, a global leader in the production of sustainable wood, to clad the exterior of the cabins due to the wood’s natural, warm aesthetic. In addition, the extensive use of the sustainably-sourced Kebony contributes to the cabin’s reduced carbon footprint, and requires little to no maintenance. The atmosphere inside the cabins is both warm and welcoming and offers a positive, long-lasting benefits to those most in need.

Developed in Norway, Kebony’s revolutionary technology is an environmentally friendly and patented process which modifies sustainably sourced softwoods by heating the wood with furfuryl alcohol - an agricultural by-product. By polymerising the wood’s cell wall, the softwoods permanently take on the attributes of tropical hardwood including high durability, hardness and dimensional stability. This unique process also provides Kebony with its characteristic appearance, which only grows more beautiful with time.

Mette Valen, Sales Manager Norway at Kebony added: “The cabins look beautiful within the natural surroundings and we were delighted to work closely with Snohetta to help them create this wonderful project. It has been very special to contribute to such an important and rewarding project in Norway.”