Join us in creating a beautiful home in the Archipelago of Southern Finland

  • Favourited 484 times
  • Last activity: 18 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    A beautiful clay-strawbale house stands on the edge of a forest; surrounded by a vibrant garden, full of colourful scented flowers. A vegetable garden, fruit trees, clothes hanging on the washing line, an unfinished woven basket and a little child, running in the garden... this is the vision......

    In the year 2017, I embarked upon my dream of crafting a home; a beautiful haven in the Archipelago of Southern Finland. The project began as my solo undertaking; a crazy project for one woman! But I trusted, that all would go exactly as it is supposed to - as it really always does. I have been hosting volunteer guests since 2018 and it has turned out to be a wonderfully enriching experience!

    Now in 2023 I was blessed to be joined by Florian and the solo project has become a duo project! Florian has brought his determination and total support to seeing this home become a reality. He has also brough a new touch of multiculturalness to the community and my life too, as he is French. So the main languages here now are English, Finnish and French.

    During the past summer with the help of many volunteers, we managed to complete the roof to the watertight stage. The timber frame stands half ready and the chimney is completed.

    The big goal for the year 2024 is completing the strawbale - clay walls and fireplace. There will be help needed on building the timber frame, carrying materials, building the fireplace, gardening, cooking and cleaning.

    The main season will be from June till September, when we have the possibility to host people in tents on the land. The months before are usually too cold for camping, so we can only host one person or a couple at most; sharing our small home.

    The winter tasks will also include more chopping of firewood and heating the house, with some timber frame building too.

    The week will have 5 days with work. About 5-6 hours a day. These 5 days include breakfast and lunch. During weekends there will be food in the house to use for cooking and if we all like we can cook and eat together on those days too. The food will be vegan or vegetarian and the ingredients will include harvest from our garden and forest.

    During your stay it is possible to enjoy the peace of the forest, the heat of the sauna, sitting by a campfire, heart-sharing circle, yoga or playing music together or alone. I have a lovely guitar and love singing! It will depend on what we are interested in enjoying together. There is also a lovely lake 3 km from the place for swimming in the summer. We live as part of a community village, about 70 inhabitants, so meeting other community members and joining in community activities may be possible too.

    For those who are interested I have written a blog about the building project and I can send the link on request. The blog is in Finnish but with lots of photos.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    A visitor may experience the beauty of the Finnish archipelago, the relative silence and calmness.
    The fresh air and beautiful sounds of the forest.
    Visitors will get to experience the Finnich sauna as well as locally and personally grown food.
    We are happy to share life experiences and all we have learned about natural building.
    I am happy to speak and teach Finnish words and phrases to anyone interested. :)

  • Help

    Help

    There are lots of different ways to help out in the project such as:
    -Building with wood
    -Moving big and small rocks and building walls
    -Carrying lots of building materials
    -Repairing old windows
    -Painting windows and doors
    -Cleaning the building site and house
    -Chopping & stacking firewood
    -Cooking, cleaning, gardening

    There are tasks for every level of craftmanship! :)

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Finnish: Fluent
    French: Beginner

    This host offers a language exchange
    This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
    You can contact them directly for more information.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    In winter months we can offer a mattress nook on the floor of a cozy kitchen/livingroom. We will be sharing our small home and living together in a rather small space.

    In summer there is also the option of sleeping in a tent in the forest by the building site. It is a lovely, peaceful area, in a forest full of berries, mushrooms, deer and birds.

    Workawayers will be dinning with us, we cook together or for each other, depending on who is inspired to cook something. We eat vegetarian and fish, but no red meat.

    There is a small village shop very near by where one can buy snacks, local produce; it has a rather good selection. Larger food shopping is done about once a week or two weeks in town by car.

    There is no shower, but there is a sauna for washing in. The sauna can be heated about twice a week for washing.
    There is an outside compost toilet.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We live in a community village, half and hour from Naantali and 1 hour from Turku.
    Visitors may wish to spend their free time at various village events.
    If it is summer swimming, cycling and sitting outside by the fire are nice past times.
    If one wishes to visit the town or city, busses go every weekday and hitchhiking to town is something I encourage, because it works wonderfully here, especially in summer.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    I have had a few volunteers stay in a campervan at the building site. So it is possible.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 619197351523

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