Relocation of log buildings
| Relocation of log buildings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Practitioners and people who know the tradition well
A traditional hand-hewn log house was made to be movable. In earlier times, it was common that when “the son inherited half the house”, the house was literally dismantled and the son took half of the logs with him. A paired farmhouse could be divided into two, with one room for each brother. Other buildings could also be divided in the same way. A daughter’s share might, for example, be a storehouse. The relocation of log buildings has been common in the areas of present-day Finland and Sweden. Log buildings are still relocated for residential use, in which case the builders are most often private individuals.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, awareness grew of the need to document and present Finnish cultural history and folklore also in the form of buildings. For this purpose, the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum was established in Helsinki in 1909. After that, several other open-air museums have also been founded, and buildings are still being moved to them.
Relocations are carried out by private heritage-minded builders who are familiar with the possibilities of corner-notching techniques (“lamasalvos” in Finnish). For private individuals, motives may also include preserving family traditions, striving for ecological construction and achieving good indoor air quality through breathable structures. Companies may relocate log buildings for use as business premises when they wish to distinguish themselves through a historical image. In Seinäjoki, for example, Pollarin talo was moved in 2019 from the edge of the market square next to Hotel Alma to serve as meeting premises. Before that, Pollarin talo had been moved to Seinäjoki from Ylistaro in 1911. In Ykspihlaja harbour area in Kokkola, a total of nine houses have been relocated, and they now serve, among other things, as a day-care centre and a guesthouse.
Among the communities that have practised and/or supported the tradition of relocating log buildings are INTBAU Finland ry, Lapua-seura ry, Piiru ry, Rakennusperinteen ystävät ry, Rautajärven seudun kylät Oy, Seurasaarisäätiö sr, Stundars rf, Suomen saunakulttuuri ry, Talonpoikaiskulttuurisäätiö rs, Virkkalan perinneseura ry and Ykspihlajan asukasyhdistys ry.
Practising of the tradition
Relocating a log building means dismantling a building made of logs and reassembling it elsewhere. The building is taken apart log by log, and each log is numbered to make reassembly easier. When the building is erected again, the logs are placed in the same
order as in the original structure. At the same time, decayed parts can be replaced and the building can be adapted to suit its new use. Smaller log buildings can also be moved whole, for example with a crane and a trailer.
Dismantling and reassembling the building is fairly straightforward. However, erecting the building requires a building permit that meets present-day requirements. For this reason, it is advisable to engage a qualified principal designer to ensure the success of the project and compliance with building regulations. The following is an example of instructions.
Order of work:
Before documentation and dismantling begin, the need for support structures, the strength of access routes and any collapse risks must be assessed, especially if the house contains areas damaged by rot.
1. The house is photographed, measured and precise drawings are made at a scale of 1:50. These include floor plans of the first floor, second floor and attic, façade drawings, section drawings, detailed drawings and photographs.
2. Samples are collected from the interior: wall coverings, wallpaper models, mouldings, decorative motifs and similar features are measured, drawn and photographed, and the places from which the samples were taken are marked on the drawings.
3. The same steps are carried out for the exterior cladding, mouldings and decorative motifs of the façades.
4. Dismantling begins by removing windows and doors. They are numbered and their locations marked on the drawings. The methods of fixing are photographed. The parts are packed for transport.
5. Fireplaces are measured, drawn and photographed. Tiled stoves are marked. The stoves are dismantled and packed for transport.
6. Floorboards that have remained usable are measured, drawn, photographed and numbered. These are marked on the drawings. Floors that are partly damaged are also documented, and the planks that remain intact are kept.
7. The same procedure is followed for the ceilings.
8. The roof structure is examined, photographed and drawn. Different roof covering phases are identified. The information is recorded in the building history.
9. The façade cladding is dismantled, after which the log frames and supporting structures are documented. Schematic drawings are made of the log walls, the walls are measured and photographed, and the wall plates are likewise
measured and marked on the drawings. Damaged sections of walls and support beams are marked on the drawings with such precision that the damaged parts do not need to be transported to the new site as models.
10. The thermal insulation is documented and described in the building history. It is removed by vacuuming to minimise dust hazards.
11. After the insulation has been removed, the wall-plate documentation is completed and usable wall plates and timber beams are numbered.
12. When different wall surface materials have been removed, the log diagrams are completed and the logs are numbered, for example with plywood tags nailed to the logs. The numbering system is marked on the main drawings and the log diagrams.
13. Heavier dismantling work begins with the removal of the roof structures. A crane should be used for lowering heavy parts. During the dismantling stages, the responsible site manager must ensure strict compliance with occupational safety regulations.
14. After the roof structures have been dismantled, the log frames and wall plates are taken down using a large forestry machine, which lifts the logs down with its grapple. The work stages are photographed.
15. The logs and other materials are stored and protected while awaiting transport. Foundation stones are numbered and collected for storage. The dismantling site is cleaned.
The foundation work at the new site must be carried out in accordance with present-day requirements and the characteristics of the site. The work instructions above did not include written instructions for erecting the frame; the instructions were given orally. The dismantling stages are carried out in reverse order during reassembly, applying them as necessary.
The background and history of the tradition
In earlier times, log frames were hewn in the forest. This reduced the amount of timber that needed to be moved. In this sense, the frame was first relocated from the forest to the actual building site, where it was then completed into a finished building.
The method is based on the characteristics of log construction: the logs are joined to one another with notches and other wooden joints, and no nails or glue are required. This makes the building effectively “modular”, so that it can be dismantled and reassembled without compromising its structural integrity.
Before the Great Partition, an agricultural land reform in Swedish Empire (which included areas from modern-day Finland) in the 18th century, rural villages were more compact, and fields were divided into narrow strips. During the partition, the fields were reorganised into larger parcels. At that point, houses were moved closer to the new fields. A log house without external cladding and without interior linings was relatively easy to dismantle. There were no nailed structures; for example, floorboards often rested in place under their own weight, secured with pegs or wedged between the logs. Ceiling boarding was laid on top of the rafters without nails. There were no nailed roof trusses; instead, the roof was supported by poles resting on log gable triangles.
As a building material, the life cycle of a log is long. Logs have repeatedly been reused. For example, in old wooden towns, several different building phases may be readable in the frames of buildings. In the end, an old dwelling house may have become a storehouse or woodshed. If the frame could not be reused as such, the logs were used to build some smaller structure or the best logs were incorporated into a new frame. In some cases, dismantled logs were used to make upright-log walls in a new building.
Other parts of old buildings were also reused. In earlier times, all usable carpentry work such as doors, windows, mouldings and boards, as well as iron parts, bricks and so forth, were made use of whenever possible.
The Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, opened to the public in 1909, is Finland’s first open-air museum and one of the most significant cultural heritage sites in Helsinki. It consists of relocated buildings and aims to present Finnish building and dwelling culture from different periods and regions.
Numerous buildings representing many kinds of building heritage have been moved to Seurasaari from different parts of Finland. The first building at Seurasaari was Niemelä croft, moved from Konginkangas to Seurasaari in 1909. This croft was chosen to represent traditional rural housing. Its oldest part, a smoke sauna, dates from 1770. Along with the croft, 13 buildings were moved to the Seurasaari island, forming the museum’s original building stock. The newest building will be a cottage built in the 1950s, which will be moved to Seurasaari and opened to the public in summer 2026. The cottage represents Finnish summer cottage culture.
The transmission of the tradition
The tradition is living, and private builders share information with one another by networking and providing peer support as the tradition is passed on through completed examples. The continuity of the tradition also depends on the transmission of values and attitudes. Taking part in relocation projects teaches appreciation for craftsmanship, natural materials and long-lasting construction. At the same time, it fosters understanding of the significance of cultural heritage and its connection to a sustainable way of life. The relocation of log buildings is therefore not merely a technical procedure, but part of a broader cultural continuum in which the skills, communal practices and values of past generations are passed on to future builders.
In recent years, digital platforms and social media have opened new channels for sharing knowledge. Builders and enthusiasts share photographs, instructions and experiences from their relocation projects online, lowering the threshold for undertaking similar projects. In this way, traditional expertise is combined with contemporary communication and reaches new audiences.
Associations devoted to building heritage organise lectures and workshops on the topic. Further information can be obtained, for example, from associations such as Stundars rf and Piiru ry. As in the past, the relocation of dwellings relies mainly on carpenters or heritage building companies that have learned their professional skills from previous generations of carpenters. Machinery is used in relocations whenever possible to assist the work. It would be desirable for there to be more skilled companies specialising in relocation.
The relocation itself is not particularly difficult, and there are also examples of projects carried out by entirely self-taught builders. Family and friends can be of considerable help in all relocation projects. The developer carrying out the relocation has a major role in the overall project. Time-consuming stages, such as the dismantling of building parts before the frame is taken apart, or the repair of old building elements, are often done by the developer, even if the actual dismantling of the frame is purchased from a contractor. Situations naturally vary from one site to another. However, in terms of meeting building regulations, it is always essential that the project’s principal designer be an experienced professional.
Documentation of the tradition
The tradition of relocating log buildings is documented above all in connection with practical building projects. Every relocation requires the building to be measured and photographed and its building elements to be marked, which produces drawings, work specifications and photographic material. This material is preserved especially by the developers, designers, carpenters and enthusiasts involved. Knowledge generated in practical projects forms a significant part of the memory and expertise of the relocation tradition. Knowledge is also transmitted in a master-apprentice manner from experienced log builders to new practitioners.
Private builders are key documenters of the tradition. Relocation projects are often accompanied by building histories, repair and work descriptions and photographic material that complement the building permit documentation. Open-air museums likewise document information on their own relocated buildings. Many heritage houses, village museums and cultural sites based on relocated buildings also function as practical examples of the relocation tradition. The buildings themselves form a kind of living archive in which building techniques and the use of materials can be observed concretely.
The tradition is also transmitted through courses, workshops and communal building projects in which heritage building practices are taught. At the same time, participants learn to understand the properties of traditional materials and the structural solutions of buildings. Practical work is a central part of learning, and many skilled professionals have acquired their expertise by taking part in several relocation projects.
In recent years, digital documentation has become increasingly important. Builders and enthusiasts document their projects on websites, blogs and social media and share photographs and experiences. This decentralised documentation makes it easier to share the tradition and allows knowledge to spread rapidly to new actors.
The tradition has also become a subject of popular culture. The plot of the successful Finnish film Sisu 2, which premiered in October 2025, is based on the protagonist relocating his log-built family home from the ceded Karelia in the Soviet Union to the Finnish side. Building heritage is also documented in literature describing relocation methods and individual projects. Alongside these, the permit documents and plans of building control authorities form an additional layer of documentation.
Museums and official archives preserve materials related to built heritage, research data and relocated buildings. However, the key documentation of the tradition takes place in connection with practical building work. The tradition survives above all as a living practice in which buildings, documents and experiences together form a continuous knowledge base.
Sustainable development
The relocation of log buildings is based on the reuse of existing buildings and materials, which makes it a natural part of sustainable construction. In relocation projects, ready-made log frames and other building elements are used instead of constructing entirely new buildings. In this way, natural resources are saved and the carbon footprint of construction is reduced.
The ecological effects are mainly positive. The frame of a log building can remain in use for centuries, and the same timber can be reused in several different building phases. Relocating buildings is a concrete example of the recycling of building parts and the long-term use of materials. At the same time, emissions caused by the production of new building materials are avoided.
Approximately 90 per cent of the carbon load of new construction arises from the manufacture of building materials. Most of this burden is avoided when, in the traditional relocation of a log building, all usable material is made use of in a kit-like manner. In this way, both the spirit of the house and its value as cultural heritage can also be preserved.
Sustainable development also has an economic dimension. Relocating a well-preserved log frame can be a viable alternative to new construction, even though it involves many stages of work. The labour-intensive nature of the work supports local expertise and maintains traditional building skills. Many projects are carried out partly as self-build or through voluntary communal work, which reduces costs and strengthens local cooperation.
When buildings are relocated at the initiative of village communities or associations and a broad group of actors takes part, the projects can have a socially positive effect by strengthening community life and local identity. In addition to residential use, relocated buildings often receive a new function in leisure activities or as gathering spaces, which supports local vitality.
Culturally, relocation helps preserve built heritage in situations where the original location no longer allows the building to survive. Relocation is often a more sustainable solution than demolition, even though the building is at the same time separated from its original setting. This also raises concern about moving a building too far away from its original cultural environment. Particular regions have often developed their own local building style, and some heritage builders do not consider it desirable for buildings to be moved away from that area.
Practitioners of the tradition increasingly seek sustainable ways of working in practice. Building elements are preserved as completely as possible, and doors, windows, mouldings and other materials are also reused. In repairs, traditional and durable solutions are preferred, allowing the building to be repaired again in the future and, if necessary, relocated once more.
The relocation of log buildings can be seen as a sustainable building practice in which reducing the carbon footprint, saving and recycling materials, preserving craft skills, ensuring continuity of built heritage and strengthening local identity all come together.
The future of the tradition
Relocating log buildings is becoming increasingly closely connected to building protection, land-use planning and the aims of sustainable development.
From the perspective of building protection, relocation is always a better option than destruction, even though culturally and historically significant buildings should preferably be preserved in their original locations. The grounds for relocating a building may also include personal emotional ties, such as the wish to preserve family traditions. Relocation enables the survival of built heritage also in changing land-use conditions. In addition, a well-preserved log frame still has commercial value today.
Reducing the carbon footprint is one of the most important reasons for promoting relocations in the future. According to a study by the Ministry of the Environment, as much as 90 per cent of construction-phase carbon emissions today may come solely from the manufacture of building materials. Relocating log buildings is a form of recycling building parts. It makes possible the reuse of old materials instead of building an entirely new structure. The method is environmentally advantageous and reduces the carbon footprint of construction. The practice is therefore both safeguarding tradition and a providing a sustainable way of building. In the future, this way of working may become stronger as part of the circular economy and resource-efficient construction. The relocation of log buildings should therefore be seen as a good practice of sustainable building that combines tradition, resource efficiency and climate goals.
In planning projects, the possibilities of relocation may receive greater attention in the future. Municipalities can include conditions in zoning provisions that support the preservation and reuse of old buildings. This means that planning can create opportunities for relocating log buildings and reserve areas where buildings can be re-erected. An example of such an area is Puu-Talma in Sipoo.
The community/communities behind this submission
INTBAU Finland ry Kaarina / operates nationwide
The aim of INTBAU Finland ry is to promote discussion on how to create better built environments for people through tradition-based construction, architecture and urban planning. High-quality, durable and ecological materials should be used to create timelessly beautiful buildings and environments with a long life cycle.
The Lapua-based association Lapua-seura ry owns the Ränkimäki house museum and Hietala riverside cottage, which it maintains and develops. The buildings have been relocated. Its aim is to work for local culture and the environment and to strengthen local spirit.
Rakennusperinteen Ystävät ry Turku / operates nationwide
Rakennusperinteen Ystävät ry is a nationwide organisation that seeks to promote the preservation of traditional building heritage and traditional building skills. Its aim is to ensure that old buildings and cultural environments are preserved in a way that does not destroy their original character or the distinctiveness and atmosphere that have developed through different historical layers. The association recommends the relocation of a log building as a last resort for saving the building.
The social enterprise Rautjärven seudun kylät Oy, operating in Pälkäne, promotes the vitality of the eastern Luopioinen area. In the Torppakylä project, buildings were surveyed, and one semi-detached house was built from two dismantled crofts.
Seurasaarisäätiö – Fölisöstiftelsen sr - the Seurasaari Foundation
Seurasaarisäätiö works in Helsinki as the background organisation of the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, promoting and safeguarding Finnish living cultural heritage. Through the Emil and Lempi Hietanen Science Fund of Seurasaarisäätiö, it also supports ethnological research through grants.
Stundars rf maintains the Stundars Open-Air Museum in Mustasaari, one of the largest open-air museums in Finland. It includes nearly 70 log buildings relocated from different parts of Swedish-speaking Ostrobothnia. Built heritage and the care of buildings are among the museum’s central areas of emphasis, both through the maintenance of its own museum buildings and as a source of inspiration and information for visitors and property owners.
Next to the Stundars museum area there is a planned residential area where around twenty families now live. The area consists only of relocated Ostrobothnian log buildings dating from the nineteenth century. At their original locations they had been under threat of demolition, but in their new setting they form one of the most beautiful residential areas in Finland.
Suomen saunakulttuuri ry is known for Saunakylä in Jämsä, where a group of historical smoke saunas has been relocated. These relocated saunas have been restored, and continue to be restored, for active use.
Talonpoikaiskulttuurisäätiö rs
Talonpoikaiskulttuurisäätiö works nationally to support a vibrant rural culture. It safeguards traditions but also promotes and makes visible new peasant culture.
Virkkalan perinneseura ry operates in Kaustinen and carried out the relocation of the so-called Kraatarin talo in Kaustinen in 2016–2017. The building is a log house once owned by the Wirkkala artist family and built in 1868. Over the years the house had been left empty, but thanks to diligent professional work and voluntary communal effort it rose again, fully restored, as part of the Pajalantie streetscape in the church village of Kaustinen. Today the building is a heritage house and museum that has gained a new life as a local hobby space, used for family celebrations and for theatre and music activities.
Bibliography and links to external sources of information
Hirsirakennusten siirto, korjauskortti 17, Museovirasto.
Asuminen siirretyssä pohjalaistalossa: talo kertoo asumisesta asukkaiden kertomuksissa, Tuovinen Auni, ProGradu tutkielma, Jyväskylän yliopisto 2023.
Kehikosta vesikattoon — Vanhan hirsitalon siirto, Stenvall Maija, Rakennustieto 2020.
Hirsitalo muuttaa, Kuorikoski Juho ja Lönnroth Leo, Moreeni 2018.
Flyttning av gamla hus, Gudmudsson Göran, Gysinge Centrum för Byggnadsvård 2006.
Siirrettäväksi syntyneet - dokumentti, Talonpoikaiskulttuurisäätiö 2019.
Purkaa vai korjata?: Hiilijalanjälkivaikutukset, elinkaarikustannukset ja ohjauskeinot, Huuhka, Satu; Vainio, Terttu; Moisio, Malin; Lampinen, Emmi; Knuutinen, Mikko; Bashmakov, Samuel; Köliö, Arto; Lahdensivu, Jukka; Ala-Kotila, Paula; Lahdenperä, Pertti (2021-02-18)
Marian sairaalan 1800-luvun hirsirakennuksista toinen siirretään Meilahteen, Helsingin Sanomat 6.3.2026.
Vanhan talon uusi elämä, Helsingin Sanomat 19.4.2025.
Hirsitalon siirto vaatii osaamista ja pitkää pinnaa, TM Rakennusmaailma 4.8.2018.
Näin siirretään talo Pukkilasta Pakilaan!, Ilta-Sanomat 10.4.2011.
Vanha hirsitalo purkuun ja pinoon - ja pystyyn uutena mökkinä, YLE 15.7.2013.
Onko tässä Suomen historian hurjin kuljetusoperaatio?, Iltalehti 14.8.2025.
Hurja muutos: Rapistunut pohjalaistalo nousi uuteen loistoon, Maaseudun tulevaisuus 15.11.2020.
Hirsitalon siirtäminen – osa 1, Saatsi arkkitehdit 5.9.2023.
Hirsitalon siirtäminen - osa 2, Saatsi arkkitehdit 30.10.2023.
Hirsikehikko ja sen siirtäminen, Domus Classica.