THE STEAM STUDIO Helle Kvamme 34 square feet Finland
T
HIS IS ONE OF THE FEW HUTS in this book that
is more art than func-
tional space. I mean, how long do you expect your desktop paperwork to last in a sauna? Regardless, I found the imagery striking, and as for a steam-filled tree house workspace, your first question might be “Why?” You might also ask, “Why not?” steam made fog on the glass and then Finnish artist Helle Kvamme cre-
the place became more private. I
ated the Steam Studio in 2007 as a
simply became a shadow in the space
part of an international art exchange
at night. When I stopped firing the
by SK ART-Ireland. The project was
stove, the place got cold again, and
called PLUS/MINUS , based on the
the window became icy on the inside,
idea that the steam would raise the
distorting the image of the room.”
temperature in the studio from negative to positive degrees. “While
Kvamme used recycled materials
working in the studio, I had to fire
where possible, including the large
up a woodstove to steam water,”
windows, which were given to her by
Kvamme explained to me. “The
a neighbor. The result was a space
steam went up through a pipe in the
surrounded by nature, where she
floor and changed the dry, cold air to
could concentrate on the details of
moist, warm air. Soon enough, the
all the things around her.
The Steam Studio is certainly whimsical and creative, but take the steam away, and it
favorite features
would make for a very affordable tree house office in the woods — albeit with no privacy, but therein may lie the beauty. Sliding doors are surprisingly abundant on Craigslist and roadsides, so making something like this is a very doable project. Plus, with a spectacular view in the middle of the woods, it would be really fun to spend time inside. Or how about in the middle of a breathtaking marsh? A word of warning, though: unless you like yourself well-done, you’d be wise to build something like this in the shade.
T h e S t e a m S tudio
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