Prefabricated architectural concept by architect Emelie Holmberg. I photographed the first made situated in unspoiled woodlands on the island of Väddö, Sweden. It grew out of a realization of changing living and working patterns partly precipitated by the pandemic. Pre-Covid, Emelie had dreamt of a more flexible lifestyle facilitated by technology, allowing her to work remotely wherever she chose, so long as she had internet access. This partly sparked the idea for Gimme Shelter, which began life as a concept for her own self-build, low-cost home. The project comprises two structures. One measures 32 sq m and contains a living room, kitchen, and bathroom; the other occupies 10sq m and houses a bedroom. The blurring of boundaries between inside and outside is one of the house’s main attractions. Both living and sleeping cabins have huge windows that maximize views of the natural surroundings. Wooden panels that slide on rails on the outer perimeter of the verandas can shut out views or strong sunlight when needed. These reference Swedish vernacular architecture, says Emelie: “This is a common feature in traditional Swedish barns and cowsheds.” These also reflect her interest in Japanese architecture and its partitioning of spaces with sliding panels. The project was overseen by Emelie whose involvement was very hands-on. “The architectural work is all my own,” she says. “I did all the drawings for it and 3D models. I financed the project and was part of the team that built it, which made it possible for me to control the whole building process. A lot was designed on-site as we were building the house. You often don’t discover whether drawings work in reality until they become 3D elements, built to scale. In this project, if something didn’t look the way I had originally visualized it, I could change it until I was happy with the result.” In time, Emelie came to view the house as a prototype for a future housing model. She founded her company, gimme shelter, which fabricates modules others could buy. The name recalls the eponymous 1969 Rolling Stones song, with all its connotations of the 1960s and 1970s anti-authoritarian youthquake generation. Emelie describes the concept as “a Lego-like system”. “The design of my home can now be adapted – built-in modules of various sizes, such as 15sq m, 40sq m, or 60sq m that could all be fitted together. These are made of prefabricated parts, which bring costs down.”