Arknat comes to Norrbotten – architecture meets nature along the Solanderleden trail
Arknat is now looking for students in different fields but with the same goal and desire to create unique places in nature for the public. If you are studying, for example, architecture, civil engineering, landscape architecture or landscape engineering, you are welcome to apply!
This summer, the internationally acclaimed architecture festival Arknat is coming to Norrbotten. The festival, which has received great attention both nationally and internationally since its inception in 2017, unites architecture, nature and social development by allowing students from architecture and engineering programs to create unique buildings in natural landscapes. The Norrbotten Region is hosting the festival, which this time takes place along the regional hiking trail Solanderleden between Piteå and Luleå.
Application
Application closes March 15, 2026
Participants will be announced in the last days of March 2026
Read more and apply here: Participate! – Arknat
Architecture Festival in Norrbotten
During two intensive summer weeks, students from all over the world will work together with local stakeholders to design and build three unique wooden windbreaks, adapted to the landscape, history and use of the site. The windbreaks are built on a 1:1 scale and are open to everyone to use – as resting places, meeting points and architectural experiences in nature. The projects are carried out in close collaboration between students, municipalities, business and civil society, with a focus on sustainability, outdoor life and local development.
The Solanderleden Trail stretches approximately 23 km from Kallax south of Luleå to Jävre south of Piteå and passes through a varied landscape of coast, forest, rivers and cultural-historical environments. When the windbreaks are completed, they will be managed by the non-profit association Solanderleden and will contribute to strengthening the trail's attractiveness for both regional, national and international visitors. Arknat's establishment in Norrbotten is seen as a first step towards more similar initiatives in the county, where architecture and designed living environments are used as tools for place development, rural development and increased public health.
– We welcome local actors and initiatives that want to contribute and enrich this summer's architecture festival, says Carolina Weinz, strategist for sustainable community building and housing supply, Region Norrbotten.
Contact information:
Martin Björklund, project manager Arknat
E-mail: martin.bjorklund@yahoo.se
Carolina Lundmark Weinz, strategist for sustainable community development and housing supply, Norrbotten Region
E-mail: carolina.lundmark-weinz@norrbotten.se
