In 2019, we found a cabin plot on the edge of a national park. It was a special place. Quiet, rugged and full of small details we didn’t want to disturb. But building inevitably meant change: reindeer moss had to be cleared from the plot to make way for the road and the cabin.

But we didn’t want to just get rid of it. Before building work began, we gathered up the reindeer moss and moved it to nearby paths to wait. When the cabin was finished, we brought it back – onto the roof. We wanted the new building to blend into the landscape.


At the same time, one of us was studying the use of reindeer moss on green roofs for a thesis in architectural engineering. Conventional green roofs are often planted with non-native species that usually can’t cope with northern conditions. Reindeer moss, by contrast, grows here naturally.

It withstands drought, frost and harsh conditions without any care. And it regenerates naturally.