Consumer

Saltdalshytta now has a new standard for its operations, even before there have been legally mandated requirements. They receive goodwill from customers, municipalities, and other partners and are seen as an attractive employer that takes social responsibility.

Cabin manufacturers in Norway have been under scrutiny for their carbon footprint and negative impact on everything from biodiversity to energy consumption – and rightly so. Many new cabins today are twice the size they were 50 years ago and leave a significant mark on nature, both during production and use. To create a more sustainable offering for the market, Saltdalshytta approached us to explore how it can take a green position and increase its competitiveness.

Taking a green and competitive position

We conducted a competitor analysis to uncover best practices and a stakeholder analysis where we spoke with politicians, the Nature Conservation Association, banks, and municipalities. Additionally, we reviewed political party programs and ongoing parliament motions, as well as did a survey of media coverage of cabins and sustainability themes. Based on this, we helped Saltdalshytta to develop the following:

Analysis, nature policy, and new cabin concept

 (“Little brother”) cabin is an affordable and sustainable cabin series for everyone, built on pillars. The cabin 

 is a space-efficient, low-energy cabin at 56 square meters built on pillars and with sustainable materials. It also has a lower environmental footprint thanks to its design:

Product Concept

Pillars instead of concrete slab foundations. 

This results in far less natural intervention than conventional foundations, and there is no need for blasting in the terrain.The pillar solution uses 85–90% less concrete than conventional foundations. The reduction in concrete will result in approximately 40% less CO2 emissions.

 The cabin's material choices and design make it eligible for green loans offered by DNB to customers. Saltdalshytta thus becomes the first recreational property actor to offer green cabin loans to its customers.

 on the cabin to prevent light pollution.

 resulting in very little waste in its production. This also leads to shorter construction time on-site and less material waste at the construction site.

 We crafted the name "Lillebror" (Little brother) for the new cabin concept. The name is a reference to the song "Lillebrors vise" (Little brother's song) by Alf Prøysen where the child sad because of all the things he can't do yet, but then is comforted by the things that only he can do. Things like not running away and misbehaving, problem solving, finding creative solutions, thinking ahead and generally being smarter and more responsible. The song is a beloved classic to norwegians, and the name taps into those connotations: Lillebror is a better alternative, not in spite of being smaller, but because of it.

that should guide where Saltdalshytta should and shouldn’t build the cabins to avoid negative impact on nature and biodiversity.

Thanks to their well-founded new nature policy and green cabin concept, Saltdalshytta is now engaged in forward-thinking product development and has a good dialogue with authorities and municipalities. They have a clear voice advocating for better ways of working with cabin development that supports achieving Norway's climate goals. 

As a result, they have also increased their competitiveness by 

themselves as a proactive actor aiming to drive sustainable development in the industry, with a holistic approach to nature and climate and better solutions for new customer segments.

Saltdalshytta - A more nature-friendly cabin concept