The Heritage Craft School
The Heritage Craft School is a project run by the Skagafjörður Heritage Museum, aimed at preserving and teaching traditional Icelandic building techniques. The school organizes courses and workshops focusing primarily on turf and stone construction and timber framing, as well as window-making (in collaboration with Fjölbrautaskóli Norðurlands vestra), driftwood processing, and loom weaving (in cooperation with the Skagafjörður Heritage Museum).
The school has trained nearly 400 participants, both domestic and international, including heritage professionals and enthusiasts.
Funding and Courses
Courses at the Traditional Building School are funded through grants, primarily from the Icelandic Cultural Heritage Fund and the Museum Fund. The number of courses offered each year depends on available funding.
The project manager of the Traditional Building School is Inga Katrín D. Magnúsdóttir.
Click here to access booklets on turf construction and traditional building techniques.
History of the Traditional Building School
The Skagafjörður Heritage Museum established a dedicated research focus on turf structures and craftsmanship in its 1999 museum strategy, leading to the documentation of turf construction remains in Skagafjörður.
The Traditional Building School project began in 2006, when an agreement was made with the owners of Tyrfingsstaðir in Kjálki, Skagafjörður, to use the site as a training ground for historic construction techniques. The site contains various turf and stone buildings, including residential structures, outbuildings, and barns. Courses began there in 2007, and since then, most of the school’s workshops have taken place at Tyrfingsstaðir. While Tyrfingsstaðir and the school operate as separate entities, they have greatly benefited from each other’s collaboration.
The establishment of the Traditional Building School aimed to bridge craftsmanship and architectural heritage, helping to preserve traditional skills used in turf and timber construction. From the beginning, the school’s goal has been to graduate students with practical knowledge and skills in Icelandic traditional building techniques, particularly turf-cutting, turf and stone masonry, woodwork, and metalwork.
Until 2024, the Traditional Building School operated as a collaborative project between the Skagafjörður Heritage Museum, Fjölbrautaskóli Norðurlands vestra, and Hólar University. At the end of 2024, the partner institutions ended their collaboration, and the Skagafjörður Heritage Museum fully took over the management of the project.
The Importance of Traditional Craftsmanship
Traditional building techniques, such as turf and stone masonry, are an important part of Iceland’s cultural heritage but are rapidly disappearing.
Knowledge of material selection, handling, and use of wood, turf, and stone is essential for maintaining and preserving Iceland’s historic structures and architectural heritage. Without efforts to sustain these skills, they could be lost in a short time.
Cultural Heritage Award from the Icelandic Heritage Agency
In 2023, the Traditional Building School received a special recognition from the Icelandic Heritage Agency for its contribution to the preservation of historic craftsmanship.
The agency’s statement included the following:
“Through its courses, the school has shared knowledge with both heritage professionals and enthusiasts, ensuring the survival of traditional craftsmanship that has been in decline. Understanding old building techniques is essential for maintaining Iceland’s unique turf-building heritage.”
Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, the Minister for the Environment, Energy, and Climate at the time, added that this was not just Iceland’s heritage - it belongs to the world. While Iceland has kept the tradition alive, it has largely disappeared elsewhere.
Courses at the Traditional Building School
Over the past two decades, the Traditional Building School has hosted numerous courses in turf and stone masonry, timber framing, driftwood processing, and loom weaving. Nearly 400 participants, both domestic and international, including heritage professionals and enthusiasts, have taken part in these courses.
Upcoming courses are announced each spring on the school’s website and Facebook page.
For further information, contact the project manager, Inga Katrín D. Magnúsdóttir, via email at ingakatrin@skagafjordur.is or by phone at +354 453 6173.
Turf Building Course
The turf building course typically lasts three days, with a strong focus on practical training. Participants learn:
- Material selection and preparation (turf cutting and shaping)
- Key building techniques, including strengur (strip) and klömbruhnaus (clamped block) methods
- Basic principles of turf construction
- Tools and terminology
- Best practices for repairing and maintaining historic and protected structures
The main goal of the course is to equip participants with the skills needed to construct and restore turf structures while ensuring proper handling of historic sites.
Stone Masonry Course
Like turf, stone has been a traditional building material in Iceland but is now rarely used in contemporary construction. This course covers:
- Basic principles of stone masonry
- Selection of suitable materials (both natural and cut stone)
- Techniques for constructing a double freestanding stone wall
- How to build corners, arches, and wall caps
- Key terminology in stone masonry
Participants gain hands-on experience in constructing and finishing stone walls while learning essential masonry skills.
Loom Weaving on a Warp-Weighted Loom
The warp-weighted loom (kljásteinavefstaður) was used in Iceland from the settlement period until the 19th century, when horizontal looms replaced it. This loom was traditionally used to weave röggvarfeldur (coarse wool cloaks), wadmal, einskefta, salún, Icelandic glit, cross-weaving, and more.
The course covers:
- Threading and setting up a warp-weighted loom
- Weaving techniques and hand movements
- Traditional weaving tools and their functions
- Step-by-step practical training with hands-on participation
Participants actively engage in setting up and weaving on a traditional warp-weighted loom, reviving centuries-old textile-making techniques.