It’s not easy surviving inside the Arctic Circle. The weather outside is frightfully cold and definitely not delightful. In fact, your chances of survival in such harsh conditions are slim if you spend too much time there without shelter. But one Norwegian family decided to beat the odds and accept the challenge of living in the Arctic and they’re not exactly roughing it either. Benjamin Hjertefølger and his wife Ingrid built a three-story cob house wrapped in a solar geodesic dome and it’s the most self-sustaining property you’d ever want to live in ever.It was designed in such a way that it would allow the loving family of six to live out their lives in sheer comfort, despite the horrible climatic conditions outside.
The family also has a means of growing their own food inside, which is ideal given that there aren’t any Walmarts nearby.
In fact, it kind of reminds us a bit of a Hobbit house inside a futuristic glass dome.
Fortunately, the single glazed geodesic dome helps protect the family from the harsh elements, including the freezing temperature and cool winds.
It’s pretty much like every other home in the neighborhood. It’s got the children’s bikes tossed outside in the snow and everything. But there’s something different when you walk in the house that other houses don’t have, according to the Hjertefølgers.
Everything in the house works the way it was designed to, according to the Hjertefølger. Ingrid also added that the house seemed to have a soul of its own, making it feel personal because it was something she and her husband built.
The Hjertefølger had to design the home to withstand wind and extreme temperatures.
Growing crops in the winter in the arctic is virtually impossible to do. But even with the dome, growing food is tough because people here spend three months without any sun.
You can expect to find apples, cherries, plums, apricots, kiwis, grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, squash, and even melons among the various crops. Yummy!
The gray and black water is reused to water and fertilizing the plants. The family even uses food scraps as compost, and they always make sure to use biodegradable household products to reduce the risk of contaminants in the food that they grow and later eat.
Benjamin pointed out that cob wood can potentially last “forever if you keep it dry”. Fortunately, the home is covered by a glass dome, which shields it from the harmful effects of the weather.
Ingrid said that maintaining the wall’s cob structure is relatively hassle free and there’s really no need to paint it either, which is a plus.
But there is room for improvement. The family has stated that if they were to build a new Nature House, they’d add double glass to the greenhouse so that the garden would be tropical and not drip in the winter. Other than that, they’ve got everything they need from tranquility to happiness and self-sufficiency in every corner of the house.
