The Family Hearts Follower has built a very special house of clay and straw (cob) inside a glass bell on the Sandhorn island in Gildeskål municipality in Nordland. They want a house built of biodegradable materials that frame around its earthly, self-contained lifestyle. A number of new materials and techniques are being tested in the pilot project.
source: arkitektur / image: Petter Formo
The background for the project was the developers’ desire to exploit local, natural and degradable building materials that can not be burned or exposed to pests, which do not interfere with nature and provide a favorable indoor environment with controlled humidity and temperature. The building is listed on three floors where the basement is built in Leca.
image credit: hjertefolger
The first and second floors have a load bearing construction of wood where the walls are insulated with cob, a mixture of clay, straw and sand. The solar-powered, three-storey, five-bedroom home features an irrigated outdoor garden under the 25-foot-high dome that allows the family to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables for five months longer than usual.
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An outer climate zone of glass is vaulted over the building. The dome acts as a climate screen against the building itself and provides a semi-climate outer space that utilizes solar energy and allows for the production of food. The greenhouse will produce short-range food for your own use, and the plants will in turn supply the indoor air to oxygen.
The project is a good example of environment and energy-friendly construction due to its unusual approach to the issues of reduced energy consumption, reduced water consumption, and conscious choice of short travel, unconventional materials. It is also interesting that the judgment is a climate zone that allows for the cultivation of food.
