Norwegian Family Constructs A Beautiful Glass Dome Eco-House
Imagine constructing your dream home. Where would you build it? How big would it be? What features would you include? It’s called a dream home because unfortunately, many people can only dream of ever actually getting it. For most people, the cost of making dreams like this a reality are just too extensive.
A Norwegian family was fortunate enough to recently make their dream home a reality, and their dream was an especially unique one!
For a grand total of 340,000 euros, the Hjertefoldger’s built their new home in what might seem like a surprising location to some: the center of the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is in Northern Norway on Sandhorney Island, and it’s a beautiful area.
One of the most important things to couple Benjamin and Ingrid Hjertefoldger when planning their dream home was that it be as eco-friendly as possible. With that in mind, they built a home that was completely sustainable and entirely unique in design.
The home was made with all-natural materials including sand and straw, and the finished product is a glass dome eco-house. The dome is seven and a half meters high, and it’s made up of 360 individual glass panels. The total diameter of the house is roughly 15 meters.
Extensive design and planning had to go into building the home as it had to be able to withstand the rigors of the arctic climate, and it does exactly that. The weight of arctic snowfalls can be substantial, but it can endure it all.
Not only is the dome extremely functional, but it’s also very beautiful to look at. When it’s covered in snow it’s beauty is enhanced even further, and we can only imagine it looks good the rest of the year too.
Like the exterior, the interior of the dome was built smart as well and it features its own water treatment system that allows the family to grow their own plants. In the heart of the dome is the family’s living quarters.
It’s clear how much thought and effort were put into building this fascinating structure, and its unique design is capturing many people’s attention. No doubt it will spawn many similar ideas from other families looking for a more eco-friendly, affordable housing solution.
The project officially began in 2012, and a year and a half later it was completed. Now the entire family of six including Benjamin, Ingrid, Julia, eleven, Gabriel, nine, Aron, six, and Alvin, 10 months, happily live there.
The children really seem to enjoy living in the dome, but the real question is, who wouldn’t? It looks like something out of a science fiction movie.
Check out the video below that shows the house in more detail along with commentary from the family. Perhaps it will inspire you to create your own eco-friendly home!
If you love this original idea, be sure to share it with your family and friends!