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Joy arises again: "Finally! Spring is coming!" The Hjertefolger family from Norway thinks differently. Not only does she love violent winter storms and freezing temperatures, but she also prefers an extraordinary lifestyle.
It is a building made of stone, wood and clay. However, that alone would not offer any protection from the prevailing climatic conditions. That is why the family had a gigantic dome, known as the "Solar Geodesic Dome", built over their 240 square meter home, which is actually only known from planetariums. First and foremost, the Hjertefolgers benefit from one aspect: Since the air under the glass warms up like in a greenhouse, Mediterranean temperatures prevail under the shell even on cloudy days. And Ingrid, Benjamin and their children take advantage of them. In the garden on the roof they love to grow vegetables and fruits such as cherries, plums, apples, kiwis, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs and pumpkins. With the help of solar cells, they generate their own electricity. The advantage: If it gets too hot inside on a sunny day, flaps in the glass open automatically and the excess heat is drawn off within a short time.
An ultra green construction project
Everything has also been thought of: all the wastewater is treated again through filters in order to irrigate and fertilize the plants. Fruit and vegetable scraps are used as fertilizer. Only clean and recyclable or biodegradable products are used in the household. One thinks of the circulatory system of nature. After all, a large part of the recycled products ends up in the food again.
The nurse and her husband built this unique object for a year and a half, with friends and family helping. It cost just under 350,000 euros. "Including land and dome. That is extremely cheap compared to normal houses in Norway. But only because we did almost everything ourselves."
"The atmosphere is unique."
The view is gigantic, enthuses mom of four Ingrid, who impresses on her Insta profile with pics of her extravagant life: "We have a perfect view of the northern lights." But how durable is this building? "It will last forever," the Hjertefolgers are certain, "as long as it is kept dry. The clay walls do not have to be painted. They are light and have a great effect," says the nurse and adds: "When we are through Going through the house feels different to a normal building, the atmosphere is unique and the calm is so strong that you can literally hear the silence.
It's hard to describe. I think it's also so unique because we planned and built it ourselves. "Everything works as the family hoped it would." We love it here. The house has its own soul and feels very personal. Another big surprise was that we got to know each other again when we built it together, "says Ingrid Hjertefølger." This process changed and shaped us. This process changed our approach to life. You can tell how little you need to be really happy."
