Enjoying a comfortable, bountiful life isn?t so easy when you live in the Artic Circle. On the island of Sandhornøya in northern Norway, temperatures remain below zero degrees Celsius for most of the year. For three months during the winter, the sun never even rises. These brutally cold and unforgiving conditions are no place for a young family trying to live a sustainable lifestyle?unless you?re the Hjertefølgers, who built an oasis in this frozen land out of cob and a surrounding geodesic dome.

Referred to as “The Nature House,” this family?s three-story home is made from 300 tons of cob, a natural building composite of mud, straw, water, and lime. Cob is especially malleable and can be used to create curved walls, arched doorways, built-in niches, benches, and countertops. The Hjertefølgers constructed the house almost entirely by themselves, which allowed them to incorporate fairytale elements like balconies and lavish wooden doors with hand-hewn hardware wherever they pleased. Cob houses are not usually ideal for such harsh climates, but this home and its outdoor garden are kept warm by the dome overhead.
The family of six purchased their single-glazed geodesic dome from Solardome, a UK-based company that designs and manufactures geodesic glass structures for houses, spas, outdoor living spaces, and community centers. The dome acts as a greenhouse and traps heat so the family can lounge outside all year long and garden for five months longer than they ...