Hard luck to us, next time :)
Team: Musab Badahdah, Penelope Fung
Endurfæðing: REBIRTH
It was a great exercise for one week fast track competition during thanksgiving holiday. Unfortunately we didn’t win, but was a great opportunity to take different approach than everyday real practice.
Turf house was first introduced to Iceland by the Vikings as they sailed across the sea, seeking new beginnings. Unlike their homeland, Iceland was not as vegetated which led them to turn to the abundance of turf growing on rich volcanic soil. Turf House is almost a migration of turf from its natural field to a foundation laid with stones. The turf will continue to grow on the layer of rich soil thus forming a fluffy blanket across the roof.
Exiting the museum, visitors can either choose to exit the box for a tour to the volcano crater, or route back to enjoy exhibitions only the turf roof. At night, visitors are even invited to camp on the roof to lay under the northern lights.
The visit to the museum is not only appreciating exhibits within the stone walls, but a holistic experience of Icelandic culture and its deep roots in the appreciation of nature.
Through this series of operation, the volume of the house is being inverted, thus inviting nature to come under this renewed turf roof.
The museum can be considered as two volumes being conjoined by the natural landscape. The center of the museum is a curated path for visitors and residents from the town to reach a black box that framed the volcano as the heart of the museum.
The museum can be considered as two volumes being conjoined by the natural landscape. The center of the museum is a curated path for visitors and residents from the town to reach a black box that framed the volcano as the heart of the museum.
Not only is the turf serving the purpose of a roof, it also regulates temperature within the structure. Turf house, in fact, should be considered as the pioneer of modern day green roof. This unique building technique not only is worth preserving, but also being renewed through contemporary architecture. Endurfæðing symbolizes the rebirth of turf house. As turf house takes the shape of a gable roof, the Hverfjall museum is a turf house split from the center, with one half rotated, thus the low edge of the house faces each other in the center.
