HOUSE OF TREE
This residency program seeks to generate deep engagement with the environment by reforesting Iceland beginning with just one slice of earth. Artists and scientists will come together for a period of two years and work collectively to gain tacit knowledge of Icelandic ecology.
Despite once being vastly forested, Iceland has been without trees since the land was razed shortly after settlement. Mitigating the experienced effects of the changing climate, tree growth will prevent coastal erosion, sequester carbon, and prepare the soil for agricultural use. Glacial rebound is harming the fishing industry by changing the water line, making it difficult to harbor. As this will persist, is there a way to start to plant the seeds for an industry transition that allows the people of Hofn to feed themselves and make a living?
Located just a few kilometers from town, the site already hosts a guesthouse which can be adaptively reused without much additional material for sleeping. The primary building is formed by the wind and the topography, nestled into the hill on the cold side, opening to the south. The building splits to create windless zones and differentiate program space. A critical addition is a seed vault at the far north-west of the site which utilizes the arctic wind to the north to stay cool. The three small structures are knit together with a raised wooden path, minimizing the weight of the architecture on the site.
Design Studio 03
Art + Science Residency
Hofn, Iceland
Date
2022
2022