Family Lives a Surprisingly Warm and Cozy Life in the Arctic Circle

When you think of the Arctic Circle, an inhospitable world covered in snow and ice comes to mind. Add that to sub-zero temperatures, freezing wind, and perhaps even an abominable snowman encounter, and that would paint a perfect picture of the Earth’s icy north-most latitude.

Given this environment, most people would think the Arctic Circle is virtually uninhabitable. That isn’t quite the case, however.

The frigid, inhospitable Arctic Circle.

One family has created a warm and comfortable home near the icy wastes, just along the far reaches of Norway.

A startlingly futuristic structure in the middle of nowhere.

If you chance upon Norway’s Sandhornøya Island, you’ll find the Hjertefølger family has built themselves a surprisingly comfortable dwelling.

They’ve been living in a three-story geodesic glass home since 2013.

Inside the futuristic “space station,” the 25-foot-high dwelling is made entirely from organic materials: sand, water and clay, among others.

Its a cob house.

Not only is the solar geodesic dome enclosing it functional, it also happens to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Like a giant snow globe, only with the snow outside.

The Hjertefølger’s Solardome boasts of five bedrooms and two bathrooms for all six family members.

And a rustic living room overlooking a magnificent view.

More importantly, the dome protects them from the heavy snow, strong winds, and icy temperatures outside, while cutting down on their heating costs.

Especially in a three-storey house with many rooms.

Surprisingly, the dome also has a garden area with the perfect greenhouse environment.

The Hjertefølgers take advantage of this to grow their own green food.

Benjamin and Ingrid Hjertefølger farm apples, squash, cherries, cucumbers, melons, apricots, tomatoes, grapes, kiwis, and lots of herbs.

A green harvest in a corner of the earth that sees no sunlight three months in a year.

The interior is cozy and welcoming. It’s hard to believe the Arctic Circle is just outside its walls.

If not for the magnificent views.

The Hjertefølger family even gets to enjoy the Northern Lights display outside the clear glass on winter nights.

A sight to look forward to.

And to fall asleep to every night.

“We love the house; it has a soul of its own and it feels very personal. What surprises us is the fact that we built ourselves anew as we built the house.”

The Hjertefølger family has lived in the dome for the last three years.

“The process changed us, shaped us,” Ingrid explained to Inhabitat.

“Our house is amazing – we have been blown away by the magnificence of the dome and the life it is helping us to lead.”

Living in a dwelling unlike anything else.

“The atmosphere is unique. The house has a calmness; I can almost hear the stillness. It is hard to explain. But it would have been impossible getting this feeling from a house someone else has planned and built for us, or a house with corners and straight lines.” Hjertefølger said of their unique home.