Trondheim-I Love Ewe
Norway Field Notes · Going Green Literally
Summer Is the Nicest Day of the Year
A turf-roof tradition built for rain, insulation, endurance—and a distinctly Norwegian sense of humour.
Ordinary World
This Sod Roof Just Isn’t Cutting It
The Call
Going Green—Quite Literally
Norwegians have their own way of going green, and quite literally. For hundreds of years, houses in Norway have been covered with turf.
They come in different varieties. Some are bright green and almost velvety. Others are golden and look like they are growing wheat or oats.
Trials
Built for Weight, Weather and Time
The advantages of turf roofs—also called sod roofs—are many. They are very heavy, so they help to stabilise the house. They provide good insulation, and they are long-lasting.
Foreign Land
A Tradition Seen Everywhere
Turf roofs in Norway are a tradition, and I have seen them everywhere.
They turn architecture into landscape: not a house placed against nature, but a house carrying a piece of nature on its back.
Companion Story
On Top of the World · 71°10′21″
Continue north to the edge of Europe, above the Arctic Circle, where the journey becomes a significant achievement measured in exact coordinates.
Companion chapter supplied · Public URL not includedThe Elixir
The oldest green technology may simply be knowing how to let the landscape become part of the house.Norway’s turf roofs are heavy, practical, insulating and enduring—a centuries-old answer to rain disguised as something beautiful.