ECO/BIO-PRODUCTION IN ICELAND – SÓLHEIMAR
The new and developing larger greenhouse in Sólheimar. They can not supply the demand that is coming these days from the consumer market. Icelander’s are becoming much more focused in this direction after the crash in 2008.
We are a few people looking at the bio-eco game in Iceland. We are linked to the Iceland Academy of Art and various Eco actors. Food and the future of consumption is the biggest issue of the coming decades. In our mapping exercise we were invited to Sólheimar eco village. This is a very old institute now and their presentation says:
“Solheimar is a world renowned sustainable community known for its artistic and ecological atmosphere where about 100 people live and work together. It was founded in 1930 by Sesselja Hreindís Sigmundsdóttir (1902-1974). It is a small village set out in the countryside, characterized by vegetation, open common spaces and buildings that nicely co-exist with the landscape.”
Standard production in Iceland almost all the year around. Geo thermal heating provides heat for the greenhouses. Eco tomatoes with all the materials and nature that should be provided to us.
For better information about them look at their website and map. Here is also a large collection of images from Sólheimar for those that are interested that way. And here is one of my own photo albums from the visit.
As designers we went specifically to get to know better about the production of bio-grown products, but of course went through all the workshops and met many of the workers.
This activity is what can save Iceland (and hopefully many other locations) from the sad direction that we are aiming towards: now 7.000000 people, many of which do not have enough to eat and we use 1,4 earths every year while we only have one to live off. This we will be able to do for not so many years in the coming future.
Designers are always becoming more interested in this method of creating solutions that are human and do not overkill the natural conditions that we have on earth. To me the Triple Bottom Line has been a simple method in evaluating if something is worth pursuing or should be skipped.
Anyway yesterday we were taken around in Sólheimar and I have here many photos from the place and now our next steps will be to connect designers and interested parties to facilitate information and education to the public.
It was great to be taken around the place by Master of Ceremonies Erlendur Pálsson and meeting staff and bio members of all kinds. People making fashion, candles, food etc. The images tell the story better than my bad typing.
Production by residents in Sólheimar. There are many more images in this album.
November 11, 2011
Posted in: ART, DESIGN, ICELAND, SUSTAINABILITY
