Seaweed: stuffing your stomach, stuffing your home. And not just because you filled your pantry with those crack-like seaweed crisps from Trader Joe’s. If you lived on the Danish island of Læso in the 1800s, it was common for your home to be insulated with seaweed. Now some Danish architects are reviving the slimy trend in hopes of calling attention to sustainable building solutions.
Realdania Byg, a nonprofit, and Vandkunsten, a Danish architecture company, put their heads together and built a home on Læso called the Modern Seaweed House, GizMag reports:
The 100 sq m (1,076 sq ft) home was built for two families (eight occupants) and includes a large central family room with kitchen. At both ends of the house there is an additional living space that features a raised loft bed for additional guests.
It was constructed with timber-frame panels and stuffed with seaweed as an alternative to mineral wool. The roof and facade were then cladded with pillows made from knitted wool and stuffed with seaweed. On the roof these pillows are thick and soft, while on the facade they are small and hard, resembling brick work. Furthermore, the peaked ceiling is also covered with panels stuffed with seaweed and upholstered with linen fabric.
The house, which cost $345,000 to build, is anticipated to last as long as a seaweed-free home, since it’s a pretty hardy plant that doesn’t rot or attract mold or bugs (although birds will eventually take up on the roof). If you visit, say hi to the Little Mermaid for me.
