Gallery: Solar Geodesic Dome-Covered Cob House Rises in the Far
Reaches...  Ingrid Marie and Benjamin Hjertefølger are building
a cob house topped by a glass solar dome in Norway  Ardent
followers of permaculture, the couple and their three children
are lucky to be surrounded by a host of like-minded families who
often come by to help with the building. They are also
vegetarians, so it was important for them to find a way to be
self-sufficient all year despite their northerly latitude. As a
result, they have built a small greenhouse that is irrigated
using waste water treated by plants and sand in the greenhouse.
They can even grow tropical fruits!  The basement was
constructed using Leca – lightweight bricks of extruded clay. A
system of long buried pipes leading down to the beach bring
fresh air into the home. Since the temperature of the earth is
constant, these pipes bring in warm air during winter and cool
air during the summertime. Vents at the base of the house, mid-
level windows and windows near the r