The Icelandic turf house tradition is beautiful and intriguing to see either as tumbling remains or as reconstructions. The Icelandic turf house with its roots in the shared building heritage of Europe from before the settlement, evolved in a special way under unique conditions over many hundreds of years. Þverá turf house in North-Iceland. They were sturdy and stood up to the harsh climate. The Icelandic Turf House Institute is located in Árnessýslu, about an hour’s drive southeast from Reykjavik. 3 Introduction The Skagafjörður Historical Museum is active in preserving knowledge about turf structures for a simple reason: Skaga-fjörður is still rich in turf ruins. Iceland Turf Home. Notice the herringbone pattern turf walls. Icelandic turf house. Perhaps it is due to our favor-able climate that the people of Skagafjörður continued to use turf to build their houses longer than their neighbours did. Since the supply of wood was extremely low, most of the timber was imported from abroad. From the Settlement of Iceland, around 870, until the mid 20th century, Icelanders lived in turf houses, both rich and poor.The last inhabitants moved out of their turf-houses in the mid 20th century, around 1966. The Icelandic Turf House is open: Sun - Sun 11:00 - 18:00; What hotels are near The Icelandic Turf House? On the other hand, lava stones and turf, the main building materials, were available in large amounts. Far better than wood, stone, turf provided superior insulation from cold weather. The frames of the houses were constructed using strong timber and … They were built by stacking flat stones to create the foundation, using birch or driftwood to create frames, then covering the structure with several layers of turf. 52. Collection of original houses and in detail exhibitions. Your Icelandic Turf House stock images are ready. The traditional Iceland turf house would have a large foundation made of flat stones, and a wooden frame which would hold the turf. Because of the lack of trees in Iceland, turf was a popular building material and thick turf walls were useful to ward off the cold. So common that nowadays it is considered the typical Icelandic house structure. These turf homes were lived in right up until the 1960s so you will gain an understanding of how turf houses were modernised with the addition of electricity and toilets. Another intriguing aspect of the Icelandic turf house was the introduction of attached toilets, which were communal, and the act of going to the attached bathroom was often done in large groups. Icelandic turf houses are always worth a visit. Photo Credit . Closer view of the school, note the turf roof which is common in Iceland The Icelandic turf house was the product of a difficult climate, offering superior insulation… Mar 5, 2015 - Best viewed on black ! Turf houses are not exclusive Icelandic, this way of building dates back from the Iron age and were quite common in Norway. “The Icelandic turf house was the product of a difficult climate, offering superior insulation compared to buildings solely made of wood or stone. The common Icelandic turf house would have a large foundation made of flat stones; upon this was built a wooden frame which would hold the load of the turf. The house is 125 m2, and... ISK 4,914,525. It also … Originally, the idea for their construction was a circumstance of the harsh climate and isolation of this island in the North Atlantic. How they were built, how they were lived in, their origin and cultural context, contemporary significance, subtlety and beauty. Turf houses are, quite simply, semi-underground abodes with a grassy roof, not unlike the Hobbit homes in Lord of the Rings. It is a fine example of the form of stave construction which was superseded in the 19th century by timber-frame construction. Sudavik Westfjords . At Reynistaður in Skagafjörður the entrance building to an old turf farm-house survives, which dates from 1758-9. Turf homes of the wealthy were often large and contained interior wood paneling and wood floors, as they could afford the high cost of lumber. Virtually anywhere that people and animals needed to take shelter from the elements, turf structures were constructed. Construction. When is The Icelandic Turf House open? The turf would then be fitted around the frame in blocks often with a second layer, or in the more fashionable herringbone style. In this video we tour a traditional Icelandic turf house at the Islenski Baerinn Turf House museum (http://islenskibaerinn.is/english/). What is an Icelandic Turf House? Turf houses in Iceland are special because of their unique building technique, influenced by the local climate and available materials. “The turf house is an exceptional example of a vernacular architectural tradition, which has survived in Iceland,” according to the nomination. As their name suggests, turf is one of the main materials used for its construction. Hotels near The Icelandic Turf House: (9.28 km) 360 Hotel (9.00 km) … In other parts of Northern Europe, turf was used by the poorer classes, though in Iceland both the rich and the poor exploited this natural resource. Nordic "long houses" were common in the 9th century. Half of the population in turf homes in 1910 When looking at pictures from Iceland, small and cute looking turf houses are bound to come up. However, there was an abundance of turf that was suitable for construction. A house with garden is for sale in Selfoss, Iceland. 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