BIG Proposes "Vollebak Island," a Self-Sustaining, Independent Island in Nova Scotia

BIG and the well-known clothing company Vollebak have collaborated on “Vollebak Island” to create a sustainable, independent community off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Seaweed, hempcrete, and 3D-printed concrete will all be used in this collaborative effort with the local architecture studio FBM. The island runs entirely on renewable energy and will be up for auction through Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions on June 8.
The 11-acre Vollebak Island, located a quarter mile off the Nova Scotia coastline in the Jeddore Harbour, will feature the 597 square meters “Earth House,” comprised of nine interlinked structures, and the 88 square meters “Wood House,” a solitary garden suite on the island’s eastern side. The project, located fifty minutes from Halifax, will use wind from the sea, geothermal supply, solar power, and Tesla power walls to produce and preserve electricity.

“Using cutting-edge technology and materials, Vollebak designs and manufactures clothing that is as long-lasting as it is stunning. In other words, the aesthetic interpretation of BIG’s sensual environmental responsibility in architecture. On Vollebak Island, we pictured each chamber as an independent enclave perched on the crest of the ocean’s crashing waves, like a manufactured mountain of stacked volumes rising from the ground below.” Comments Bjarke Ingels, CEO and Creative Director of BIG.

Vollebak Island: A Private Retreat Set Amidst Lush Terrain

A cluster of unique houses called “Earth House” will slowly emerge from the island’s center, mimicking earthwork as effectively as architecture. The open floor plan will feature a variety of gathering areas where nature can blend with the built environment. BIG and the FBM team will create structures that evoke isolated facets of nature by using various materials and subtle design touches.
To welcome visitors to the island, “Earth House” features an open-air meeting space with a kitchen, dining area, and a six-meter Viking fire pit, all constructed of weather-resistant and naturally absorbing thatch. Four bedrooms are available for residents and guests, each made from hempcrete, 3D-printed concrete, or a boulder. They can relax in an underground hempcrete observation room and meditation space or unwind in a Japanese-style bath house with soothers cut from the stone ground.

“Each chamber in the village is constructed using a different material that was chosen for its intended purpose and experience, such as layered seaweed, dense soil, hemp, glass brick, or local stone. In a self-sustaining artificial ecosystem off the coast of Canada, we have integrated local tradition with worldwide invention,” explains Ingels.

Food for the Vollebak island will be grown in a glass brick greenhouse; energy will be stored in a structure with a solar roof and underwater door; and the boat house will pay homage to a local custom by employing renewable seaweed as an insulator. Meanwhile, the tops will have bushes and other flora to lessen the rainfall’s impact on sewers and water treatment facilities.

In addition to the main “Earth House,” an independent “Wood House” extension with two bedrooms and two bathrooms will also be constructed on Vollebak Island. The outside of this home will be built entirely of wood, making it particularly well-suited to the island’s harsh climactic settings. The massive façade swings open and shut in response to sea breezes, revealing an eight-meter-tall triangular ocean view.

“Vollebak Island’s architecture is planned to be a naturally formed continuation of the island’s natural landscape, promoting an intimate relationship with the natural world and erasing distinctions between indoors and outdoors. The house on Vollebak Island will be surrounded by the beach, the trees, the hills, the landscape, and the sunsets,” claims BIG.

Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions is partnering with Scott and Angie Bryant of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada to host one-of-a-kind bidding on the island. On June 8 at conciergeauctions.com, online bidding will begin, with the final live auction on June 14 at Sotheby’s New York. Potential buyers will compete to acquire the island and secure the highly sought-after and exclusive design vision rights and the necessary planning permission.