BIG envisions self-sufficient, off-grid island for sustainable clothing brand in nova scotia

unveiling the carbon-neutral vollebak island by BIG and FBM 

BIG has teamed up with clothing brand Vollebak on a design vision for a self-sufficient, off-grid residential island in Nova Scotia, Canada dubbed the ‘home of adventure’. Jointly with local architecture firm FBM, it will comprise both natural and manufactured materials, including seaweed, hempcrete, and 3D-printed concrete. Fully powered by carbon-neutral energy, the island will be auctioned via Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions beginning June 8.

Located one-quarter mile off the Nova Scotia mainland in the Jeddore Harbour, the 11-acre Vollebak Island will include the 597 sqm ‘Earth House’, consisting of nine interconnected buildings, and the 88 sqm ‘Wood House’, a standalone garden suite on the island’s eastern shoreline. Fifty minutes from Halifax, the project will be fueled by offshore wind, geothermal energy, and solar power, with the energy stored in Tesla power walls. 

all images © Vollebak

‘Vollebak is using technology and material innovation to create clothes that are as sustainable and resilient as they are beautiful. In other words, the fashion equivalent of BIG’s architectural philosophy of Hedonistic Sustainability,‘ comments Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director of BIG. ‘For Vollebak Island, we have imagined the rooms as a manmade mount of individual volumes rising out of the ground and a separate outpost at the edge of the breaking waves.’

‘Each room in the village is made from its own unique material – stacked seaweed, compacted earth, hemp, glass brick or locally sourced stone – tailored for the specific use and experience of that particular room. For Vollebak Island, we incorporate local tradition elevated by global innovation in a self-sustained manmade ecosystem off the coast of Canada,‘ continues Ingels.

the Vollebak island is envisioned as a nature-infused residential retreat

a residential retreat embedded into the rich topography 

‘Earth House’, the village-like cluster of bespoke buildings, will gently rise from the ground at the heart of the island, resembling land art as much as architecture. The permeable layout will create various open spaces for socializing, allowing nature to intertwine with architecture. The structures by BIG and the FBM team will represent specific fragments of nature, each intentionally built with a different material and playful elements of surprise interwoven throughout.

Serving as a gateway to the island, ‘Earth House’ incorporates a living and dining room made entirely of weather-resistant and naturally insulating thatch; this space will serve as a central gathering area for cooking, eating, and relaxing around a large six-meter Viking fire pit. Residents and guests will reside in one of the four bedrooms made of fire retardant hempcrete, 3D-printed concrete, or naturally occurring boulder. For recreation, they can rejuvenate in a Japanese-style bath house with soaking tubs cut from the stone bedrock or have a first-class view of the galaxy in the sunken hempcrete stargazing room and meditation space.

Even more, a greenhouse made entirely of glass brick will grow food for the Vollebak island; energy will be stored in a building with a solar roof and submarine door; and the boat house will honor a local tradition of using regenerative seaweed as insulation. The roofs, meanwhile, will incorporate shrubs and other flora to reduce storm-water runoff and ease the burden on sewers and water treatment systems.

embedding the architecture into the topography

Complementing ‘Earth House’ will be the ‘Wood House’ annex, a standalone two-bedroom, two-bathroom residence with a durable exterior made entirely of wood from the island, essential for extreme climate conditions. The monolithic façade will be able to open and close toward the seaside, showcasing a vast eight-meter triangular vista over the water.

‘Every design detail at Vollebak Island will help to foster the closest possible connection to nature, acting as a curated extension of the island’s organic topography and creating a living environment that blurs the boundaries between inside and out. The beach, the woods, the cliffs, the landscapes, and the sunsets will all be part of the house on Vollebak Island,’ concludes BIG.

In a unique move, the island stands to be auctioned via Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions in cooperation with Scott and Angie Bryant of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada. Bidding for the island will open online on June 8 at conciergeauctions.com, and culminate live on June 14 at Sotheby’s New York. Bidders will vie for the chance to own the island and be granted coveted and exclusive rights to the design vision, including planning permission for those designs.

Japanese-style bath house with soaking tubs cut from the stone bedrock

using natural and manufactured materials, like seaweed and hempcrete

‘Wood House’ annex — a standalone two-bedroom, two-bathroom residence

the Vollebak island will be powered by carbon-neutral energy

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the project reflects Vollebak's sustainable fashion practice

the site is located one-quarter mile off the Nova Scotia mainland

project info: 

name: Home of adventure / Vollebak Island 

location: Nova Scotia, Canada

area: 620 sqm 

client: Vollebak | @vollebak 

architecture: BIG | @big_builds

co-architect: FBM | @fbm_design 

partners-in-charge: Bjarke Ingels, Andreas Klok Pedersen
project lead: Ryohei Koike
team: Ania Podlaszewska, David Vieira Agostinho, Ayham Kabbani, Sara Najar Sualdea, Théo Hamy,
Isabelle Doumet, Weronika Zareba
BIG Sustainability: Will Chuanrui Yu, Jan Zawadzki, Harish Karthick Vijay