Scandinavian ecovillage rethinks homeownership: no mortgages, no waste

Twenty-two years ago, a group of friends bought a very affordable cornfield in rural Denmark and set out to build homes that were both debt-free and waste-free.

What began as a bold experiment with 13 families soon transformed the land into the eco-village of Friland (which means "Freeland"), a tight-knit community committed to back-to-basics living.

The homes were constructed with natural and recyclable materials like straw bales, seashells, sawdust, and sod roofs, reflecting the community’s deep respect for the environment.

Today, Friland is home to 45 families and has become a beacon of cooperative, low-impact living. At the core of Friland’s philosophy is the principle that residents cannot take on mortgages to build their homes, meaning they must save enough money in advance. Many begin by living in campers, while most build their homes slowly and by hand, prioritizing self-reliance and resourcefulness.

Steen Møller, one of the village’s founders, has turned his home's waste into resources. A trained farmer, Møller designed and built a thermal mass heater that heats his 75-square-meter home using minimal wood and then he captures the stove's exhaust pipes it into a buried greenhouse where he grows lettuce during the winter (even when there's snow on the ground).

Møller also captures his household's greywater, piping it beneath his home’s greenhouse, where it’s stored in a bladder filled with mussel shells that filter the water and provide nutrients to a very abundant fruit and vegetable garden.

Beyond its innovative homes, Friland encourages local enterprises. Residents support each other through shared projects like a volunteer-run grocery store and café, monthly communal dinners, and an annual assembly where they plan new initiatives.

The village even boasts a Michelin-recognized restaurant, Restaurant Moment, run by former residents, which uses locally sourced ingredients and greywater recycling to align with Friland’s ethos. United by a common goal, Friland’s residents strive to live debt-free, reduce their environmental impact, and foster a lifestyle rooted in connection and collaboration.

—Friland ecovillage: https://start.friland.org/about-friland/

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