FARMLIFE
2013
Tallerås. Norway
There are many sheep farms that raise these animal to sell them to external meat company but while sheep grow no farmers milk them. While milking sheep is not usual at all in Norway, it is an everyday activity in some countries. On top of that, milking gives an added profit from the animal to the owner by selling the cheese to the service sector or directly to particular clients. Sheep milk is not the best to drink but it can become an excellent cheese when it dries. Producing and selling the cheese is the identity of the approach, but it would need more than 1200 sheep to sustent the whole farm. The sheep farm also takes in account the two other products from the animal, though. The meat and wool are sold without processing but still represent not enough income.
To market this new kind of norwegian farm, a parallel experience is brought in, also because having old farm constructions can be very appealing to rural tourists from everywhere. To achieve not only a sustainable modern farm model but a profitable business, the proposal focuses on filling the empty buildings with a small hotel, a restaurant and a product showroom is part of the whole sheep cheese farm experience.
There is no need to make extra buildings. The aim of the approach is to study what has a potential from what is given and stablish a tight dialogue between the old and the new construction. One understands the need of keeping the building footprint very low not to keep the land for grazing. Therefore, the new program is adapted either inside or outside the existing constructions.
It is a three tiered proposal: Production, living quarters and hotel. The hotel is located at one side of the farm, taking the visitors from the welcome splanade and taking them into the old wooden barn, which is facing the valley.
The living quarters are where the most new houses were built. By doing so, the two families managing the farm share some outdoor and indoor spaces away from the public sight and circulations.The production is at the other side of the farm. Its concrete structure makes it easy to adapt hygene-concern program such as a dairy and cheese manipulating. By being at one side of the farm, the transport of the product doesen’t interfere in the visitor experience. It is well related with the upper grazing area.