Laufás farm

Photo: María H. Tryggvadóttir

The traditional old Icelandic farmhouses are characterized by turf walls and sod roofs and were the common way of housing until around 1930. Turf served as a thermally insulating envelope around a wooden frame and was used as a building material in Iceland for centuries.
The old turf farm Laufás, which is on the photo, is found only 20 minutes’ drive from Akureyri – a farm complex which consist of residential buildings, numerous storage spaces, smithy and other workspaces.