Sylvia, who works for the Swedish military, and Johan, an IT professional, built a family home fully enclosed in a greenhouse as a way to live with nature instead of resisting it. They called it Naturhus Torpadal.

Sylvia grew up on a farm; Johan grew up in the city. The greenhouse became their compromise—combining her instinct for growing food with his interest in systems and autonomy.

Their glass envelope moderates the coastal climate near Gothenburg, expands their growing season, and allows Sylvia to cultivate plants she never imagined possible in Sweden, including grapes.

Beneath the greenery is a resilient infrastructure: the couple produces their own water and electricity and treats their own waste. They are one of only two households in Sweden not required to connect to the municipal sewer system, turning their waste into a resource instead.

During the pandemic, this autonomy became even more apparent. With Johan working from home, he barely felt the disruption outside; daily life inside the greenhouse continued with planting, harvesting, and raising their children.

For Sylvia and Johan, the project is more than a home—it’s a small, self-sustaining ecosystem. Their greenhouse homestead shows how a family can live resiliently by cooperating with the natural systems that surround them.