Soil Stories

During his travels to Iceland as the School of Architecture's 2022 Fanzone Fellow, Theodore Teichman explored the question: how might we dwell with the soil? Iceland has one of the world’s most severe histories of desertification, and ongoing restoration efforts have been in progress for over 120 years. Until the 1950s, most Icelanders lived in turf houses made of blocks of bog cut from the soil in wetlands. By the mid-20th century, concrete was introduced, and the country's wetlands were drained for more intensive agriculture. Now, as the climate continues to change, the ecology in Iceland, a land on the margins, is changing fast. 

Teichman's creative investigation seeks to triangulate soil restoration through a study of mediators, companions, and focal practices—such as sheep, trees, and turf houses—to operationalize a regenerative spatial practice of care.

Join Teichman on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 5 pm, to learn more about his work during an informal gallery talk and screening.