In a world where energy sources are becoming continuously scarce, the need for sustainability is something we’re considering more and more. We spend our lives counterbalancing mother nature: cooling ourselves down in the summer and turning on lights in the dark. All of this energy is costly, and somewhat detrimental to our environment.
Floris Schoonderbeek is attempting to solve the root of this issue, so to speak, by taking the traditional root cellars that have been used for generations and adapting them to the urban farmer, in other words, us. Approaching sustainability from a new angle, the Dutch designer and founder of eco-brand Weltevree has created a modern, self-sufficient way of keeping your veggies fresh and your wine just right.
Introducing the Ground Fridge – sidekick to your rooftop eco-garden. With a funky, spaceship-like design, the innovative product is a prefabricated fridge that you just need to cover up with soil in your garden. It is designed to not only keep your vegetables, fruit and even cheese cool and in tip top condition, but also houses drinks.
How so, you wonder? The Ground Fridge utilises the insulating effect of soil and the cooling effect of groundwater. There is no need for electricity as the temperature remains a stable 10-12° C year-round. How cool is that? (sorry, we had to).
Taking advantage of natural and outdoor living, Schoonderberk aims to enable a lifestyle that is viable and renewable without being inconvenient.
“Modern houses are often built without a basement while a lot of people nowadays feel the need for one: they’re focused on healthy food and, for example, grow their own food or buy in bulk at the local organic farmer,” Shoonderbeek said in the promotional video. “The Ground Fridge is a basement as a product. An innovative version of the traditional root cellar, for the new cosmopolitan with its own vegetable garden and a modern self-sufficient existence.”
The Ground Fridge has yet to reach Aussie shores, but we think this concept is a fantastich step towards a more eco-conscious future.
