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Icelandic architect Högna Sigurðardóttir has been a groundbreaker in her field. She became the first Icelander to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Not long after her graduation from the French school Sigurðardóttir returned home to become the first woman to design a building in Iceland. She is a woman of many firsts and definitely worth knowing about. The Icelander has since compiled a prolific profile of internationally recognized projects. Her undiagnosed specialty is designing live-in artwork.

The structure that brought her notoriety as the first female architect in her country resides in the Westman Islands. Throughout Sigurðardóttir’s career however, she became most well known for her residential designs across Iceland. Her designs are responsive to the nature surrounding her projects while being mostly brutalist in the structural aesthetic. The exteriors look a bit cold — which is concurrent with brutalist style — but the nature she incorporates in the exterior brings about a kind of idiosyncratic result. Sigurðardóttir’s methods frequently involved laying rooftop gardens atop the concrete exterior of her buildings. The combination is an homage to her Icelandic roots and her personal style.

One of her pieces, Bakkaflöt 1 in Garobær, was inspired by the traditional Icelandic Turf House. Reinforced concrete is most frequently used in their construction for protection against earthquakes. The turf is used to provide additional insulation from Iceland’s harsh climate. Sigurðardóttir’s interpretation of the Turf House replicates the camouflage quality and traditional sloping sides intended to provide protection from strong winds. The result is definitely unique. The design looks conflicted, existing somewhere between past and present—something purely sculptural. It looks too much like a museum, a piece of artwork itself, to live in and put your feet up. I want to look at everything, but keep clear of touching it. It’s probably for reasons like this that Bakkaflöt was reviewed as being a part of the 100 most noteworthy buildings of the 20th century in Northern and Central Europe.

If you’re in the area you can visit Bakkaflöt 1 to take a tour through the house and the grounds. But if you’re feeling more adventurous and want to get the full Sigurðardóttir experience you can actually stay in one of her residences. Brekkugeroi 19 (otherwise known as The Reykjavik House) is available for overnight stays. Though this project may not have a turf roof, you can access the roof from your house on the highest hill in Reykjavik and look down on 360 degree views of the city. Oh, and you can climb up your spiral staircase after taking a dip in the pool and hang out in your sunken living room.