Last year, Erik constructed one of the world’s strangest houses in the glacial landscape of northern Sweden. He called it the Ice House: a house made entirely of ice and snow. All of the beds, chairs, tables, and walls are cold, hard sculptures of ice.

A group of architects and volunteers from all over the world traveled to the site of the Ice House and began its construction. The multicultural group journeyed through blizzards and frigid temperatures to reach the site. Once the builders arrived, there was an interchange of ideas, and tools were allocated to each worker. An expert was selected to oversee the building process to make sure there was no discord between the workers. Once a plan was generated, they got right to work. The design was very unique; the builders couldn’t replicate the design from normal houses.

The first step was to build the walls and ceiling. The builders used a metal frame to help them build the structure. After the ice was in place, the frame was removed. The builders then created furniture and art pieces. Designs were carved into each piece. One worker carved big wavy lines, and another made tiny clockwise, concentric circles. Finally, the workers carved small cavities in the roof and inserted colored lights. When the work was finished, the beautiful house was ready for a resident to enjoy.

Living in the Ice House is an experience like no other. Erik stores his belongings in an ice locker and lays out a sleeping bag on his ice bed. At dinner, he dines on a delicious salad with crisp toppings. And for the main course, he enjoys appetizing fish caught from a nearby river. The fish are pierced with icicles and served on ice plates. After dinner, he gets ready for a cold night. The omission of heaters can be too much for his visitors sometimes. Luckily, there are warm rooms nearby, as a courtesy to people who get too cold.