Our traditional designs deserve more merit than we give them – one of the best examples of that is the Groundfridge, a modern-day version of the cellar. Cellars have been used across the ages to store food or even act like underground safe house in case of natural disasters. Groundfridge takes that design one step further by adding fresh food refrigeration to the game.
The trick used by Groundfridge is by utilizing the natural insulating capacity of the ground and the cooler night air temperatures. The balance of this design allows you to store your vegetables, fruits, cheese, and even wine throughout the year. Ventilating this project uses a fan with a timer that replenishes the cool air during the night. Too hot for comfort? An additional cooler can be used to power it during the hottest summer days. “The Groundfridge is dug in and covered with the excavated soil from its new location. This covering layer of soil is about 1 meter thick and has sufficient insulating properties for the core temperature within the Groundfridge to barely vary. Furthermore, your Groundfridge is fitted with a ventilator.”
The best part of all, you can transport Groundfridge easily wherever you go and requires no permits to place it! I can see this system become a sustainable alternative in family housing societies that are trying to adopt a more eco-friendly style of living. Either way, this design is literally a great opportunity to live the chill life, electricity free!
Designer: Floris Schoonderbeek
