From the Series
Dutch designer Floris Schoonderbeek, founder of Weltevree, has designed a spherical, underground fridge that can keep foodstuff cool and fresh without using any electricity. The Groundfridge is like a modern cellar, using the constant temperature of the earth and cool groundwater to keep the temperature low enough to keep the food fresh.
The temperature within the fridge remains constant – at 10 to 12 degrees –Celsius, throughout the year. This temperature is ideal for storing fruit, vegetables, wine and cheese. The soil that is dug out to make space for the Groundfridge is then used to recover the sphere, meaning that no soil is wasted. The fridge is accessed via a doorway and an angled staircase and once inside, food is stored on circular wooden shelves.
Because the fridge has been designed as a sellable product (as opposed to just an interesting concept), the material used to create it had to be very light and strong so that the Groundfridge was easily transportable.
The Groundfridge has 20 times the volume of a regular household fridge, making it an attractive choice to anyone who has his or her own vegetable garden or wants to live in modern, self-sustainable lifestyle.
Schoonderbeek’s Groundfridge has been on display during Dutch Design Week 2015.
