A pride of owning one’s private dwelling. The climate dominating every act on the islands due to its immense and ever-changing character. It has encouraged versatility and resilience within the Faroese way of life. Arrangements are always depending on uncontrollable circumstances. The dwelling is the warm nest.
Many did not find the decision hard to make, with a heritage of a long sailing tradition. They fled the islands when the crisis raged in the early 1990s. Rather than dwelling in despair, they had gratitude for the ease of travel in modern days.
The Faroe Islands were being drained. Høgni Reistrup was in frustration and dread; he observed what could have been the death of the Faroese essence, soul and culture. He published EXIT Færøyar in 2012, pointing to the issues around the trend of the Faroese leaving the country. The book became immensely popular and sold out - it had quite the effect of placing greater focus on the issue. Today however, the trend is reversed. ENTER Færøyar. The communities are developing. There is hastily a scarcity of housing.
Since 2013 Bústaðir have fought for social housing’s establishment in the country. A change in society. Politics have been stirred up. There is currently a heavy resistance against Bústaðir. The conservative government believes that public rental housing threatens the free market. To continue investing in projects, Bústaðir needs financial approval. This hinges upon the political will to see the virtues of a diverse housing market.
By investigating the Faroese housing and elements of Faroese culture, in particular the concept of longingness, I propose a new way of settlement. This can be seen in the island of Kalsoy, whereby these ends seem to meet. A location to give meaning to everyday life. More than going to work and coming home to the trivial Scandinavian suburb.