Guide to Icelandic turf houses

Rachel Heller posted a fabulous article about Icelandic turf houses. I don't know if I'd like to live in one, but I sure do want to visit!

They cut thick pieces of the earth, grass and roots and all, from the ground and used the pieces as bricks to build walls. The base of each wall is stone, then the turf is stacked like bricks on top of that, or in a herringbone pattern. These walls are thick: perhaps a meter or more, and offer good insulation. Wood beams hold up the roof, which is also turf. On the outside, the roof grows grass.

I read that the traditional kind of turf house is not built in Iceland anymore, but new ones are built in the Faroe Islands and there are more modern methods of green roofing to enjoy.

Previously:
Norway's grassy roofs
How rolls of turf are made
DIY Hobbit Houses in Wales