Building

With Wool

ROLES
TEAM
YEAR

Research, Strategy, Facilitation
Marianne Noer
2019

Building with Wool is a collaborative research project aimed at developing local value chains for sourcing Danish wool.

The project began by focusing on raw wool—a by-product of sheep farming in Denmark that is largely un-utilised and often incinerated—with the goal of redirecting this material toward sustainable local applications.

Through field research and a participatory design process involving Danish sheep farmers, sheep shearers, and natural builders, the project identified a shared objective: sourcing raw wool for use as natural building insulation. This effort led to the establishment of a local supply chain in Jutland, alongside a research handbook providing practical guidance on handling and applying wool as an insulation material.

To foster a broader culture and community around working with Danish wool beyond the project, we produced a short documentary film, a knowledge exchange framework, and publicity materials to support the formation of new value chains. As a direct outcome, our work successfully connected Danish clothing brand Skall Studio with local wool suppliers for their knitwear collection.

All Images: Georgina Norris

STAGE 1: FIELD RESEARCH

Lystbaekgaard, Sheep Farm and Visitor Centre, Ulfborg (DK)

The first stage of the research involved fieldwork at Lystbaekgaard to observe and understand the processes and experiences of working with wool at its source. Here, we met shepherdess Berit Killerich, who guided us through the farm and the surrounding heathlands where the flock grazed. Our conversations covered an expanse of topics such as the quality of fibres produced by different sheep breeds, and suitable uses for wool according to varying grades (depending on cleanliness) sorted after the shearing process

We also spent time with members of the craft community, gaining insights into their practices and approaches to wool production and handling. They work with wool directly from the sheep using textile techniques such as spinning, felting, weaving and knitting.

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Visiting the farm's flock of 1000 Spælsauer sheep, used for grazing large heathland areas in Jutland (DK)

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Examining wool samples whilst walking and talking with shepherdess Berit

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Exploring the textile workshop with members of the craft community based at Lystbaekgaard

STAGE 2: FIELD RESEARCH & CO-DESIGN WORKSHOP

Friland Eco Village, Off-Grid Housing Community and Cooperative, Djursland (DK)

We connected with natural builders at Friland, an eco-village founded in 2002 home to around 45 households. Friland residents aim to build with minimal environmental impact, experimenting with alternative materials and construction methods while adhering to current building regulations.

Hosted by Lars Keller, sustainable builder and founder of Ecococon, and Steen Møller, sustainable builder and educator, we explored the community and its diverse buildings. We encountered straw houses plastered with clay, wooden houses insulated with wood fibres, sheep wool, flax, and hemp, as well as building foundations made with seashells and many homes featuring living green roofs. By facilitating a co-design workshop during our visit, the objective was to envision and prototype possible scenarios for locally sourcing and utilising raw wool as a construction material.

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A home interior with clay walls

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Mussel shells used for insulation

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During the co-design workshop, using wool samples as artefacts to spark ideation and scenario building

STAGE 3: CO-DESIGN WORKSHOP

Home of Sheep Shearer Peter, Glamsbjerg (DK)

To structure and reflect on the design process up until this point, we developed a dialogue tool for use in a workshop with sheep shearer Peter Shepherd. This tool compiled key quotes, images, and insights from earlier field research and co-design sessions, allowing us to integrate Peter’s perspective into the evolving discussion.

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Visiting the home of sheep shearer Peter where he keeps his own small flock