Yellow House Geothermal Farm
Branding | Naming | Strategy | Copywriting | Personal Project
As the world’s northernmost banana producer, Yellow House Geothermal Farm grows both fruit and optimism in Iceland's countryside.
177 miles from the Arctic Circle, in a small Icelandic village, a banana farm flourishes. The world’s northernmost banana producer, the farm uses geothermal energy from the volcanic landscape to heat greenhouses and grow this tropical fruit year-round. A golden example of innovation, steadfastness, and an optimistic determination to cultivate the impossible, this farm is a gathering place for locals and tourists alike to learn about this burgeoning, environmentally conscious agricultural practice and of course, to enjoy its joyful fruit.
ORIGINS
In 1938, botany student Hlín Eiríksdóttir brought banana plants home with her after completing her university studies in England. Her father, Eiríkur, was an electrical engineer who worked to revolutionize greenhouse production in Iceland. It was in his greenhouse where these fruit plants once thrived. Today, the bananas grown in Iceland are housed in geothermal greenhouses, thriving as a direct result of the bitter extremes in the land of fire and ice.
The optimistic patterns and symbology of the Yellow House Farm identity are a nod to the runic traditions of Iceland, the geometric patterns of traditional Lopapeysa sweaters, and as a nod to the inherently optimistic energy of the Memphis Group designs.
ABOVE LEFT: The Taste of Optimism pattern used for corporate materials and across retail products.
ABOVE RIGHT: The Peel pattern used for environmental graphics on the Yellow House Geothermal Farm campus, and on collateral materials relating to the Farm Experience.
The Yellow House Geothermal Farm complex is settled in the heart of the Icelandic countryside, using the heat of nearby geothermal fields to grow their bananas.
Visitors to Yellow House primarily speak Icelandic and English, though guests from all over the world visit each year. All signage features both Icelandic and English text, except in cases where a cognate represents both, as is the case with the 'Cafe' sign (right). Wayfinding signage is all designed to be symbol-first, bridging any language gaps that may exist.
