Transforming a SWIMMING POOL into a GREENHOUSE

The genesis of the project My name is Doriane, I am a herbalist and a farmer in Dordogne. After a few years of professional retraining, I settled in 2022 in a beautiful permaculture farm surrounded with forests and wild meadows. Here, I am creating a mandala garden of medicinal plants, growing a food forest full of diversity, creating habitats for wildlife, planting hedges with local species. But at the very heart of the farm is... ..a swimming pool! 😳 100 000L of precious water, disgracious liner, multiple chlorine and toxic products, significant electric consumption: such pollution and constraints took me quite far from my ideals and values. After a few months, I started asking myself: "Isn't there a better way to use this space?" This is how I discovered an intriguing concept: the Walipini. What is a Walipini? Simply put, a walipini is an underground greenhouse that includes bioclimatic features in order to make the space frost-free, without any heating. It has been used in extreme climates such as Canada or mountain zones, which makes it a very appealing model. Imagine! A jungle-like feeling, light peering through the transparent roof, unexpeted warmth in the winter, abundance all year round, the smell of orange blossoms, yuzu and lemons in the air, while tumeric thrives next to ginger and avocado trees..! Intrigued? Join me in this version of the swimming pool 2.0! Why not a regular greenhouse? As an herbalist, I grow, distillate and transform a wide variety of aromatic and medicinal plants. An underground frost-free greenhouse is a wonderful opportunity to offer some additional, rare and attractive products "made in France", such as orange blossom water, super local ginger-lemon infusions, exotic edible flowers, and so much more! Concrete steps of the project Two steps have now been successfully validated: First, I got the authorization to build the greenhouse, and second, I have received a 2500€ public grant that will finance the masonry work necessary to strengthen the structure. So what's left? A local carpenter who makes his own wood will build the roof structure. We will then install alveolar polycarbonate plates, isolate the North wall and install big windows on the South entrance wall. We will finally move on to some finishing touches: build some stairs in order to get down to the greenhouse, install a system of water recovery, design and implement cultivation areas, as well as seedling tables. The dream is becoming a reality! I hope this unusual project will inspire you and that you will contribute to spreading our vision! Thank you so much for your support.