Abstract:
The environment of Antarctica is in constant flux. Exposed to the most frigid temperatures and harsh winds, Antarctica is one of the only places left that gives a glimpse of the worlds’ unspoilt beauty. Architecture sits static in this fluid environment, accepting a traditional role of providing shelter against unforgiving conditions. Protection against the elements is the basic purpose of buildings here. Such an approach forms architecture with strong boundaries that isolates inhabitants from their immediate context. Setting a project amongst Antarctica’s extreme climatic conditions allows a deeper investigation into the symbiotic relationship between architecture, the inhabitant, and the environment. The primary objective of the project is to explore the value of architecture as a designed, formal and spatial interface through which one may experience an environment. Investigating the envelopes of existing buildings and building techniques as responses to climate became the start of my research, which in turn, informed my explorations of expanded thresholds between the inside and the outside. Design research that has acknowledged the extreme climatic conditions of this unique environment has allowed for the development of a theoretical position that might further inform an architectural response. Rather than focusing on architecture as a product of technology, the research is concerned with investigating how architecture may enhance the interaction between the inhabitant and their surroundings..