THE ANTARCTIC TREK
A MOBILE ANTARCTIC RESEARCH STATION
Architectural Typology for Evading Climatic Dangers Posed by the Antarctic
5th Year, One-Semester Thesis
Geographic South Pole, Antarctica
Defining a Thesis Problem
From the ramshackle wooden shelters of the Antarctic trailblazers in the early 20th century to the metallic engineering marvels of modernity, the bare necessities for survival were emphasized as Antarctic Research Stations had to counter the harsh climate. Yet, architectural expression, structural longevity, and sustainability were all forgotten.
This loss of ice sheet landmass can be attributed equally to natural glacial processes and the alarming progression of Climate Change. This issue is a creation by the humanity as a collective whole — and so, it must be solved by humanity as a whole. At the scale of just a few scientists, these issues cannot be reversed. Rather, they must be adapted to. The nature of the continent’s transience must be studied at the treacherous frontlines.
Through harsh climate and unstable grounds, an opportunity is made for a new Antarctic Architecture reliant on mobility and flexibility. My Thesis project will explore features that harness the energy of this primal continent and evade its greatest threats. A design rooted in modularity allows the building to be rearranged and relocated at the will of its tenants.
At the South Pole, I will establish a design typology for the Antarctic which requires features of sustainable energy generation and mobility. Able to migrate across the Arctic Plateau, Stations can escape the long-term climatic dangers to sedentary structures as well as provide its occupants with new architectural comforts, locations, and perspectives to study.
“Glittering white, shining blue, raven black … the land looks like a fairytale. Pinnacle after pinnacle, peak after peak—crevassed, wild as any land on our globe, it lies, unseen and untrodden. It is a wonderful feeling to travel along it.”
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“I may say that this is the greatest factor: the way in which the expedition is equipped, the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order— luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time, this is called bad luck.”
–Roald Amundsen,
Antarctic Explorer, Discoverer of the Geographic South Pole
“We were like men who had been fired off in rockets to take up life on another planet. We were in a lifeless, and almost featureless world. However snug and comfortable we might make ourselves, we could not escape from our isolation. We were now face to face with raw nature so grim and stark, that our lives could be snuffed out in a matter of minutes.
Every day would bring us new problems to solve and our ingenuity would be taxed over and over again. And all this to carry out a somewhat difficult fragment of the worldwide scientific program of the International Geophysical Year.’
–Paul Siple,
Construction Manager of Original South Pole Station
“We are all adventurers here, I suppose, and wild doings in wild countries appeal to us as nothing else could do. It is good to know that there remain wild corners of this dreadfully civilized world.”
–Robert Falcon Scott,
Ill-fated Explorer, Leader of Second Expedition to Discover the South Pole
a History in Futility and Catastrophe to Discovery and Invention
Project Site & Antarctica Analysis
(Actual Landmass vs. Ice Sheets)
Much of Antarctica’s land mass isn’t even land in a traditional sense, but rather migrating ice sheets whose bedrock exists below sea level. If, and when, these ice sheets melt, the area they occupied will become one with the Arctic Sea.
(Summer vs. Year round Stations)
Winter in the Arctic is frigid, inhospitably windy, and most precariously—entirely dark, save for Aurora light. Thus, stations must be abandoned or entirely self-sufficient for the season. Many of the stations exist on these ice sheets fated to disappear.
(Geographic Divisions of Antarctica)
Notwithstanding Antarctica’s geographic isolation and lack of permanent society, the continent is still subject to the territorial
dominion of global superpowers and nations in the Southern hemisphere’s polar regions. Pictured are the radial-shaped divisions.
(Major Glacial Fault-lines in Antarctica)
(Pathways and Velocities of Glacier Migration)
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(Aerial View of Ice Shelf in 1986)
The Brunt Ice Shelf in Eastern Antarctica is steadily traveling away from the Antarctic Bedrock, sacrificing its structural integrity.
Fissures in the ice converge, breaking large swathes off into the ocean in the form of icebergs. Above is the coastline in 1986.
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Comparison of Ice Shelf in 1986 to 2018)
The coast of the Brunt Ice Shelf from 1986 compared to its appearance in 2018.
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(Fissures in the Ice Shelf - 2018)
As of 2021, the two large fissures converged and created an iceberg. If not for Halley VI’s ability to flee, it would be lost at sea in
the very near future.
The Earth's South Pole - A Barren and Bleak Sea of Snow
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1 - Amundsen-Scott Station
2 - Ceremonial South Pole
3 - Atmospheric Research Observatory (ARO)
5 - South Pole Radio Telescope
4 - Martin A. Pomerantz Observatory (MAPO)
6 - IceCube Neutrino Observatory
(Prevailing Winds at the South Pole)
(Meteorological History of the South Pole)
(Solar Arc - Polar Summer)
(Solar Arc - Polar Winter)
(Locating My Building on the Project Site)
(Primary Flight Path to the South Pole)
The South Pole is perhaps the most remote location on Earth— in total, the trip by aircraft is 10,173 miles and 25 hours in duration.
(Flight Schedules Dependent on the Seasons)
Aircraft cannot traverse the intense dark and winds of the Winter months. During the brief “flight-worthy” Summers, LC-130 cargo planes deliver supplies, personnel, and construction materials to the South Pole.
(Size of LC-130 Cargo Hold - the Medium for Supplying the South Pole)
6,888 miles
Christchurch, NZ
2,435 miles
McMurdo Station
850 miles
South Pole
Los Angeles
Conceptual Basis
(Lit from Within - a Lighthouse on a Dark and Stormy Night)
Glowing from the inside, the structures could be a wayfinding point for those trapped in Whiteout Conditions. Shining through distinctly shaped apertures, the lights unequivocally signal a man-made structure.
Varying hues of lights could act as differing signals to the scientists outside of the safety of the structure. Perhaps, one color could signal 'all operations are a go' and another could signal 'weather advisory'. In a way, a literal architectural language is created.
(Amber Chrysalis - Inspiration for Double Skin)
Inspiration for the Double-Skin design comes from the amber chrysalis that encases these prehistoric insects. In the same ilk, the exterior of the building stands the tests of time, preserving the fragile life inside.
Technical Systems
(Mobile Snow Skis + Building's Spreader Foundations)
(Reflective Aluminum Columns / Wind Chime Structures)
These Steel Skis are the medium that connects the elevated structures to the Ground plane. These skis increase traction and the allows the building to slide, which grants mobility.
The skis are oriented in the direction of travel, creating the path of least resistance. They are tied together by struts, ensuring they all move in a uniform direction and velocity.
These skis double as the primary structural columns that support the building. Since a mobile building cannot have permanent foundations, the skis act as spreader foundations. They distribute the building's weight evenly onto the surface snow.
In the Social module, a forest of high-reflectivity aluminum columns redirect diffuse light into the interior laboratories and offices.
Suspended by a shock absorption system, the columns sway in the wind. These gusts create an chime audible to those indoor. Occupants can quantify the wind speeds of the harsh outdoors without leaving the safety of the Station.
(Reflective Columns within Outer Shell)
(Integrated Wind Turbines)
Through a void in the outer shell, Integral Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) harness this constant wind for clean energy.
FINAL DESIGN
Review: May 1, 2021
(View During Polar Summer)
(View During Polar Winter)
(Station Relocated Across the Antarctic Plains)
Housing, Science, and Social Module (from left to right) are relocated across the interior of Antarctica. This is a safer passage than along the coast.
(Relocation from a Inland Glacial Fissure)
Geologic events such as glacial fissures or collapses of crevasses are possible within inland regions as well.
(Relocation from a Splitting Coast)
Coastlines are decaying at a rapid rate. Personnel, equipment, and vehicles will all be spared from catastrophe, allowing sciences to continue in a new location.
(Overall Plan - First Level)
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Housing Module
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Activity + Warehousing
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Social Module
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Sciences Module
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MEP Module
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to Dark Sky Sector
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to Clean Air Sector
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Aircraft Parking Zone
The standard configuration places the Social Module at the center of the linear station. It is bordered by workplaces, namely the Sciences and Activity + Warehousing Modules. Housing and MEP lie on the periphery, providing privacy.
North-facing and integral solar panels and wind turbines generate a substantial energy supply. The Activity + Warehousing Module rests on the ground level. This accessible height lends a hand to serving as a main entrance to the Station. In addition, a four-bay garage serves as a refueling station and protection for smaller vehicles.
(Northern Elevation - Permeable Outer Shells)
The configuration of modules can be altered by the tenants. The Hearth option places the Social and Housing modules centrally. The Homestead configuration prioritizes housing programs. The STEM option centralizes the sciences.
(Hearth Configuration)
(Homestead Configuration)
(STEM Configuration)
(A Habitable Nucleus Underneath an Intermediary Layer - Social Module)
The structure of an atom is organized as follows: energetic electrons circumscribe a stable nucleus. These electrons are constantly whirring around and providing charge. The identity of an atom is changed with its electrons change.
Following those concepts, the outer shells of the modules are dynamic. They mitigate harsh environmental factors and harness energy for the nucleus. Changing the outer shell alters the entire identity of the Module.
(Atomic Structures as Inspiration)
(Key Plan - Social Module)
(Social Module - Southern Facade)
(Social Module - First Level)
(Social Module - Corridor Through Galley)
Scientists cannot make daily commutes to Antarctica, much less the South Pole—they must settle there for long periods. Settlements require social infrastructure to mitigate psychological pressures born from isolated living.
The Galley was created as a social area for occupants to connect over meals, shared work, activities and games, or even watching movies. The Galley is a flexible space that can function as a cafeteria, a space for watching movies, or a room for playing indoor sports. A game room and lounge allow others to socialize on smaller terms.
To the left, the "floating" ceiling panels are evocative of icebergs lost at sea. They are backlit by blue lights, creating a nautical medium behind them.
To the right, the randomized medley of lights in the dark black ceiling are evocative of a starry night. This reminds the scientists of the important Astronomy and Climate Sciences observations they conduct.
(Social Module - Collaboration and Movie-watching in the Galley)
(Social Module - Relaxation in the Lounge)
(Sciences Module - Northern Facade)
(Sciences Module - 2nd Level)
(Housing Module - 1st Level)
(Housing Module - 2nd Level)
The Antarctic Treaty of 1959 requires Polar agencies to make their best effort in disassembling and removing all decommissioned stations from the continent. This way, the smallest footprint will be left on the pristine environment.
The individual modules will make their final relocation to the coast. Here, they are loaded onto ocean barges and make the voyage back to America, where they are either disassembled or repurposed.
(International Re-purposement)
Mirroring the International Space Station’s additive growth, this research facility could bloom into a multi-national space. Other nations could interlace their separate housing modules with the Station.
(Removal from Antarctica)
THESIS DEVELOPMENT
Review: April 8, 2021
(Overall 1st Floor Plan on Site)
(Elevation of Support & Sciences Modules)
(Elevation of Social & Housing Modules)
(Mobile Caravan - First Priority Modules)
(Science Module 2 - 2nd Floor)
(Housing Module 3 - 2nd Floor)
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Review: March 18, 2021
(West-facing Elevation)
(North-facing Elevation)
(Vertical Axis Wind Turbines [VAWTS] on Windward Facade)
(Snow Melters on Windward Facade)
Antarctica is by far the windiest continent on Earth. Winds have quite frequently been recorded at 185 mph, or even higher. For reference, the lower threshold for a Category 5 Hurricane is 150 mph. When deemed windy enough by the tenants, an operable triple-glazed partition is opened and the typically avoided winds are let in to power the VAWTs, supplying clean energy to the station.
The same operable system is present on the Outdoor Operations module, where snow melters are positioned to capture windblown snow and ice, creating an endless supply of potable water for the tenants.
In the Sciences module, a forest of high-reflectivity aluminum columns redirect diffuse light into the interior laboratories and offices. Suspended by a shock absorption system, the columns sway in the wind. These gusts create an chime audible to those indoors so that they can quantify the wind speeds of the harsh outdoors without leaving the safety of the Station.
(High Reflectivity Aluminum Wind Chimes)
(Wind Chimes - Detail Plan)
(1st Floor - Overall Plan)
(2nd Floor - Overall Plan)
(1st Floor - Social Module)
(2nd Floor - Social Module)
(1st Floor - Sciences Module)
(2nd Floor - Sciences Module)
(1st Floor - Housing Module)
(2nd Floor - Housing Module)
(Reflective Glazing Facade)
(Transverse Section - Through Housing and Social Modules)
(Longitudinal Section - Through the Center Circulation)
(Reflective Glazing Facade)
A reflective façade helps root an otherwise alien structure in this arctic tundra. While maintaining adequate levels of insulation, this 'transparency' makes the building appear as an extension of its environment rather than an obstruction.
(Reflective Glazing Facade)
(Ground Floor - Outdoor Operations)
(1st Floor - Overall Plan)
(Outdoor Operations -1st Floor)
(Contingency - 1st Floor)
(Social - 1st Floor)
(Sciences - 1st Floor)
(Housing - 1st Floor)
(MEP - 1st Floor)
(Contingency - 2nd Floor)
(Social - 2nd Floor)
(Sciences - 2nd Floor)
(Housing - 2nd Floor)
(MEP - 2nd Floor)
From the ramshackle wooden shelters of the Antarctic trailblazers in the early 20th century to the metallic engineering marvels of modernity, the quick assembly of small, tight structures and bare necessities for survival were emphasized as Antarctic Research Stations had to counter the harsh climate. Yet, architectural expression, scientific accessibility, and sustainability were all forgotten.
At the South Pole—the heart of a continent dedicated to the sciences—I will establish a design typology for the Antarctic which requires features of sustainable energy generation and mobility. Able to migrate across the Arctic Plateau, Stations can escape the long-term climatic dangers to sedentary structures as well as provide its occupants with new architectural comforts, locations, and perspectives to study.
Stations individually exhibit features that negate the highest recorded winds on Earth, vertically rise above a rising ground plane of compounded snow threatening to bury the station, work in tandem with the constant sunlight of Summer and perpetual gale-force winds of Winter to produce energy, and provide mobility to escape host ice sheets in danger of breaking off into the ocean2—yet, none of the features have been coalesced and perfected into a single station—this appreciation and compilation of innovative features is the aim of my Thesis.
Antarctica deserves an identity, in built form, characterized by the struggles overcame and harmony with its arctic climate. Architectural and infrastructural features will allow the Arctic Research Station to carve into relentless oncoming winds, harness power from climatic sources to entirely sustain itself, rise vertically above creeping snow, and relocate at the will of its tenants to conduct observations in new biomes.
(Halley V Station hydraulically raised above the Snow)
RISE ABOVE IT
It is so frigid at locations in the interior of the Antarctic subcontinent that temperatures rarely, if EVER, venture above the freezing point. These constant inhospitable conditions are precarious beyond just the glacial temperatures, as any snow that accumulates around a building never melts. If not removed frequently, the sequential accumulation of snowdrifts causes constant and irreversible rising of the ground plane.
The Halley V Station, and subsequent VI, experimented with and refined a structural system of hydraulic column jacks. Capable of being manually raised, they hoist the building higher and higher above the voracious consumption of rising snows.
However, this solution is not the end all, be all. Hydraulic columns can only be raised, and lengthened in turn, to a certain magnitude before structural integrity is compromised. In fact, Halley V was scuttled because its supports were raised to the maximum and still swallowed by the snow5, making them flimsy and incapable of more movement2. Nonetheless, this vertical mobility significantly extends the lifetime of a Research Station by buying it more time in its fight against the devouring approach of the rising snow.
(Nevertheless, Halley V was still Buried)
(Lehmann Steel Ski Doubles as a Spread Foundation)
FLEET OF FOOT
The Halley VI Station changed the narrative of Antarctic Stations, as it is a series of pods along a singular axis that can be rearranged as the tenants and program requires. In addition to the flexibility of the facility plan, every pod sits on a series of skis, that when attached to robust bulldozers, allow the entirety of the station to be relocated pod by pod.
By incorporating the capacity for the entire structure to be moved into my Antarctic Vernacular, tenants will be able to rearrange the connection points of interior program as well as combating the issue of snow accumulation burying the station, greatly extending the lifetime of the Station.
(Nomadic Halley VI Station Towed by Bulldozers)
NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH HORSEPOWER
I have chosen the LC-130 as the vehicle in which the Research Station is hauled behind. As the first and last sight occupants will see on the Antarctic subcontinent, I cannot imagine a better vehicle to navigate the scientists around the Arctic. My Station will be towed by the LC-130, whose power is more than double the 16 dozers required to move Halley VI.
(Ski-Equipped Lockheed LC-130)
TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGES
The primary purpose of this Antarctic Research Station is . scientific discovery, which necessitates science facilities and labs.
Because of intense logistical issues and mind-blowing distances to the nearest civilization, scientists and other occupants can’t commute to work. Thus, they will have to live on site like all other Antarctic Facilities. Sufficient housing with need to be included to provide comfortable
residence. Because it is separate from any entertainment venues of civilization, its needs to provide its own, albeit in a limited and compact capacity.
(Science Module - Square Footages)
(Social Module - Square Footages)
(MEP Module - Square Footages)
(Contingency Module - Square Footages)
(Housing Module - Square Footages)
(Outdoor Operations - Square Footages)