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Northern Reach: Architecture of a Thawing Arctic

As our climate continues to shift, it is fundamental to understanding these unprecedented changes through field research done in biomes most critically impacted. Due to the remoteness and extreme climatic nature of these research stations, they are typically either hastily built flat pack constructions or sterile pill boxes with little consideration of the immediate surrounding.

This investigation looks at structuring the restrictions of environment to give the architecture a sense of place, rather than looking at these extremes as limitations. This proposal is sited in the Alaskan Arctic circle, where research is being conducted to understand the intertwined issues of climate change and permafrost melt.

It is the intent of this project to present a prototype of a responsible and responsive architecture for Toolik Station, Alaska,a renowned destination for arctic climate research. This thesis synthesizes unpredictable site and environmental factors, elements which will become increasingly commonplace as our planet's climate shifts. The proposal for the Northern Reach interrogates and responds:

How are we best equipped to live and work in a rapidly changing measure of extremes? What imbues an architecture with a sense of place when that place is inherently mercurial? / Master of Architecture / To best understand the unprecedented effects of climate change on critical, research is often conducted in remote and often extreme areas of the planet, where the living conditions are less than ideal which affects the longevity and effectiveness of said research. This project investigates the extremes of living and working as a field scientist in Toolik Station, Alaska, and proposes housing and accommodations which are more sensitive and appropriate for its site than what is currently being used. The proposed project can be used as a prototype to replace other buildings at the chosen site.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/115822
Date21 July 2023
CreatorsPernot, Allan John
ContributorsArchitecture, Feuerstein, Marcia F., Emmons, Paul F., Archer, Scott Brandon
PublisherVirginia Tech
Source SetsVirginia Tech Theses and Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
FormatETD, application/pdf, application/pdf
RightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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