"In various regions of the planet, nature imposes adverse conditions on the human body. In these places, designing a building is almost like creating a garment: an artifact that protects and offers comfort. This challenge requires technological performance that must be combined with aesthetics. Making human beings feel good involves more than just meeting notions of comfort and safety; it's also a question of working with spaces in their symbolic and perceptual dimensions." This is the beginning of the description for the design of the Brazilian Antarctic Station in Antarctica, by Estúdio 41, located on the Keller Peninsula, where the surrounding sea freezes for around six to seven months of the year, where everything and everyone arrives by plane or ship and the nearest hardware store is days away. If designing a building in normal circumstances already presents numerous complexities, it's not hard to imagine the additional challenges when developing something in an extreme environment, such as locations with very high or low temperatures, or in places susceptible to corrosion, radiation, and more. In this article, we will explore the difficulties, the main solutions and the materials used in these contexts.
Architects must create buildings that can withstand the effects of nature and provide adequate shelter for residents. Although this is basically the primary function of buildings, achieving this in challenging environments involves considering various aspects such as functionality, ventilation, insulation, form, seismic design, construction materials, techniques and aesthetics. This requires a combination of creativity and practicality, demanding that form and function be balanced while ensuring that structures are durable and effective. To this end, understanding the specific difficulties and requirements of each site is crucial when planning these environments.
