Joe Kennedy – Harvard University: Graduate School of Design, DDes; Morgan Ip – Cambridge University: Scott Polar Research Institute, Post-Doc; Ramon Weber – MIT: Building Technology, PhD
Svalbard is one of the locations most dramatically impacted by climate change in the world, with the annual temperature rising 4 degrees Celsius in the last half century. Due to these rapidly changing and extreme environmental conditions, the settlement of Longyearbyen has had to adapt to shifting foundations and landslides that has resulted in the destruction of homes and the displacement of residents due to avalanche risk. In response to this contextual uncertainty, we explore how dynamic architectural solutions for mobile shelter can accommodate dramatically shifting temperatures, wind and topographical conditions. By combining advanced digital manufacturing with computational design and environmental simulation, we intend to prototype a lightweight portable living capsule in harsh environments both for future space pioneers and climate refugees who will require new forms of housing and shelter that can adapt to impending environmental extremes.
Svalbard’s remoteness, its barren geologic topography, as well as the angle and cycle of sunlight exposure roughly approximate some of the environmental conditions that would be present in the southern pole of the moon, an area that has been considered for a future space settlement.