Extreme Architecture

Mankind has never been complacent to just stay put, and exploration into the farthest reaches of our planet has resulted in human settlements in some very extreme locations. In turn, infrastructure has always been forced to adapt to allow humans to live in extreme conditions. With time advances in technology have enabled mankind to live and explore in more remote and isolated environments. The word "extreme" by itself defines a very high degree/exaggerated degree of activity, and thus differs from what is considered normal or customary. In various architecture styles and forms, what kind of architecture emerges under extreme circumstances? What makes architecture extreme? “Extreme Architecture” refers to interventions constructed in excessive environments-they that are all associated with excessive situations of localization and climate. Such interventions grapple with unique environments-they are fantastically difficult constraints that have little precedent, and have been designed with few architectural references. Buildings in extreme environments and climatic conditions, such as those found in the scorching deserts or polar regions, undoubtedly stand at the bleeding edge of architectural design and technology. These conditions give an opportunity to introduce new materials and construction technologies. They offer an ability to reduce energy consumption while protecting the local habitat and provide living and working spaces that are comfortable, highly serviced and flexible to changing needs. Examples of extreme architecture around the worldToday, climate change and other issues are happening around us, and their impact on our lives is far more serious than generally thought. Many modern buildings claim to be not only "unsustainable" but also have a devastating effect on the Earth's climate. In a unique and candid debate, Susan Loaf talked about drastically reducing the carbon emissions of the building, stopped building "modern" buildings that were devastating to the climate, and started a new generation, next in an intact society. Shows that you can only expect to survive the century of You can survive comfortably.Following these principles and thoughts, many architects have started to explore concepts and build interventions in extreme environments. Skýli by Utopia ArkitekterA mobile home designed by Utopia Arkitekter in Iceland. The main purpose of this structure was to withstand extreme winter elements and allow easy transport to some of the more remote areas along the island's famous hiking routes.Img 1: Skýli by Utopia Arkitekter (Credits: http://www.utopia.se/en/projects/skyli)2. Arctic Visitor Center and Svalbard global seed vault by SnøhettaSnohetta has designed a new visitor center for the Arctic Conservation Camp called Ark in the Svalbard Islands off the coast of Norway. Located 78 ° north of the Earth's equator, this project is related to its location in the Arctic and its function as an archive of memory of the world. Commissioned by Arctic Memory AS, the visitor center features content from Svalbard GlobalSeed Vault, the world's largest secure seed repository.Img 3: Arctic Visitor Centre and Svalbard global seed vault (Credits: Snohetta)3. School buildings, Gando and Dano, Burkina Faso / Diébédo Francis KéréGand and Dano schools are built using local materials and labour and are climatically responsive to the region's extremely hot climate and lack of service, making the environment more encouraging. The school building roof and its façade mechanism are specially designed to include ventilation flaps, while completely eliminating the need for artificial support to regulate temperature. The sheet metal overhang is separated from the classroom walls by a dry, stacked perforated brick ceiling. This allows maximum ventilation by taking in cold air from the internal windows and expelling hot air.Img 4: Gando primary school extension by Kerearchitecture4. Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center, Osoyoos by DIALOGThe Nk`Mip Desert Culture Center represents the architectural potential of indigenous cultures that convey the past and future. The building is partially submerged and has indoor and outdoor exhibitions. An important feature is the huge rammed earth wall that restrains the desert landscape that flows across the green roof of the building. The height of this wall is adjusted to create a layered view of the desert, rising in the middle and receding to the adjacent coastline. The spatial sequence is further defined by the waterways from the entrance square.Img 5: Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center, (Credits: Nic Lehoux photography)5. Halley VI Antarctic Research Station by Hugh Broughton ArchitectsImg 6: Halley VI British Antarctic Research Station (Credits: Hugh Broughton Architects)Halley is the southernmost scientific research base of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), located on a 150-meter-thick floating Brunt Ice Shelf moving toward the sea at a speed of 400 meters per year. The depth of snow increases by 1 meter each year, and the sun does not rise for 105 days in winter. The temperature drops to 56 ° C and the wind blows at speeds of over 160 km/h. Access by boat and plane is restricted to the three-month summer period.Img 7: Isometric view central module (Credits: Hugh Broughton Architects)Hence the new Halley VI by Hugh Broughton Architects will serve as a mobile home base for expeditions to Antarctica. Halley VI is a small, self-sufficient, infrastructure-less community that includes living quarters, social rooms, and emergency facilities for up to 30 crew members. The module can be carried on foot, but hydraulic cylinders allow the module to be lifted onto the snow.Architecture CompetitionsArchitecture contests have a long history, dating back over 2,500 years. Several cathedrals throughout the Middle Ages, as well as the Acropolis in Athens, were built as a result of design competitions around 448 B.C. Many of the Church's efforts during the Renaissance were decided through design competitions in which all kinds of artists brought their varied talents to build up to something grand in every sense of that word. In recent times an architectural competition form has taken on many forms. One form is a design challenge in which a company or the government planning to build a new structure invites architects to submit designs and plans.Architectural competitions are a great way to find creative design enthusiasts who not only have the relevant skills for designing and developing your project but who also share your vision regarding the problems affecting our society today. Types of architecture competitions: -Competitions that are open to all (international, national, or regional) -Competitions for projects or for ideas: based on whether the intention is to build the project or to generate new ideas that can come to life. -Student or institute design competitions (held at university/state/country level for individual or group of students only)Extreme architecture serves as an ideal discipline for open competitions as it gives participants/firms an opportunity to handle real extreme and challenging situations.Architecture competitions have been a big part of historic construction innovation. For centuries, they have helped source the best and most unique designs for projects, spurred community development and created huge publicity around new projects. Hence they act as a great design tool for the future. In times where landscape design is rising to prominence, various open, offline and online challenges curate unique issues synonymous with today’s problems. They give both academics and professionals a prior chance to brainstorm their ideas and present various landscape solutions to the world. Few competitions held recently in extreme architecture are EHC: Sahara, EHC: Arctic, EHC: Pacific, Deploy, Atlantis, Architecture of the Apocalypse, Red Earth, Fire tower, Mobitecture, Martian Hub, Origyn and many more. Explore more projects in Extreme Architecture: UNI Design CompetitionsUNI is a global network of architects and designers who are solving some of the most challenging problems around the globe. UNI brings together the world's largest pool of design challenges that are curated by the finest architecture academicians and professionals globally. Since 2017, UNI has hosted more than 200+ architecture competitions for various idea level to realization level briefs. In the past, UNI has helped 50+ organizations, universities, and government bodies to use our platform to generate architecture and design solutions through competitions. Discover other competitions: https://uni.xyz/competitions