Glacier Mountatin
Hut Competition
A Design Collaboration with Virginie
Remy
This design is an entry to a design competition
for a base camp facility in a remote location in the Sierra Nevada
mountains.
Siting: Projecting
the building towards the road improves the view towards the mountains.
The building is anchored at the back and elevated from the road
at the front. Its orientation fronts the approach and makes maximum
use of the morning and afternoon light both inside and out.
Prefabrication: In
order to facilitate and expedite construction in the harsh mountain
environment all the building components are precut in the shop before
they are trucked to the site. In other mountain circumstances helicopters
may be used.
Modular Design: A
variety of room configurations are possible using the module proposed.
Efficiency of production is high because of the limited number of
different components. Furniture is used to define space within the
modules.
Layers: The
component layering allows for flexible floor plans given changing
seasonal needs.
Laminated Beams: Sustainably
grown and harvested pine boards are laminated to form squared logs
for the wall material. Lengths are limited only by the size of the
transporting vehicle. All window and door openings are precut before
assembly. An insulation layer separates the outside from the inside
wall, it also serves to route the electrical installations.
Cold Roof: Air
passes between the roof insulation and the sheathing in order to
maintain consistently cold temperatures at the roof's surface. This
permits snow to remain on the roof and act as a significant insulator.
Pipes on the roof surface eliminate the snow from moving and falling
near the walls below.
Hybrid Heat: A
highly efficient and low emission hybrid (wood/oil) hydronic heater
is able to burn wood, pellets or chips. On demand it reverts to
oil heat should wood not be available as fuel. Its efficiency is
further improved by solar panels located on the south facing roof
area immediately outside the mechanical room.