Principles of Formation of Sustainable Architectural Objects in

Extreme Conditions of the Habitat Determined by Physical and

Climatic Parameters

Kristina Andreevna Pshenichnikova

Moscow Institute of Architecture (State Academy), Moscow, Russia

Keywords: Extreme environmental conditions, habitat, sustainable architecture, physical and climatic parameters.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the actual problem of the formation of sustainable architectural objects for extreme

living conditions, caused by physical and climatic parameters. It has been established that globalization, the

acceleration of the pace of scientific and technological progress, the growth of the global population and the

increasing pressure on the environment caused by these factors lead architects, engineers and researchers to

the need to quickly respond to changing conditions and form a favorable artificial environment in extreme

environments, which are determined by physico-climatic, anthropogenic physical and socio-economic

parameters. The purpose of the study is to identify the principles of the formation of architectural objects in

extreme conditions in the context of international architectural and engineering trends. The methodological

approach to the study of this issue is based on system analysis and is based on the materials of implemented

and designed buildings and structures, as well as the study of open scientific research. The materials of the

article can be used for the theory and practice of the formation of an artificial environment for extreme living

conditions.

1 INTRODUCTION

An extreme environment is a part of the environment

that, by its psychophysiological, climatic, natural,

economic and geographical characteristics, is

unfavorable for life.

With the passage of time and the development of

technology, man has learned to create the necessary

environment for artificial habitats, however, today,

the anthropogenic and natural components are closely

intertwined with each other, which leads to the need

to search for structured principles of organizing a

sustainable balance.

Extreme physical and climatic conditions create

difficulties for architects and designers, so buildings

should be designed that respond in response to

environmental parameters, not only as a protective

measure, but also for the well-being of future

generations. In response to these requirements,

architectural objects must be designed and built in

accordance with the ideas of sustainability and energy

efficiency. Housing construction, in particular,

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2781-1973

should provide autonomy to reduce dependence on

external infrastructure networks.

Thus, the design of a habitable built environment

must be based on an effective response to scarcity,

inaccessibility and unpredictability - factors that are

characteristic of extreme conditions.

An analysis of world practice in the field of

architecture of extreme environments shows that the

information on this issue is quite extensive. The

following specialists and institutes have been

engaged in theoretical research, design and

experimental developments, including related works,

at various times: Saprykina, N.A., Timantseva N.L.,

Kartashova K.K., Lezhava G.I., Rakov A.P.,

Kronenburg R., Horden R., as well as researchers

from the Royal Danish Academy, Department of

Building Construction and Design: Institute of

Architecture and Design - Vienna University of

Technology", "SHEE Consortium". At the Moscow

Institute of Architecture (State Academy) on the basis

of the department "Architecture of Industrial

Structures", the department "Architecture of Extreme

Environments" (AEE) was organized to perform

342

Pshenichnikova, K.

Principles of Formation of Sustainable Architectural Objects in Extreme Conditions of the Habitat Determined by Physical and Climatic Parameters.

DOI: 10.5220/0011571600003524

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Methods, Models, Technologies for Sustainable Development (MMTGE 2022) - Agroclimatic Projects and Carbon Neutrality, pages

342-349

ISBN: 978-989-758-608-8

 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

qualifying research and design work of masters, as

well as to perform work within the framework of

international and interuniversity cooperation.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

When studying this issue in order to identify the basic

principles for the formation of architectural objects

for extreme living conditions, due to physical and

climatic parameters, it is necessary to determine the

historical prerequisites for the development of the

issue and the classification features of extreme

environments. The study includes the study of

bibliographic sources and Internet resources,

conceptual and implemented design solutions, as well

as the analysis and systematization of the experience

of forming architectural objects in extreme habitat

conditions.

2.1 Historical Preconditions

The historical prerequisites that cause the expansion

of architectural typology into the area of extreme

living conditions were global natural disasters, the

problem of overpopulation and the likelihood of

climate change.

Since the middle of the 20th century, the typology

of architectural objects has been developing, which is

closely related to the development of new living

conditions by humans (Rakov, 2017). Today, there is

an active development of the Arctic and Antarctic,

space tourism projects are being created, as well as

research programs aimed at colonizing the Moon and

Mars. Since the 1960s, space organizations have been

exploring planetary science to understand the nature

of climate change.

A design methodology incorporating the basic

principles of extreme environment architecture to

provide habitable space is required for future

developments that include sustainable adaptive

design, an important factor in creating livable

conditions in extreme environments.

2.2 Classification of Extreme Habitat

Conditions

The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) defines an

extreme habitat as an environment that is

characterized by extreme physical conditions that are

outside the boundaries in which humans can

comfortably live. These conditions include: pressure,

air temperature, humidity, air quality, radiation, and

alkalinity/acidity (Bannova, 2014).

Today, the extreme environment is determined by

location, but due to the negative factors described

earlier in the article, unfavorable environments can

develop in different areas (Timantseva, 2010). Thus,

the scope of architecture of extreme conditions has

expanded and includes natural and anthropogenic

layers.

2.2.1 Natural Layer

In the natural layer, negative factors are associated

with physical and climatic conditions (Timantseva,

2010):

1. Extreme natural zones - South, North, high-

altitude areas;

2. Extreme natural environments - earth, water,

air, space;

3. Extreme natural elements - water, terrestrial,

air.

2.2.2 Anthropogenic Layer

In the anthropogenic layer, in addition to physical

parameters, such as restrictions on building

development, protected natural and historical

landscape, and inaccessibility, extreme social

parameters can be distinguished (Saprykina, 2019):

1. Public - social conflicts, project constraints,

extreme recreation;

2. Political - foreign policy (state of war,

territories with consequences of military

actions, other foreign policy conflicts);

3. Economic - lack of resources, social housing,

resource conservation;

4. Environmental - over-compaction, deviations

in the normative indicators of the environment

- humidity, pollution, etc., the proximity of

man-made sources of danger - highways, metro

lines, railways, factories, urban landfills.

2.3 Types of Extreme Environments

In the course of the analysis to determine the

classifications of extreme living conditions in order to

identify the principles of the formation of

architectural objects, the boundaries of the study were

determined within the framework of physical and

climatic conditions - an extremely hot climate;

extremely cold climate; water environment; air space;

Space.

2.3.1 Extremely Hot Climate

In an extremely hot and arid climate with high

temperatures, humidity and dust flows, it is important

Principles of Formation of Sustainable Architectural Objects in Extreme Conditions of the Habitat Determined by Physical and Climatic

Parameters

343

to take into account climatological features.

Sustainable or “bioclimatic” design in extremely hot

and arid climates must take into account the following

factors: microclimate, emissivity, glare and dust

collection, solar radiation control, wind control,

evaporation control (Shady and Ingrid, 2014).

To take into account these factors, the design

should include light translucent structures (pneumatic

shells), a high percentage of vegetation, water spaces,

as well as alternative energy sources that increase the

energy efficiency of architectural objects in

extremely hot and arid climates.

An example of a «green» facility in a hot climate

is the implemented project of the Zaha Hadid Center

for Oil Exploration and Research, built in Riyadh

(Figure 1). In the complex named after King Abdullah

of Saudi Arabia, scientists from all over the world

will be engaged in research in various scientific

fields, united by a common theme of energy. Three

main areas are identified: politics and economics,

energy and environmental technologies, and energy

information and modeling (Frolova, 2010). The main

building takes into account the principle of

modularity and consists of hexagonal cells with

permeable overlaps and a free plan that stimulates

dialogue between scientists of different specialties.

Figure 1: King Abdullah Oil Research Center.

2.3.2 Extremely Cold Climate

Harsh climatic conditions that challenge comfortable

living conditions characterize the difficulties in

designing architectural objects in the North, Arctic

and Antarctica, taking into account the irregular load

from strong wind, snowfall, avalanches and cold.

When forming habitable architectural objects in the

conditions of the North, it is necessary to respond to

scarcity, inaccessibility and unpredictability with

innovations characteristic of extreme climatic

conditions (Rok, Spela, 2014).

Extreme factors of construction in a cold climate

include: hydrometeorological phenomena (ice, severe

frosts, icing, fog); hydrogeomorphological

phenomena (avalanches); endogenous (earthquakes,

tsunamis, volcanism).

Extreme climate conditions and related

phenomena, of course, have a significant impact on

both the operational characteristics of the structure of

buildings and the psychological and emotional state

of a person living in these areas. Thus, objects built in

such conditions should be completely autonomous

and mobility.

Autonomy implies its own heat supply, arranged

taking into account the location, ventilation, its own

source of electricity - batteries or alternative sources.

Mobility in relation to architectural objects is

applied in two aspects. On the one hand, this means

that the dwelling corresponds to the changing needs

and lifestyle of people, on the other hand, it is

understood as physical mobility, manifested in

transformation and movement (Saprykina, 1986).

Examples of projects in extreme cold conditions

that implement the principles of autonomy and

mobility are the work of «Iceberg Living Station» by

MAP Architects and «Halley VI Antarctic Research

Station» by Hugh Broughton Architects.

The Iceberg Living Station architectural project

by MAP Architects aims to design with minimal

environmental impact (Figure 2). To achieve this, the

architects sought to avoid traditional construction

methods, which involve transporting materials that

will never leave Antarctica (Iceberg Living Station,

2013). Instead, the residential station is dug into a

large iceberg that covers an area of about 2.5 square

kilometers and will eventually melt in 7-10 years. The

architects took into account that icebergs are

compacted snow, which turns into ice at a depth of 25

meters and serves as effective insulation, as the

experience of building the Igloo shows.

Figure 2: Iceberg Living Station.

Located on the frozen floating Brunt Ice Shelf in

Antarctica, Hugh Broughton Architects' Halley VI

Antarctic Research Station is the world's first fully

mobile and relocatable polar research station and was

designed for scientists working in some of the most

extreme environments on Earth. (Figure 3). In order

MMTGE 2022 - I International Conference "Methods, models, technologies for sustainable development: agroclimatic projects and carbon

neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher

344

to minimize the impact on the fragile environment

during the entire life cycle from construction to

decommissioning, the necessary energy efficiency of

the plant was taken into account - reducing water

consumption and improving the waste management

strategy.

Figure 3: Halley VI Antarctic Research Station.

2.3.3 Water Environment

Modern scientists predict that the critical level of

overpopulation of the Earth may occur in the middle

of the 21st century. The solution to the problem can

be «hydropolises», which are underwater skyscrapers

(Vorobieva, 2019). Researchers hypothesize that

living in them is more comfortable than on land, since

there are no atmospheric phenomena, earthquakes,

pressure and temperature drops under water. It is

assumed that underwater cities will receive energy

using tidal power plants and generators operating on

temperature differences, which is consistent with the

principles of energy efficiency and sustainability.

The relevance of the design of architectural

objects on water and under water is determined by the

need to expand comfortable and safe housing in large

metropolitan areas that are overpopulated

(Shumskaya, 2014), as well as taking into account

global climate change, which necessitates the

adaptation of residential spaces to floods and

technologies for creating an environmentally friendly

and operational effective construction in the aquatic

environment.

As examples of architectural objects in the aquatic

environment, it is advisable to cite the projects

«Drilling Water-Scraper: Power Plant And

Underwater Recycling Center" from architects

Xuejun Bai, Chucheng Pang, Lei Zhai, Yuyang Sun,

Dianao Liu, which was presented as part of the 2020

Skyscraper Competition, as well as the Ocean Gate

Observatory by Antireality.

The architects of «Drilling Water-Scraper: Power

Plant And Underwater Recycling Center» are

addressing the recycling of marine waste as well as

the discovery of pure combustible ice in the deep sea

(Figure 4). The team suggests using plastic waste for

3D printing and creating new building materials

(Barandy, 2020). There are two main paradigms in

the project: downward materials and upward energy.

The energy tower turns plastic waste into 3D printing

materials and prints the building as well as the energy

reservoir along the main cylinder, making the

skyscraper self-evolving and «growing».

The architects from Antireality have developed

the concept of an underwater observatory «Ocean

Gate» for the Bahamas (Naser, 2021). The aim of the

Figure 4: Drilling Water-Scraper.

Principles of Formation of Sustainable Architectural Objects in Extreme Conditions of the Habitat Determined by Physical and Climatic

Parameters

345

project is to try to create a marine observatory whose

structure will be integrated with the beach area

without overloading the seaside landscape (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Ocean Gate Observatory.

2.3.4 Air Space

One of the first ideas of floating architecture was

presented in the USSR in 1928 by Krutikov G. (the

graduation project of flying communal houses) and

Iozefovich I., who designed the flying House of

Congresses of the USSR, since early Soviet architects

strove for the ideal, futuristic and sublime (Krivitsky,

2018, Saprykina, 2016). Today, flying architecture is

of interest to modern architects in connection with the

ecological orientation of society to solve the problems

of sustainable development.

An example of a floating building project is the

Dandelion Vessel: Inflatable Skyscraper For Natural

Disasters, designed by architects Wei Ke Li, Sheng

Jiang, Xing Chun Zhi Zhang as part of the 2016

Skyscraper Competition (Figure 6).

The project was created for the hard-to-reach part

of Northern Guangxi Rongshui County as a refuge

from natural disasters and to provide residents of

hard-to-reach areas with the necessary medical

equipment. Air shelters are designed from pneumatic

structures, and the surface of the master station is

made of strings and connected to a balloon that can

lift it to the desired position (Friis, 2016).

2.3.5 Space

New advanced space exploration programs around

the world demonstrate the growing demand for

human factors research, interactions between space

station inhabitants and the environment, as well as

problems associated with long distances from the

Earth, mission time and architecture of space

structures.

The methodology for designing habitable shells in

outer space should include the ability to adapt to

extreme environments such as the Moon, Mars, and

current and future extreme locations on Earth (Dede,

2022).

The architectural approach to the design of space

structures affects all elements of the constructed

environment. When designing space systems,

architects need to address the experience of living in

similar conditions on Earth (submarines, bunkers,

Antarctic bases) and take into account the provision

of physical and psychological comfort while in space.

It should be noted that adaptive design strategies

are valuable tools in creating livable conditions and

should include the principles of autonomy,

Figure 6: Inflatable Skyscraper For Natural Disasters.

MMTGE 2022 - I International Conference "Methods, models, technologies for sustainable development: agroclimatic projects and carbon

neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher

346

modularity, mobility, sustainability, as well as the

principle of «self-deployment» previously outlined in

the study. In addition, it is advisable to use innovative

digital modeling and 3D printing technologies.

Examples of projects that reflect the above

principles of the formation of architectural objects in

space are the work of Punch O. from School of

Architecture, University of Limerick (SAUL),

Ireland and «Self-deployable habitat» from SHEE

Project. The architectural project Punch O. is

dedicated to research in extreme conditions and aims

to create a structure using the materials of the

surrounding landscape using sustainable building

methods (EAM Best Diploma Projects, 2015).

Located on Mars, the complex explores the need for

architectural responses to extreme environments that

may also occur on Earth and considers the possibility

of innovative design - adaptability of form, function,

structure and resilience to new challenges (Figure 7).

SHEE Project's work uses an alternative approach

to designing a habitat that can be deployed using rigid

shells. SHEE is a self-deployable habitat that can save

crews time when creating quarters in remote locations

such as Mars (Osborne, 2016). Each module provides

support for two crew members during a mission

lasting at least two weeks. Several modules can be

connected together to create a "SHEE settlement",

which allows you to increase the number of crew, the

duration of the mission or software capabilities

(Figure 8).

Figure 8: Self-Deployable Habitat (SHEE)

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Thus, in the course of the study, the main principles

of the formation of architectural objects in extreme

conditions, determined by physical and climatic

parameters and including extremely hot climate,

extremely cold climate, water environment, air and

outer space, were identified:

1. The principle of modularity is a constructive

approach that subdivides the building system into

smaller parts - modules that can be created and

combined in various configurations

independently of each other, and then used in

different systems. The principle of modularity is

also characterized by functional separation.

2. The principle of autonomy implies relative

engineering (power generators, water supply,

etc.), technological, planning and design

independence of the structure and its elements

from neighboring objects at various levels with

Figure 7: Punch O., University of Limerick.

Principles of Formation of Sustainable Architectural Objects in Extreme Conditions of the Habitat Determined by Physical and Climatic

Parameters

347

the possibility of regulating or changing the

degree of autonomy.

3. The principle of mobility based on transformation

and movement is to change the building by

transforming the internal elements while

maintaining its constant dimensions, which

ensures the multifunctional use of the internal

space; changing the size and configuration of the

building (constructive transformation), as well as

the possibility of moving the structure, which is

carried out in an assembled form or already ready

for operation (Saprykina, 1986).

4. The principle of sustainability lies in the

combination of engineering and architectural

solutions, with the help of which it becomes

possible to balance the high quality of the natural

environment of human life in order to maintain

ecological balance. The principle includes energy

efficiency - reducing the consumption of energy

resources (renewable and non-renewable) and

improving the construction and operation of

buildings.

5. The principle of «self-deployment» consists in the

possibility of creating self-deploying modules that

can be assembled on site in extreme environments

in a short time and without the involvement of

builders and special equipment. The principle of

self-deployment can be applied both in designing

in space conditions and in extreme environments

due to anthropogenic physical and social

parameters.

The identified principles of the formation of

sustainable architectural objects for extreme living

conditions within the framework of physical and

climatic conditions can be applied at all stages of

design and operation in order to create dynamic,

adaptive and energy-efficient buildings and

structures.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Summing up the results of the study, the following

main conclusions can be formulated. The

development of the field of extreme environments in

architecture is determined by the influence of various

factors and prerequisites. It is advisable to consider

the phenomenon of extreme architecture

comprehensively, since its development is due to

successes in various fields of science.

Only taking into account innovative

achievements in the field of creating new materials,

technological and digital tools, having studied the

factors influencing the formation of architectural

objects in various extreme conditions, as well as the

principles of their creation, it is possible to make a

forecast of the further development of this direction

in architecture.

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