Designing for the alpine environment is no easy task. Extreme climatic conditions act as unmovable parameters, limiting everything from materials and overall form to even deciding on the proper site. Which is why this location high up on Slovenia’s Skuta Mountain made for the perfect design challenge for the 2014 class of Harvard Graduate School of Design, run by Rok Oman and Spela Videcnkik of architecture firm OFIS. The prompt was to design an innovative yet practical shelter for regional climbers that would both meet the needs of the harsh alpine climate and its climbers.
The final design was chosen, and pre-fabricated off-site. And a Slovenian Army helicopter was enlisted to help transport and set the shelter deep in the Kamnik Alps. The modular shelter is comprised of three volumes, each with a designated function—dining, social entertainment, and sleeping—and can sleep up to eight mountaineers.
