Arctci-tecture for the global commons

Abstract

Environmental agendas in architecture have enjoyed an increased attention recently, as a result of the emerging 'sustainable' design ethos. This framework of sustainability initiates a rethinking of the scale of an architectural site - a building must be understood as situated not only in a specific territory, but also in relation to a much larger and more abstract global environmental system. With this new systemic understanding of a "site," comes the opportunity for a different mode of architecture -- one in which the architect has a hand in designing not only the architectural object, but also tactics for and potential effects of its implementation. Operating in the spirit of Stewart Brand's Whole Earth Catalog -- a 1970s counterculture bible for "whole systems" thinking -- this thesis examines Antarctica as a testing ground for an expanded mode of architecture. Antarctica, with its extreme environment, scientific value, and legal status as a Global Commons, is a site that cannot be understood in any way other than through its relationship to a larger global environmental system. This reality, when combined with the continent's mystique, creates an unparalleled opportunity for architectural innovation.