Initial research (simple)

Climate Response & Response to Climate TIA 1840—1415 Design Studio 3 Snow and ice climate Alternate titles : EF climate , polar climate

Group Research Team: Alex Dixon , Andreea Georgiana , Lucie Hartley , Vasilis Kasoulidis , Davina Lyn

Content page

Introduction Place

Ecology

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Altitude

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Prevailing wind

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Distance from the sea

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Ocean currents

Vegetation Animals and adaptation

People 

Ecology of people

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Construction

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Traditional

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Contemporary

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Modern

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Climate response

Conclusion 

Review

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Question time

Introduction

Freezing facts and figures 

20% of the Earth covered by regions with polar climate

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Average temperature of less than 10°C

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Winter temperatures can drop below -50°C

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Summer temperatures range from about -10 - 10°C, with some land areas occasionally exceeding 30°C

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Lack of warm summers  

Results in treeless tundra, glaciers, or a permanent or semi-permanent layer of ice In a tundra climate, trees cannot grow, but other specialized plants can grow In an ice cap climate, no plants can grow, and ice gradually accumulates until it flows elsewhere Low precipitations - under 250mm/year Antarctica has the lowest temperature ever recorded: −89.2°C at Vostok Station

Place : Factors of climate

Prevailing Winds 

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Snow climate has strong and permanent winds. The polar easterlies are the dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the highpressure are as of the polar highs at the North and South poles towards the low-pressure areas within the westerly's at high latitudes. Like trade winds and unlike the westerlies, these prevailing winds blow from the East to the West and are often weak and irregular.

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Winter wind speeds can be significantly reduced by trees and hedges. 

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The glazed ro ofed arcades of the north have protected the winter shopper against cold and wind since the late eighteenth century.

In the co oling season, it may be useful to direct the prevailing wind flow, by vegetation or topography, so as to funnel co oler breezes through the dwelling in order to reduce the co oling load.

Main do ors should be located away from corners and from prevailing winds. In traditional dwelling in Ireland, two main do ors were provided. Depending on wind direction, one or the other was opened. from the elements facilitated social interaction within these covered streets.

Place : Factors of climate

Ocean Currents 

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Ocean currents bring heat from warmer regions into the Artic Ocean In the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf Stream brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico up along the coast of North America and across the North Atlantic Ocean towards Europe The Gulf Stream keeps places like Norway much warmer than other places at similar latitudes in the Arctic

Snow is most common in high altitudes and high latitudes, particularly among the mountainous regions of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Ecology : Plants

Plants adapting to the snow 

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Deciduous plants handle the lack of water by shedding their leaves, which tend to evaporate water into the air Evergreen plants keep their foliage, but their leaves and needles have a thick, waxy coating to reduce water loss In the Arctic, trees grow close to the ground, or grow in shapes that help them shed heavy snow more easily

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Plants may hold onto dead leaves for insulation, or use deep snow like a blanket to protect against the cold Some evergreens also have a special valve in their cells, which automatically seals off individual frozen cells to prevent a chain reaction of freezing

Ecology : Animals

Animals adapting to the snow 

Thick, windpro of or waterpro of coats

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Thick fat (or blubber) layers

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Small extremities, which means less blo od is required to these areas, and therefore less heat is lost, for example Emperor penguins have a very small bill and flippers Huddle together in the cold to conserve heat Breed during the winter so that the offspring are large enough to become independent during the summer abundance of fo od

Ecology : Animals

Animals adapting to the snow

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Artic Hare are brown with flecks of black during the summer,and then turn a beautiful and pure white during the winter months. This not only helps them keep warm but provides much needed camouflage in the snow when they come out of their nests or burrows.

Ecology : Animals

Animals adapting to the snow

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Starting in September,the Artic Fox sheds its brown coat, opting instead for a white one to help it through the winter. As summer begins to approach again, the white coat is once again replaced with a brown one, allowing it to hide better in the earthy tones of its habitat.

Ecology : To People

Considerations of snow climates 

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The Inuit, or Eskimo, are aboriginal people who make their home in the Arctic The word “Eskimo” means “eaters of raw meat” The Inuit homeland is one of the world’s least hospitable areas to human habitation Most of the land is flat and barren, where only the top few inches of the frozen earth thaw out during the summer months

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Modern day Inuit people live in single-story, prefabricated wo oden houses with a combined kitchen and living ro om area, and one or two bedro oms

People : Construction

Considerations of building in snow 

Lay the fo otings below the frost line to ensure they are protected from the weather

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Extra insulation is desirable

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Heavy duty construction materials

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Extra work to remove heavy snowfalls

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Environmental impact

People : Traditional

Considerations of building in snow

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Early constructions by the Inuit culture are still used today

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Materiality: Snow wo od and animal fur/hide

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Local Timber sourced cabins

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Living styles affected construction, non permanent and lightweight

People : Contemporary

Considerations of building in snow 

Small scale to large scale

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Materiality and source awareness considered

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Modernization of construction and methods

People : Construction

Ro of design principles

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Simple ro of forms minimise snow and ice impacts Use a high-friction ro of, such as composition shingles, to keep snow in place A pitch of 4:12 is recommended for a sloped ro of to minimise snow creep and the liabilities of sliding snow Super insulate

Ensure all building entries are protected from sliding snow and ice by using gabled ro of forms, arcades and cross-eave configurations Cover all the decking to protect railings, minimise maintenance and keep the space usable all year round Use a flat-seamed metal panel at the ro of eave to minimise ice build-up

People: Climate response

Mapping density of climates

- Snow present for period that exceeds half a year

- Country's that have snow up to o half a year - which have a single seasonal of above average snowfall

These areas shown are the lowest climate and cold areas that are little change in temperature through seasons due to the placing in the northern hemisphere

People : Climate response

Mapping density of climates

- Snow present for period that exceeds half a year

- Country's that have snow up to o half a year - which have a single seasonal of above average snowfall

Scandinavian countries are some of the coldest of snowy climates in Europe e.g. Norway, Finland and Sweden.

People : Climate response

Mapping density of climates

- Snow present for period that exceeds half a year

- Country's that have snow up to o half a year - which have a single seasonal of above average snowfall

Lower climates that have different seasons then the severity of the winters are different than the usual for the area.

Mainly Spoken conclusion: Opinions?

Teachings we can take from this research?

Question Time 

What have we learnt from the inhabitants?

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How do we work with such a harsh climate?

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Possible ways snow can be used efficiently?

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Can a building adapt to the changes in the climate?

Bibliography

Sources  

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http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-guide/climate/zones

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http://www.bsaarchitects.com/sites/default/files/BSA-WST -Ro ofs-Full.pdf

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http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/snow/people.html http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Brazil-to-Congo-Republic -of/Inuit.html http://www.ehow.com/info_8036537_effects-buildinghome-snow-climate.html

http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/wildlife/ animals/adapting-to-the-cold http://www.co olantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/ wildlife/antarctic_animal_adaptations.htm http://www.conservationinstitute.org/tundra-animals-6-arctic -animals-perfectly-adapted-for-life-in-the-cold/

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http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/12/24/arctic-animalschange-color-camouflage/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Snow#Design_of_structures_considering_snow_load http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/snow/climate.html https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/arctic-meteorology/ factors_affecting_climate_weather.html

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http://www.climate4you.com/Polar%20precipitation.htm

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http://masterok.livejournal.com/763261.html

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http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/landscaping/maint/ evergreen.html