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
Altitude
Prevailing wind
Distance from the sea
Ocean currents
Vegetation Animals and adaptation
People
Ecology of people
Construction
Traditional
Contemporary
Modern
Climate response
Conclusion
Review
Question time
Introduction
Freezing facts and figures
20% of the Earth covered by regions with polar climate
Average temperature of less than 10°C
Winter temperatures can drop below -50°C
Summer temperatures range from about -10 - 10°C, with some land areas occasionally exceeding 30°C
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
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.
Winter wind speeds can be significantly reduced by trees and hedges.
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
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
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
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
Thick fat (or blubber) layers
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
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
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
Extra insulation is desirable
Heavy duty construction materials
Extra work to remove heavy snowfalls
Environmental impact
People : Traditional
Considerations of building in snow
Early constructions by the Inuit culture are still used today
Materiality: Snow wo od and animal fur/hide
Local Timber sourced cabins
Living styles affected construction, non permanent and lightweight
People : Contemporary
Considerations of building in snow
Small scale to large scale
Materiality and source awareness considered
Modernization of construction and methods
People : Construction
Ro of design principles
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?
How do we work with such a harsh climate?
Possible ways snow can be used efficiently?
Can a building adapt to the changes in the climate?
Bibliography
Sources
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-guide/climate/zones
http://www.bsaarchitects.com/sites/default/files/BSA-WST -Ro ofs-Full.pdf
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/
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
http://www.climate4you.com/Polar%20precipitation.htm
http://masterok.livejournal.com/763261.html
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/landscaping/maint/ evergreen.html