For the past 20 years a team of scientists has been collecting data on the diet and behavior of Antarctic gulls, penguins, and seals from their modest quarters on Livingston Island situated in West Antartica. This data will be used to manage all fisheries in the Southern Ocean with particular emphasis on the Antarctic krill fishery. Needless to say, the harsh environment has taken a toll on the weathered structures and the buildings are no longer habitable. They need to be replaced.

Help has arrived in the form of a three-party consortium 9,000 miles away in Denver, Colorado. The participants include a small business and an architectural firm led by the University of Colorado’s Building Workshop’s design build certificate program for students pursuing a Master of Architecture. The Workshop’s aim is to showcase the practical application of architectural theory using creative design and modern cutting-edge materials. Previous projects include bunkhouses, bicycle pavilions and micro cabins.

The Workshop faced daunting criteria. The structures had to be lightweight, highly insulated, and virtually maintenance free. Twenty-two students and two supervisors started work in 2020.

Phase one was pre-built in Denver and disassembled into flat-packaged components no larger than 1’ x 4’ x 16’ in order to fit into zodiacs and light enough to be lifted into place by two to four people. The first components were shipped to a new location, Camp Sherreff in the South Shetland Islands in 2023. Phase Two followed in 2024.

The new 2,000 square foot camp, now called Holt Watters Field Camp is comprised of three buildings. Two triangular structures face a long, thin building which houses a lab, washrooms and showers while acting as a wind fence keeping snow from accumulating in the courtyard.

The distinctive design is both innovative and practical. The roofs are canted to collect rainwater while the stainless steel cladding helps keep the buildings maintenance free. Insulated panel cores fitted with triple pane windows and sheathed in water-resistant plywood keeps the interior toasty.

The entire complex will be completed and ready for occupants by November 2024.

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Antarctic Pre-Fab Comes to the Rescue