in the running to design the Halley VI Research Station in

Antarctica. The Halley VI competition attracted 86 entries and was

launched in June by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). FaberMaunsell’s

concept was one of three winning designs for the new station,

picked from six short-listed teams and announced in November at

the Halley VI Design Exhibition at the RIBA.

The next step for the team will be a site visit in January 2005 to

undertake field-testing and experience the extreme Antarctic

environment at first hand. The winning design will be finally

announced in September 2005.

Located 10,000 miles from the UK on a 150 m thick floating ice

shelf, the new complex, replacing the current Halley V Research

Station, will be self-sufficient, re-locatable, able to withstand

freezing winter temperatures of around -50°C and have minimal

impact on Antarctica's pristine environment.

The FaberMaunsell design is based on a modular kit of parts that

can adapt to the changing external conditions and future science

needs. Grouped around a central ‘living module’, the

accommodation, workspace and energy pods form an integrated

research facility designed to deal with the extreme conditions on

the Brunt Ice Shelf. Each module will be highly insulated and

incorporate low energy and sustainable principles to help reduce

the station’s environmental impact.

The building modules are raised on legs clear of the ground and

are designed to be relocated to deal with the 1.5m per year snow

accumulation and the ice shelf’s inexorable movement towards the

ocean. The legs are founded on specially developed skis which

enable prefabricated modules to be towed to the site from the edge

of the sea ice to minimise the on site construction period. The skis

are designed to be man-handleable and interchangeable to allow

for future flexibility and mobility.

The concept was described by the judging panel as: “A strong

architectural design. The modular approach enables units to be

linked together to form a station that can accommodate user

requirements and be easily relocated.” The depth of thought given

to the construction phase particularly impressed the panel.

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