Sustainable Habitat in Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest, located in northwest Brazil, has existed for at least 55 million years, sustaining 10% of our world's wildlife. Not only is the Amazon Rainforest valuable to the species living there, it also helps moderate our global climate by sequestering carbon dioxide. However, in recent years, rapid industrialization and urbanization have led to mass deforestation of forests around the world, including the Amazon rainforest. Furthermore, the ever-pressing problem of climate change, coupled with deforestation, increased CO2 levels to unprecedented levels, creating a loss of biodiversity, increasing global temperature, and reducing rainfall in the Amazon, raising concern for the future of the rainforest.

The Amazon Rainforest is a vital resource on Earth, yet we have been destroying it to facilitate modernization. Thus, I chose to design a sustainable and resilient habitat in the Amazon Rainforest so that I can explore solutions to prevent the further destruction of this precious resource, as well as to find a way to coexist peacefully with nature while still fulfilling our modern needs.

Recent zealous efforts towards sustainability in our built environment, including the incorporation of nature and biophilic design in our urban cities, reveal not only our desire to create a more sustainable future but also the power of nature in transforming our mental and physical health. Many studies have found that humans have an inherent connection to nature, and that exposure to nature can improve our mental health. Thus, building a habitat in the Amazon rainforest presents a major benefit--it will significantly enhance inhabitants' well-being. Nonetheless, this is only one of the many benefits the Amazon Rainforest offers. As I explain my design process and final product, I will explain the many ways the Amazon Rainforest creates a favorable condition for human civilization.

One of the most important things architects must consider when designing a habitat is who they are designing for. I chose to design this habitat for a family of four, specifically for a forest ranger and his family. Forest rangers play an essential role in preserving and restoring the biodiversity of rainforests, preventing poaching, and surveying wildlife. Forest ranger work is arduous and risky, and they often have to be away from their families for long periods of time. Building a resilient, sustainable, and comfortable habitat for a forest ranger and his family, therefore, will help support and give back to those who are directly helping to preserve the Amazon rainforest.

Building Materials:

• Concrete
• Bamboo
• Porcelain Tiles
• Brazil Nut Timber
• Double Glazed Glass
• Steel

Modeling/Digital Software:

• Fusion 360 (Overall design & Exterior rendering)
• Chief Architect (Interior rendering & floor plans)
• Adobe Express (For polishing renderings)

Physical drawings (diagrams & construction details):

• Black ink pen
• Tracing Paper

Before designing the habitat, I first had to research and understand the site. The first topics I studied were the landscape, climate, indigenous tribes, and architectural traditions of the Amazon Rainforest.

Climate

The first step of my research was to understand the climate of my site. I learned that the Amazon rainforest is warm and humid year-round, with an average annual temperature of 73-83 degrees Fahrenheit. With this information, I identified the first major problem I had to solve in my design: creating a habitat that can withstand the humid conditions of the rainforest and cool its inhabitants. Throughout my design, I incorporated natural cooling systems and deliberately chose materials that can sustain high humidity and heat, which I will explain more in detail later.

Northern Amazon rainforest is also subject to frequent heavy rainfalls. During the wet season (December to May), areas near river banks can flood up to 15 meters. The extreme humidity and heat of the Amazon Rainforest prompted me to select materials that are water and heat-resistant and to elevate the building to mitigate flooding.

Landscape

The Amazon rainforest is mainly comprised of three layers--the canopy, understory, and forest floor. As trees compete for sunlight to photosynthesize, they grow rapidly so that their leaves can capture as much sun energy as possible. This competition creates a dense population of tall trees that form a lush canopy. As the thick canopy prevents most sunlight from reaching the lowest layers of the forest, the understory and forest floor layers are often dark and humid. In fact, even though rainforests receive 12 hours of sunlight each day, less than 2% of that sunlight touches the forest ground.

Considering the natural system of the environment, I identified a major challenge of my design: How can I ensure that my habitat receives enough natural lighting while also avoiding overheating (from too much sunlight) in an already warm environment? When designing my building, I struggled to adapt to this condition as I wanted to take advantage of the natural shade of trees to reduce the temperature in the house, while also ensuring that the house receives ample natural sunlight to minimize artificial lighting.

I solved this conundrum by selecting a location that provides shade and enough sunlight, optimizing sunlight while reducing its intensity by incorporating shading technologies and considering the sun's path, and integrating passive ventilation strategies so that the house remains cool.

Indigenous Tribes & Architectural Traditions

Next, I researched the native groups living in the Amazon Rainforest. I narrowed down my study to the Yanomami people, as they are the major tribe living near the Northern Amazon River Basin in Brazil, which is where my site is located. The seminomadic Yanomami live in temporary dwellings called Shabonos (images 2,3). Shabonos are circular structures with an opening in the middle for communal activities. They are built with wood, thatch, and palm leaves, and can house from 50 to 400 people depending on their size. Additionally, the Shabono roofs are made of 2 parts: the outer roofing slopes out to cover the shelter, while the inner roofing slopes inwards towards the central courtyard to prevent rain from entering the house.

Site Choice

I chose to build my habitat on a hill in the Amazon rainforest, near the Amazon River basin. I chose a hill as the site location because the forest canopy is less dense on the hills, allowing more natural lighting to enter the house. Furthermore, building my habitat on a hill helps elevate the house from floodwaters.

In my initial design, I focused on creating a habitat that blends in with the environment and reflects the architectural style and traditions of the Yanoanomi people. Drawing inspiration from the Shabono's circular structure, roof design, and open courtyard in the middle, I sketched out a house that is cylindrical shaped with a glass atrium in the center. I also initially designed the roof to have two oppositely sloped roofs to divert rainwater off the roof, but later removed the inner roof as I realized that it was unnecessary. Since rain is an abundant resource in the rainforest, I wanted to include a rainwater catchment system to provide potable and non-potable water for the house. Although rainwater catchment tanks are usually placed on the side of the house, I decided to put it underneath the first floor, under the atrium so that it does not disrupt the aesthetics of the home. Later on, I also added a second floor to make the house more compact while still being spacious.

The atrium was a central design in my home, and I knew I certainly wanted to integrate it into the design because it would allow natural daylight to penetrate both floors of the house, maximizing natural lighting in a highly shaded environment. Nonetheless, its function changed as I continued refining my design. Originally, I designed the atrium to merely be a cylindrical hole that allows the rain to enter directly into the water catchment system beneath the house. However, I realized this design was overly simplistic and not viable since rainwater has to be filtered before storing. Additionally, as I visualized myself living in the house, and looking through the glass atrium, I realized that as an inhabitant, I would not want the atrium view to be simply a hole channeling water into a storage tank. Thus, after considering the aesthetics and practicality of creating a simple hole for the atrium, I changed the atrium to become a garden that grows native, edible plants, which was a much more visually appealing and practical design.

My final design consists of two floors (Floor 1- Image 3; Floor 2 - Image 4), with the top floor smaller than the second floor to lessen the load on top. Reflecting the structure of a Shabono, my habitat is shaped like a cylinder with an atrium in the middle. Not only does the habitat's cylinder shape mirror the local architectural traditions, it is also highly practical: Round buildings are more resilient to heavy tropical winds by allowing the wind to flow around the structure, require fewer building materials since circles have the smallest circumference to area ratio, and is more energy efficient as a smaller surface area requires less energy to cool. Furthermore, the bamboo roof of the house also mimics the shabono's pitched roof to divert rainfall into the rainwater catchment system.

Additionally, I incorporated a myriad of sustainable features, such as solar panels, a rainwater catchment system, and passive cooling systems, to ensure that the habitat is resilient and adaptive to the environment. Such features combat the heat, humidity, and frequent rainfall and floods characteristic of the Amazon rainforest.

My design not only allows for inhabitants to survive in the extreme environment but also to thrive. I achieved this by leveraging the unique conditions of the rainforest, including:

1) converting its abundant rainfall into potable and nonpotable water,

2) converting sunlight into energy through solar panels, and

3) incorporating many floor-to-ceiling windows to frame the beautiful rainforest greenery

When designing the floor plan, I considered the sun angle and studied how windows facing different directions receive varying amounts of sunlight. Because the Amazon Rainforest is located near the equator, and sunlight hits the earth's equator at around a 90-degree angle, it receives 12 hours of direct sunlight daily, hence its warm year-round temperature. Since the sun rises from the east and falls in the north-west, and its trajectory is virtually perpendicular to the earth, the east window receives the most sunlight in the morning, the ceiling windows (etc. skylights) receive the most sunlight during the day, and the north-west windows receive the most sunlight during sunset; the north and south-facing windows receive the least amount of sunlight.

With the Sun direction in mind, I placed the kitchen on the northern side of the habitat so that it receives ample daylight in the morning. I placed the office (floor 1) and reading nook (floor 2) in the south to avoid harsh, direct sunlight and promote a comfortable, cool working environment. On the second floor, I intentionally put bedrooms on the east and west so that they receive sufficient natural lighting in the morning and evening.

Image 1: Section View

Image 2: Front View

Image 3: 3D View

Image 4: Floor 1

Image 5: Floor 2

Image 1: Kitchen, Dining Area

Image 2: Living Room

Image 3: Kitchen

Image 4-7: Bathroom (Floor 1)

Image 8-10: Floor 2

Foundation & Structural Support

For the foundation, I decided to use support columns and a central column as the foundation of the habitat (Image 2) the columns are 15 feet high to elevate the house over flood waters, and the central column also stores the water tank for the rainwater catchment system. The columns are grounded into the soil through pier foundations to support the weight of the structure (Image 3).

For additional support, I also used nearby trees to buttress the habitat, similar to a tree house (images 4 & 5). Using existing trees to help prop up the building highlights another advantage of living in a rainforest.

Bamboo Roof (reference)

The roof of the house is constructed with bamboo and flattened bamboo shingles (Image 1). Because bamboo is a fast-growing plant that is also endemic to the Amazon rainforest, it is a highly sustainable and accessible material, reducing the carbon footprint that comes with transportation. Furthermore, it is an extremely durable material (even stronger than steel) and is naturally waterproof, rendering it a suitable roofing material for the wet Amazon Rainforest climate. I decided to use flattened bamboo shingles (also known as Pelupuh) for the roof covering because they are ideal for curvilinear design. I chose to use the Guadua weberbaueri bamboo, as not only is it native to the Amazon rainforest, but is also the strongest bamboo in the world.

The roof is comprised of 4 layers:

1) Bamboo Roof Framework

2) Pelupuh (placed over the bamboo rafters)

3) Asphalt liner (a waterproof membrane)

4) Pelupuh (for the exterior covering of roof)

As with all natural materials, bamboo can decay and attract wood-eating insects, weakening its water resistance and durability. Thus, the bamboo roof will be treated and waterproofed by coating the bamboo with rubber tree oil (waterproofing) and boric acid (removes insects present in bamboo). The roof is also pitched at 40 degrees to allow rainwater to drain into the roof gutter to prevent rainwater from accumulating on the roof.

Porcelain Tile:

Porcelain tile is used for the first floor and bathrooms. I selected this material because porcelain tile has low water absorption, meaning it is resistant to humidity and keeps the floor cool. It is also a highly sustainable material, containing the least embodied carbon among other flooring types. This is due to its long lifespan, efficient manufacturing process, recyclability, ability to reduce energy consumption (since it naturally cools the house), and how it is made from natural materials such as clay and sand.

Although I initially considered using concrete flooring for the first floor due to its ability to resist humid temperatures and moderate temperatures, after researching the sustainability of concrete, I learned that its manufacturing process is carbon intensive. Furthermore, since concrete is not a local material, it would also be difficult to transport large loads of concrete to the site. Thus, I limited the use of concrete to be just for structural support.

Bamboo:

I used Bamboo, a fast-growing plant in the Amazon rainforest, for the roofing and interior decorations because it is native and highly sustainable. In addition to its visual aesthetics, it is also naturally waterproof, which is especially valuable in a rain-prone environment.

Brick:

I used brick for the interior walls because they have high heat absorbency, which helps reduce humidity indoors and cool the house.

Steel:

Due to its durability, steel is primarily used for structural support, such as window framing.

Wood:

For the second floor, I chose to use Brazil nut wood, as it is very strong and dense, resistant to decay, and is a local material. I also used this material for the exterior walls of my habitat.

Concrete:

I used concrete for the foundation of the habitat because it is resistant to mold and moisture prevalent in the rainforest ground and is also highly durable.

Skylight & Sun Tunnels

A major feature I used to maximize natural daylight is skylights. I installed 4 large skylights on the roof of my habitat, providing ample daylighting for the top floor.

Furthermore, I installed sun tunnels on the roof to channel natural sunlight into the first floor. Since the first floor is lower into the canopy level compared to the second floor, it receives more shading from trees and therefore receives less sunlight. Using a sun tunnel will resolve this issue by illuminating the second floor with indirect sunlight. A sun tunnel is a prefabricated tube with an acrylic dome at the top and a light diffuser at the bottom. The acrylic dome on the roof captures and magnifies sunlight, then sends it down through the reflective, mirrored tunnel to the light diffuser on the first-floor ceiling, bringing sufficient lighting to the first floor.

Ultimately, both the skylights and sun tunnels help maximize natural lighting, limiting the need for artificial lighting and creating a more sustainable and energy-efficient habitat.

Atrium

The central atrium also allows daylight to enter both floors of the habitat, further reducing the need for artificial lighting.

Floor to Ceiling Windows

In addition to skylights and sun tunnels, I also used many floor-to-ceiling windows in both floors to maximize natural lighting. The expansive windows also serve to maximize the view of the beautiful rainforest that surrounds the house, dismantling the barrier between indoors and outdoors to strengthen the inhabitants' connection to nature and increase their well-being. This design is one of the many strategies I used to create not only a sustainable, resilient space where inhabitants can solely survive but also an aesthetically pleasing space where inhabitants can thrive--a space conducive to learning, work, play, and health.

Although my house has many large full-length windows and skylights, the dense vegetation and trees surrounding the house provide natural shading and filtration of sunlight. This highlights a major advantage of living in a dense rainforest--having natural shading. Nonetheless, I could not rely on surrounding trees alone to cool the house in a climate as warm as the Amazon rainforest, so I still integrated many different sustainable cooling techniques to ensure the habitat does not overheat.

Stacked Ventilation

Stacked ventilation is a passive ventilation process that uses natural convection to circulate air in a building (Image 1). Through low and high openings on opposite sides of the home, the warm, less dense air can rise and escape from high windows, creating a low pressure that will suck in the cooler, denser outside air. I adopted this method in my design by creating operable windows on the first and second floors, along with operable skylights. The air circulates through the building as the buoyant, warm air travels up and out of the second-floor windows and skylights, creating a lower pressure that draws in cooler air at the bottom. The spiral staircase in the center of the house creates an opening between the first and second floors where air can circulate. Additionally, I incorporated solar-powered ceiling fans in both the first and second floors to better circulate the air, facilitating the cooling of the house.

This method is highly sustainable since it requires little energy, relying mainly on the natural air movement caused by the difference in air pressure and temperature.

Green Roof

In addition to its aesthetics, green roofs can also lower the temperature of the ambient air by up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, rendering it an effective, sustainable cooling system. Thus, I also added a green roof on top of the first floor as well as on the patio to facilitate natural cooling (image 3).

Sun Direction (Image 5)

Since the Amazon Rainforest is located near the equator, it receives direct sunlight (sunlight hits the earth's equator at around 90 degrees angle) consistently, and 12 hours of sunlight every day, hence its warm year-round temperature. To avoid excessive solar gain through the many windows in the house, I implemented strategies to reduce the absorption of solar heat through shading devices and window glazing, all the while designing with the sun's direction in mind.

Shading Devices

Bamboo Jali

Because the sun hits the house at around a 90-degree angle, the skylights, which are placed in the optimal position for sunlight, are most susceptible to absorbing and transferring heat into the interior. To minimize the heat gain from the skylights while still maximizing the natural lighting they let in, I used bamboo woven jali to cover the skylights (Image 4 & 5).

While researching types of shades for blocking excessive sun energy, I learned about the traditional Indian architectural design, Jali, which is a perforated or latticed screen carved into stone panels. A response to India's arid climate, Jaali filters in sunlight while blocking harsh heat by breaking up the Sun rays. Even before HVAC and cooling systems were invented, Jali has been historically used in Indian architecture, such as the Taj Mahal, to encourage cooling, revealing its effectiveness as a shade structure. Jali also serves an aesthetic purpose--as sunlight streams through its ornamental patterns, it uses the interplay of light and shadow to create an interesting and beautiful geometric design, rendering it not only a practical but highly aesthetic shade structure.

In my design, the Jali is a specially woven bamboo screen (image 3, 4), since bamboo is a highly sustainable material and native to the rainforest. Not only does Jali facilitate cooling, it also illuminates a beautiful pattern on the second floor, creating both a livable and enjoyable space.

Brise Soleil

The large glass atrium in the center of my habitat presented a major challenge as it was prone to high heat gain. On one hand, the atrium, which spans both floors of the habitat, maximizes the natural sunlight by allowing sunlight to penetrate through both the second and first floors. On the other hand, because the atrium is made mostly of glass, it invites copious amounts of heat energy into the home. Furthermore, because the atrium has a concave structure, the sun energy reflecting off the upper floor atrium glass will concentrate towards a point on the lower floor, which would significantly increase the temperature of the bottom floor.

To mitigate heat gain from the facade, I added Brise Soleil, a solar shading system, to the external glass of the atrium (Image 6 & 7). Brise Soleil uses vertical or horizontal blades to block intense sunlight and solar energy from entering the house, ultimately reducing heat gain. Considering how the sun hits the Amazon rainforest at around a 90 degree angle, I added Brise Soli along the entire atrium to shade the interior from the direct sunlight. I decided to build the blades with sustainable timber not only because it is a locally sourced, sustainable material, and it also enhances the visual appeal of the atrium, but also because timber wood, compared to other materials typically used for brise Soli such as steel, has low thermal conductivity. Wood's cellular structure has small air pockets that can absorb a lot of heat. This means that wood can help slow the transfer of heat, which is conducive to creating a cooler interior environment. Additionally, the blades are motorized, meaning that they automatically change angles based on the direction of the sun to deflect the maximum amount of heat energy.

Glazed Windows

Another passive heat control method I integrated into my design is using double-glazed glass for all of the windows. Double-glazed windows, also known as double-panned windows, are made of two panes of glass filled with a safe, inert gas such as Argon or Xenon that helps filter sunlight and block solar energy and harmful UV rays. The windows are also coated with low-emissive (Low-E) insulating film, which helps reduce the amount of UV and infrared rays that transmit through glass, all the while allowing visible light to pass through. In other words, using a double-paned, Low-E window will help deflect intense UV and infrared sun energy while still maximizing natural lighting by allowing visible light to permeate, creating a cool but still well-lit interior.

When researching sustainable cooling systems, I also learned about evaporative cooling, or adiabatic cooling, which uses the evaporation of water to cool a building. At first, I thought this strategy was suitable for the habitat, but after deeper research, I learned that evaporative cooling is ineffective in humid environments because it actually adds more humidity into the home, and does not significantly cool the interior. This experience is an example of how, even if an idea seemed feasible at first, I had to check if they were viable in the specific conditions of the Amazon rainforest. Oftentimes, I had to scratch out and re-think ideas to improve my design, which is an essential part of the design and engineering process.

Because the Amazon rainforest receives abundant rainfall year-round, I wanted to leverage this unique condition by effectively capturing the rainwater and converting it into potable and nonpotable water to use.

Rainwater Catchment System (reference)

To create a rainwater catchment system in my habitat, I first learned how a water catchment system worked and its main components, then replicated the system in my habitat. Below I outlined the stages of converting rainwater into potable water using the rainwater catchment system.

Catchment & Pre-filtration (steps 1-8); Filtration & Treatment (steps 9-17)

1. Gutters & Gutter screen: Rainwater runoff is captured by gutters, and gutter mesh filters out large debris from rainwater
2. Downspout Screen/Leaf Eater: Pre-filtration equipment to remove vegetation material and debris such as leaves, sticks, and insects from rainwater
3. First Flush Diverter: Flushes away additional debris from rainwater not removed by previous filters
4. Tank Inlet: Rainwater enters the rainwater collection tank through the pipe
5. Tank Screen: Additional filter for incoming rainwater
6. Alternative Tank Inlet: Second inlet for rainwater to enter the tank
7. Rainwater Collection Tank
8. Overflow: Excess water is drained out of the storage tank through a spout
9. Tank Outlet: Rainwater exits through this tube to be filtered and treated up to potable standards
10. Water Pump: Pumps water up through the system
11. Water Pump: Further assists in pumping water
12. Sediment Filter: Filters out small sediments in water so that they don't clog the fine-sized filters
13. 5-Micron Filter: Filters out 99% of sediments that are 5-micron or larger
14. Carbon Filter: Removes odors in water to enhance taste
15. UV Treatment: Disinfects rainwater by killing microscopic bacteria, parasites, and other contagions in the water that are too small to be removed by previous filters
16. Pressure Tank: Stores the potable water
17. Whole Home Use: Clean, potable water are pumped throughout the house for drinking, irrigation, plumbing, sinks, and other activities

Sourcing food is a major challenge in my habitat design. Initially, I thought that inhabitants could obtain their own food by finding natural sustenance in the forest. However, after researching how indigenous tribes sourced their food in the rainforest, I realized this idea was unfeasible. To begin, the indigenous Amazonian tribes, including the Yanomi people, are suffering from food scarcity in the rainforest. To ensure that my house's inhabitants do not encroach on their limited supply of food in the rainforest, I decided to build a garden within the house's atrium instead. Since the atrium does not have a roof, it mimics the outdoor rainforest conditions, which is conducive to the growth of native, edible plants. The plants in the garden will include an avocado tree, a guava tree, taro, yuca roots, and other small native vegetation. The open atrium allows for native plants to grow and thrive, which is a better alternative to a closed atirum where much energy is required to maintain suitable conditions for the plants.

In addition to growing their own food, the forest ranger and his family can also be sent additional food through the nearby river if needed.

Through this project, I was able to develop my 3D literacy skills and improve my design using digital software. I created my base model (image 1) on Fusion 360, and designed my floor plan on Chief Architect. Although it was challenging to translate my sketches into an actual model on Fusion, since there were many complex parts in my habitat (eg. circular structure, skylights, spiral staircase), this experience allowed me to improve my digital skills and exercise my creativity, as I had to think of creative ways to build the complex spaces.

For example, when I tried making a curved opening on the second floor for the spiral staircase, there was no tool to create a curved hole in the floor, so I tested the revolve tool to create the opening. This is merely one of the many instances where I had to explore tools and creatively use them to build my model.

Because building a model required precise measurements and scale, I was able to refine my habitat throughout the modeling process. For instance, when I inputted the measurements for the roof, I was forced to think about its slant angle and modified my roof pitch (40 degrees) for optimal rainwater drainage. If I had not modeled my design, I would not have considered the importance of the roof's slant angle, demonstrating how using CAD to create my design not only allowed me to better represent my idea, but also helped me better visualize and refine it.

Using Chief Architect to create a floor plan for my habitat also helped me better visualize the scale of my habitat: as I designed the different rooms and added furniture, I had a better sense of the scale of each floor and the number of rooms that could fit into a space.

In the final stage of the 3D modeling, I rendered my model using the Fusion rendering tool and used Adobe Express to add foliage for the green roof and to make the site more realistic.

What if extreme environment habitats embraced their unique surroundings to enhance human well-being?

The Amazon Rainforest, while seemingly inhabitable to modern standards, actually possesses many unique qualities that can enhance human well-being while fulfilling their basic needs. A major advantage of living in a rainforest is allowing for a direct connection to nature, which has been proven to improve human well-being. The rainforests' ample sunlight also reduces artificial lighting during the day and provides energy throughout the day through solar panels, increasing energy efficiency. Additionally, the dense canopy of the rainforest allows for natural filtration of the harsh sunlight, creating a more comfortable and cooler environment for inhabitants. Lastly, the abundant rainfall and the habitat's location near the Amazon River basin enable easy access to water. Such favorable features of the rainforest highlight its potential to be a place where humans can not only survive, but can thrive within its unique conditions.

What did you learn through this process that you could apply to addressing a problem of the built environment in your own community?

Through this process, I learned many vital skills that I could apply to addressing a problem of the built environment in my own community. First, it is essential to research the unique features of the site and identify characteristics we can leverage as well as problems that we need to address in a design. Secondly, I learned that we need to also consider existing buildings and cultures living in the community to ensure that any new structures do not disrupt its architectural traditions. Moreover, because the built environment plays an immense role in the health of our planet due to the amount of energy it consumes and greenhouse gasses it emits, it is also necessary to integrate sustainable features in the building and take advantage of the site's natural environment and resources. Lastly, it is crucial to consider the function of the building and what/who it is for.

This project not only taught me more about the Amazon Rainforest and how to thrive in such extreme environment, but also taught me so much more about sustainable technologies and materials, as well as developing my problem-solving skills as I had to adapt to constraints and embrace opportunities provided by the environment. I also learned the value of constantly questioning the effectiveness of my design to improve it and the value of using CAD software to both express and refine my ideas.

Overall, while this project was very challenging and took months for me to complete, I am glad to have participated in this challenge as it allowed me to improve my CAD and design skills, become more educated about the plethora of sustainable and resilient technologies and materials in our world, and ultimately develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of all the detail and thought that goes into designing any building.