Literature Review on Building Envelope, Heating and ... - Beeshive.org

south to north across the arctic. Pin’s strategy is to work with the climatic conditions,
rather than against them.
• Snowdrifts: The building is elevated above the snow surface. A series of portaled
foundation walls channel blowing snow under the building and away from the
building entrance on the leeward side. This strategy is based on experience and an
understanding of snow drifting patterns in Northern Canada.
• Ventilation: Portholes are used to provide cross ventilation and enhance air
movements in summer and winter without freeze up, jamming, or causing gusts.
Jen (2005) described another example of a northern architectural response to the extreme
climate, daylight conditions, and the culture of the First Nations in Yukon. Daylight, in
particular, is extremely variable. It ranges from almost 24 hours of daylight daily in
summer with the sun setting just before midnight and rising a few hours later, to very
little daylight in winter. In response to such challenges, the use of southern exposure
benefits is optimized.
• Large windows with triple-pane, low-e glazing, and vinyl frames were used. Jen
(2005) noted that vinyl-framed windows are economical, perform better than
aluminum, wood, or steel in the extreme cold climate, and are manufactured locally.
• Shading devices made of 38 x 139 mm (2 x 6) cedar slats were used above the
windows. The scale and spacing of the slats were determined using solar angle
calculations. The spacing on the lower portion of the shading device was made much
denser to block the excessive daylight and solar heat gain of the high summer sun
while maximizing entry of low winter sun into the interior of the house.
Indigenous culture needs included round forms, the use of wood, striking colours and,
most importantly, a strong connection to the land. The architectural response included:
• incorporating large (244 x 81 cm/96 x 32 in.) windows to link the house to its site;
• wood shading devices and exposed wood structural elements for colour warmness;
and
corrugated galvanized siding cladding for colours and textures.
Foundation Design Considerations
Soil condition is an important consideration, because ground movements can cause
cracks in walls, distortion in windows, doors, and floors, separated walls and floors, and
damage to plumbing. This is particularly significant in the permafrost regions that
underlie all of the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut, and portions of the provinces
particularly Manitoba and Quebec.
Permafrost Characteristics and Challenges
Strub (1996) defined permafrost as the ground whose temperature remains consistently
below the freezing point of water. The term “permafrost” describes the soil thermal
regime, and not the soil type or the amount of water or ice in the ground. At high latitudes
PERD-079: Task 2 - <strong>Literature</strong> <strong>Review</strong> 34