THE NORTHERN HOUSE. INNOVATIVE DESIGN APPROACHES

Abstract

The article notes that the planning structure of residential buildings currently being designed and built for the cities of the Far North does not fundamentally differ from the solutions that are used in the cities of central Russia. The result is a residential environment with its ecological characteristics failing to correspond to the harsh natural and climatic conditions of the areas developed. Short seasons of comfortable weather, in both summer and winter, do not allow northern residents, primarily children, to fully satisfy their needs for rewarding recreational activities. At the same time, improving the quality of the living environment in the northern and Arctic cities is becoming a challenge considering the needs of the Northern Sea Route for comprehensive services. The article seeks to provide a rationale for a radical revision of the approaches to the development of residential environments in the Far North, primarily by improving the typology of residential buildings. The objectives of the study were as follows: to substantiate the need to create a detailed national program for the development of a research and design framework for improving the habitat in the cities of the North and the Arctic; identify priorities in this program; and demonstrate housing typology examples. The methodological basis of study was an in-depth review of 1960s-1980s developments and designs produced by the leading research and design institutions of the Soviet Union. The study revealed a significant untapped potential and of this legacy, which requires further exploration taking into account modern capabilities and ideas and implementation in research and design and in construction practice.

Keywords

• far north
• arctic
• comfortable habitat
• northern house
• typological features of housing for the north