ARCH 1121 An Introduction to Architecture…Spring 2016 Mishara Toggle navigation

Mercado_Nydia_igloo questions

Igloos can be used for multiple reasons. Upon the uses for the igloo the more common one is that it is used for temporary accommodation in the winter as a shelter to keep out the cold weather and keep in the warmth. The igloos was also used by the Inuits on hunting expeditions. From what I learned in the past about hunting; hunting takes time. When it comes to hunting, sometimes a lot of travelling takes place, so that what you are hunting for can be at reach. So for a fact many people will not travel with their stationary homes. That’s why tents are being used or many other temporary shelters, like lean-tos, and igloos. Due to the characteristics of the igloo they can be categorized as a vernacular building. A vernacular building is one of the categories of architecture that is based on local needs of the people living in that particular area, construction materials and ones that reflect upon local traditions. The igloo is a vernacular building because of everything I said in my previous statement. The igloo was made from materials from locally. The material used to build an igloo is a snow block. They also tend to be used by the Inuits. Traditional they are known for building igloos. Igloos can be found in the winter. They are mostly located in small areas in Greenland and Canada. In order for the igloo to maintain its structure and survive they are needed to be found in cold climates and icy land. The snow blocks has to be just right to be made.  The right temperature and climate have to be provided otherwise it defeats the purpose of even trying to make an igloo. The igloo can collapse and cave in if it is not properly built. The igloo has to deal with the sun melting its ice blocks. The igloo tends to use the mechanism of repurposing the melting for good use. Just like certain animals use adaptation to survive in particular regions. It takes the melting as an advantage. It uses the melting of the ice blocks to seal up cracks and it works like grout, making the igloo even stronger. As of now the melting starts earlier in the say so that is bad for the igloo. It does not give the igloo enough time to repair itself and refreeze.