Sustainable Northern Shelter Monitoring

Indigenous wisdom. Twenty-first century technology.

 
Alaska’s rural communities have a shortage of housing. The homes are expensive to build, are poorly-constructed, and are often inadequate for Alaska’s extreme climate. The Sustainable Northern Shelter (SNS) program was established in 2008 by staff at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center and members of rural communities around Alaska. Hundreds of people around the state are collaborating to develop energy-efficient and affordable homes that can withstand the extreme climatic conditions of Alaska while reflecting each community’s lifestyle and culture.

The flagship project of the SNS program is the homebuilding work being done in Anaktuvuk Pass.

Newtok/Mertarvik, Point Lay, and Nuiqsut, Alaska also have projects in progress. The key to each project is local residents participating at all levels of design and construction. Using a charette format and meetings at each phase, residents express their interests, wants, and needs for housing. Building on this foundation of community participation, this unique process combines tradition, modern technology, and environmentally-responsible building design. Each project has an emphasis on using efficient, durable materials and energy systems that are specific to each building location. On a broad level, SNS contributes to the vitality of Northern communities at a time when unprecedented energy costs and difficult economic conditions cause hardship. The SNS process results in comfortable, economical, and long-lasting houses that are a natural fit for the people who call them home.

 
Update: 11/18/09 CCHRC, in partnership with GW Scientific, is now providing live data from the house. Click here to visit our data page.

We are grateful to the following organizations for supporting this
important program.