This studio explored architecture in extreme alpine conditions through the design of two linked projects: a four-level hybrid apartment-lodge within Falls Creek village, and a minimal hut for hikers and skiers on Diamantina Spur, near Mt Feathertop. Together, the projects examined how mountain buildings can support communal living, seasonal occupation, and new infrastructure for the Falls to Hotham Crossing.

Students investigated the technical, environmental, and cultural demands of building at high elevation, including snow and wind loads, remote construction, thermal insulation, sustainable heating, weatherproofing, condensation management, snow and ice shedding, bushfire resistance, and minimal environmental impact.

The studio considered traditions of alpine architecture, from European mountain lodges and modernist precedents to Australian alpine huts and the idealism of the 1960s and 70s. Themes of white-out, prefabrication, minimal shelter, warmth, conviviality, and survival informed both spatial and technical design thinking.

Projects translated international best practice in thermal performance and construction technology into Australian alpine conditions, asking how shared living and compact shelter might be reimagined in remote, fragile, and climatically demanding mountain environments.

Studio leader: Professor Nigel Bertram