Mobile Science Facility

Location:  Summit Station, Greenland

Size:  288 sf

Description: Summit Station, a conglomerate camp of US and International scientific research, is at the pinnacle of the Greenland Ice Sheet with 3,200 meters of ice beneath and over 400 km from the nearest inhabitants.  It’s pristine ice record and remote geographical local makes for a highly desired site for the global science community.  Although semi-permanent structures exist, there is a growing need for mobile labs to accompany traverse campaigns throughout the country.  As an employee of Polar Field Services, the National Science Foundation’s Arctic logistics contractor, I was part of a small crew that built this laboratory on skis.  Built using Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs), low-e windows, metal cladding to withstand the harsh winds, a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV), and passive solar wall thermosiphons the mobile building meets the demanding logistical and environmental requirements necessary for high-performance research in such an extreme place.  Construction took place over two summer seasons.