Aerial view of the High Country Shelter set among snow-covered pines in the South Okanagan.

High Country Shelter

The High Country Shelter asks how little building is needed to make a remote winter site inhabitable. Reached on foot or skis and left unattended for long periods, it needed to be small, durable and capable of operating without conventional services.

The compact vertical arrangement reduces the building footprint and concentrates the enclosure around only the spaces needed for sleeping and shelter. Construction was developed for rapid assembly and limited site access, while the enclosure is designed for deep snow, wildfire and long periods without maintenance.

The study treats size as part of the environmental response. Building less reduces what has to be transported, heated, powered and maintained, allowing a small shelter to provide what is necessary without turning a remote site into a conventional dwelling.

Two people approach the High Country Shelter on skis through a snow-covered forest at dusk.
Wood-lined interior of the High Country Shelter looking through a large window to the snowy forest.
Sleeping space with a large corner window overlooking the snow-covered forest and a telescope beside the bed.
Wood-lined living space with a large window framing snow-covered pines outside.
Exterior view of the compact three-storey High Country Shelter glowing from within among snow-covered trees.