Arctic Light & Human Psyche

Personal Info

Name: Polina Stepanova

Nationality: Russian

Institution / Company: Columbia University in the City of New York

Instagram: @realpolya

Facebook: @realpolya

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/realpolya

-FINALIST of Non Architecture Award 2022 Competition | Category: Architecture & Interior

What is the relationship between our climatic environment and our psychological well-being? The theoretical response to this question can be most efficiently gathered through analyzing weather conditions at the extreme side of the spectrum. 

The “Arctic Light & Human Psyche” research station was an individual project completed in “Are Icebergs Free?” studio at Columbia University GSAPP during Fall 2022. I started my design process by analyzing behavior of light through devising a shadowbox, and then I decided to focus on a territory with extreme climate conditions which has the highest suicide rate in the entire world – Nunavut in Canada. 

Nunavut is very sparsely populated even though it has a large territory of 800,000 square miles. 84% of the population is Inuit, and the biggest city is Iqaluit, located on Baffin Island. Considering the extreme climate conditions of the Arctic region, I decided to look into the connection between the light conditions and the local human psychology patterns.My ultimate goal was to investigate how properties of light can relieve or exacerbate various psychological conditions. 

Construction methods in the Arctic were my another point of focus to ensure proper thermal insulation and financial reasonability. I employed raised foundation on steel trusses and included prefabricated units. The windows of the units face in all different directions to create various light conditions, and the research center also accommodates various communal spaces to be at disposal of local population, including prominent Inuit presence.

Project Type

Psychology Research Station in the Arctic