Prefab Tiny Dome In the Arctic That Provides Hikers With Warm Shelter

Revolutionizing Hiking Trails with Prefab Domes

These tiny prefab domes could change up the way they manage hiking trails all over the world. This adorable prefab wooden dome was designed for hikers in the Arctic Circle who needed a bit of respite from the cold. This tiny mountain wood cabin in Norway provides much-needed warmth and shelter. The prefab project is the first of two warming huts that were designed to promote hiking in the town of Hammerfest, Norway. They needed a tiny mountaintop structure that would align with the already existing landscape. The wood cabin includes a wood burning stove, simple seating, and views of the terrain. The Norwegian Hikers Association commissioned SPINN Arkitekter and Format Engineer to design a small mountaintop hut in the scenic town of Hammerfest.

Innovative Construction Techniques for Prefab Huts

Multiple test huts were done with a 3D printer and tested in a warehouse before the final prefab dome was partially fabricated and then shipped to the mountain where the local volunteers finished off the construction. The panels, which you can see on the side of the structure, help to create a cozy cocooned interior that includes wooden floors, simple benches, a large picture window, and a tiny wood-burning stove to provide warmth for the below-zero nights.

Blending Design with Nature in the Arctic

It's easy to imagine just how cold it can get when hiking in the Arctic Circle. That is why these tiny prefab wood cabins were commissioned to help give hikers a place to warm up while they are out hiking in the cold terrain of the Arctic. The prefab wooden dome sits on the side of a mountain and easily blends in with the jagged surroundings. The facade is built from 77 cross-laminated wooden panels that fit together somewhat like a puzzle. To help create a prefab design that would withstand the cold wind and large amounts of snow, a drone mapped out the building site, first surveying the mountaintop location to help the prefab designers optimize the wooden hut's organic, egg-like shape.

Crowdfunding and Community Involvement in Construction

As the prefab design had a higher budget than the client expected, the animation and visualization were made as part of the crowdfunding effort to raise the necessary money necessary to help realize the project. Local businesses volunteered building materials and services, while ebony donated the building materials for the exterior cladding on the prefab design. According to the design plan, the hiking association members would be the one's who were responsible for raising the prefab structure and transporting it to the building site.

Efficient and Modern Prefab Design for Hikers

The Hammerfest wooden hiking cabin was built in an indoor controlled warehouse environment, where the prefab structure would be put together and then tested. Once tested the prefab structure would then partially demounted for transport. One group of volunteers got the main structure of the prefab CLT panels mounted together throughout only four workdays, while another group was responsible for both cutting and measuring the prefab frames and panels for the outer cladding of the design based upon 1:1 drawing from SPINN. The result is an efficient modern prefab design that not only looks good but provides the perfect place to enjoy while out on a hike in the cold climate.