SHELTER

IGLU ()
How does an igloo work? Construction technique Type of igloos

An igloo (igluit in inuktitut) is a snow house. Snow is a smart material to
use to build in the arctic because, besides there is plenty, the air pockets
trapped in it, become an excelent insulator. On the outside, temperatures
may be as low as 45 C (49 F), but on the inside the temperature may range
from 7 C (19 F) to 16 C (61 F) when warmed by body heat alone.
The sleeping platform is a raised area. Because warmer air rises and cooler
air settles down, the entrance area acts as a cold trap whereas the sleep-
ing area will hold whatever heat is generated by a qulliq lamp and body
heat alone. Some Inuit, lined the living area with skin, which could
increase the temperature within from around 2 C (36 F) to 1020 C (5068
F).
Warmest
Sleeping
area
Cooking
area Cold
The Inuit learned to develop their igloo structures by implementing a cate- The smallest were constructed as temporary shelters, usually only used
nary of revolution shape which offers optimal balance between height for one or two nights. These were built and used during hunting trips,
and diameter of the structure without risk of collapsing under the often on open sea ice.
weight of compacted snow. This is slightly different from what is typically
called a catenoid in which the catenary is rotated about its center, form- Intermediate-sized igloos were for semi-permanent, family dwelling. This
ing a surface with the topology of a bowl rather than that of a cylinder. was usually a single room dwelling that housed one or two families.
The stresses of snow as it ages and compresses against the igloo will not Often there were several of these in a small area, which formed an Inuit
cause it to buckle because in an inverted paraboloid or catenoid the pres- village.
sures are exclusively compressive.
The largest igloos were normally built in groups of two. One of the build-
The snow used to build an igloo must have enough structural strength to ings was a temporary structure built for special occasions, the other built
be cut (using a snow knive) and stacked appropriately. The best snow to use nearby for living. These might have had up to five rooms and housed up to
for this purpose is snow which has been blown by wind, which can serve to 20 people. A large igloo might have been constructed from several smaller
compact and interlock the ice crystals. The hole left in the snow where igloos attached by their tunnels, giving common access to the outside.
the blocks are cut is usually used as the lower half of the shelter. A short These were used to hold community feasts and traditional dances.
tunnel is constructed at the entrance to reduce wind and heat loss.
Architecturally, the igloo is unique in that it is a dome that can be raised
out of independent blocks leaning on each other and polished to fit with- bed bed
out an additional supporting structure during construction. An igloo
that is built correctly will support the weight of a person standing on the
roof. In the traditional Inuit igloo the heat from the qulliq causes the
interior to melt slightly. This melting and refreezing builds up a layer of
ice that contributes to the strength of the igloo. bed
hall
entrance tunnel

ring forces in a uniform shell

Igloo internal climate explanation meridional ring meridional

tr tr bed
circular shape: hemisphere
minimal exposure 2 2 bed bed bed
ventilation compression bed
(to avoid noxious gases) ~12 ft. (3.65 m)

5149 r
light hole tension floor plan of large igloo with 3 bedrooms
(ice block)
0 0
tr tr hall/
pile of snow entrance tunnel living room bed
parabolid (used for Igloos) tr d
t 8h

compression
animal hides air chamber h

protection:
snow and hides 0 0 bed
wind-stopper lined floor
landing d=2r
tr d 1 + cos + cos

12 h (1 + cos ) cos
Sample of an igloo & explanatonof how it works Igloo building method: catenary of revolution diagram of tensions floor plan of large igloo with 4 bedrooms and common room

What is a tupiq and when was it used?
The tupiq is a traditional Inuit tent made from seal or caribou skin. Inuit
must kill 5 to 10 ugjuk (bearded seals) to make a seal skin tent. If a man
goes hunting for four to five, he would bring a small tent made out of
five ugjuit. A family tent would be made of ten or more ugjuit. They could
also use other hides but in general they prefered seal or caribou since
these were the 2 best options.
The tupiq was used on the land not on the sea ice. It was portable for
travel and lasted several years. When stored over the winter, the tupiq
had to be kept away from dogs. In the summer the tupiq was used as shel-
ter, then in the fall when it got colder, some Inuit moved into sod houses
(qammaq) and the tupiq skin was used for the roof. In winter, the Inuit
lived in igluit when the snow was good enough to build them. Then in the
spring when the iglu melted, they moved back into the tupiq.
TUPIQ ()
Construction techniques
The framework of this tents consists of poles, which are frequently made of many pieces of wood ingeniously lashed together, where wood is scarce, then bones
of large animals were used such us baculum of walrus tied togehter (around 50cm each) or whale bones.
We can find two general types of structure configuration. The plan shown in the drawing of tupiq type 1 below is the same as that of the winter houses. At the
edge of the the tent wil be the bed and at the entrance two pairs of converging poles are erected. A little below the crossing points two cross strips are firmly
attached, forming the ridge. Behind the poles, at the edge of the bed, six or eight others are arranged in a semicircle resting on the ground and on the crossing
point of those poles. The frame is covered with a large skin roof fitting tightly. The cover is steadied with heavy stones.
The second structural type of the tupiq we can find in the inuit culture is built with a strong pole set up vertically at the end of the passage, another pole usually
a bit shorter towards the end of the tent and a small cross piece being lashed to its top. The entrance is formed by an oblique pole, the end of which lies in the
ridge of the roof. The latter is formed by a stout thong which runs over the top of both poles and is fastened to heavy stones on both sides. See drawing below
of tupiq type 2.
~9 ft. (2.75 m)

~7 ft. (2.15 m)

~17 ft. (~5.2 m)

(2.75 to 3.65 m)
9 to 12 ft.

example of tupiq floor plan and elevations of inuit tupiq type 1 floor plan and elevations of inuit tupiq type 2

QARMAQ ()
What is a qarmaq and when was it used? Construction techniques

The qarmaq is a type of inter-seasonal half burried and single-room
family dwelling used by Inuit. It is often also called sod house.
Because building material was extremeley scarce across the Arctic, Inuit
builders (and the Thule people bofore) framed their winter houses with
whatever they could find - rocks, wood, driftwood, chunks of sod, and
the ribs, skull, and vertebrae of bowhead whale. They were used by the
Inuit up to the 1950s, during the cold seasons. In winter, they also lived
in igloo, especially while traveling, but when possible, the qarmaq was
the preference.
Finding the appropriate site for the qarmaq included understanding the
geological layout of an area in relationship to elements of weather,
since the qarmaq where have burried in the ground. Its construction
involved men, women and children.
They developed an efficient method for warming these houses, as shown in the elevation and plan (see below), similar to the igloo system, they recessed the
entrance to the living area, and raised the sleeping platform to take advantage of rising heat. This system was also used in Igloos construction as we already saw
before. They excavated a hole into the ground and set up a ring of vertical poles. The poles were tilted inwards at the top so that blocks of sod could be piled up
over them and remain in place. The result was a partially subterranean log-and-sod hut with the floor below ground to preserve warmth.
The whale jawbone was sometimes served ad an arch over the entrance, curved ribs were side posts, bone chunks became wall filling, and baleen was fashioned
into drying racks to hold clothing above the soapstone lamp. if they had available wood or driftwood it was used for support mixed (or not if enough wood like
in some places) with animal bones. Stone slabs sometimes paved the entrance tunnel and on the front of the house, directly over where the tunnel merged with
the floor, was a translucent window made from the dried intestines of the bearded seal. Another method of covering the roof was to layer seal or walrus skins
(could be the same used for the tupiq in summer) with dried moss for insulation and in extreme cold conditions they would cut snow blocks and pile them around
the skins in order to have further protection.
A fire in the inside was used, besides for heating, as an air cuality indicator, if the flame turned yellow they new air needed to be ventilated which they achieved
ventilating through the passageway (heavy air) and through a hole in the roof (light air), similar to igloos ventilation.
As we can see, there is a lot of diferent ways to build this sod houses, depending of the available materials in the specific region where the house was being built.
see below a wood-made qarmaq in the drawing bellow.

entrance to storae area smokes vent

room

entrance
door
~12 ft. (3.65 m)
~9 ft. (2.75 m)

entrance passage

old qarmaq bone structure floor plan and section of inuit qarmaq Wood qarmaq section