"Designed to replace a 50-year-old, dilapidated shelter, the Alpine Shelter Skuta is a free refuge for up to eight mountaineers on Mount Skuta in Slovenia's Kamnik Alps. The project is a collaboration between OFIS Architects, structural engineers AKT II, and students from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design (GSD), whose initial design studio work evolved into a fully realized architectural project. Conception and design. The project began in 2014 as a GSD design studio led by OFIS Architects' Rok Oman and Špela Videčnik, challenging students to design a modular shelter for extreme alpine conditions. The winning proposal, by students Frederick Kim, Katie MacDonald, and Erin Pellegrino, was inspired by traditional Slovenian vernacular architecture and features a robust, multi-faceted form. The final design, refined with input from mountaineers and engineers, consists of three prefabricated, 12-square-meter modules that are designed to resist heavy snowfall, strong winds, and extreme temperatures. Due to the difficult-to-access location at 2,080 meters above sea level, the modules were fabricated off-site and airlifted to the site by a Slovenian Army helicopter. More than 60 volunteers, along with the architects and engineers, completed the assembly in a single day, minimizing environmental disturbance. The modular construction and anchored base allowed for a quick, low-impact installation on the rugged, rocky terrain. The exterior is clad in a weather-resistant, silver-gray composite skin of glass fiber-reinforced concrete panels. This durable outer shell provides protection from the elements, while the interior is lined with natural larch timber panels to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Floor-to-ceiling, triple-glazed windows on the end walls offer stunning panoramic views of the surrounding valley and mountains. The interior layout is functionally divided into three zones, with a ladder connecting the entrance and storage area, the central living and dining area, and the upper bunk sleeping quarters. Project credits Architecture: OFIS Architects (Rok Oman, Špela Videčnik) Structural Engineering: AKT II Design Studio Students: Frederick Kim, Katie MacDonald, Erin Pellegrino Volunteers and Mountaineers: PD Ljubljana Matica, Anže Čokl, Milan Sorc Client: PD Ljubljana Matica (local mountaineering club) External cladding manufacturer: Rieder Window glass supplier: Guardian Glass Photographers: Anže Čokl, Janez Martinčič"