Icelandic Ski Cabin

Movimiento Tectónico is a competition proposal for a new ski cabin in Iceland, conceived as both a place of shelter and a base from which visitors can experience the surrounding landscape. Designed for skiers, hikers, families and visitors exploring the local trails, the building brings together practical mountain facilities with spaces for rest, warmth and contemplation, creating a moment of sanctuary within an exposed and dramatic setting.

The architectural concept takes its inspiration from the geological forces that have shaped Iceland. The starting point was the movement of tectonic plates: an imagined landscape is divided along lines of movement before individual sections are pushed, pulled and rotated. These fragmented pieces are then reassembled as if colliding, producing a series of angular volumes and rising roof planes that appear to have been displaced from the terrain itself. Two principal ‘fault blocks’ sit alongside the line of the ski route, giving the building its distinctive form while establishing a strong relationship with the surrounding topography.

Rather than competing with the landscape, the proposal is intended to feel embedded within it. Dark, monolithic elevations evoke Iceland’s volcanic geology, while planted turf roofs continue the surrounding vegetation across the building and soften the transition between architecture and ground. From a distance the structure reads as a series of geological fragments; at closer range, large areas of glazing cut through the heavier external envelope to frame expansive views across the mountains and bring the changing landscape directly into the interior.

The accommodation is organised around a central visitor hub incorporating an entrance and interactive information point, viewing deck, self-service refreshment station and warm rest area, supported by toilets, washrooms and unisex changing facilities. A dedicated equipment checking and tuning station serves skiers, while a separate building provides snow-groomer garaging and supporting equipment storage. The arrangement allows operational and servicing functions to remain distinct from the quieter visitor spaces while keeping the development closely connected to the ski route.

Inside, the character deliberately contrasts with the severity of the exterior. Timber is concentrated within the principal warm spaces to create a more tactile and welcoming environment, while generous glazing and roof openings draw daylight deep into the building and maintain a continual visual connection with the landscape. More robust areas retain exposed concrete and hemp-based finishes, providing surfaces capable of accommodating ski equipment and heavy use while allowing the material construction of the building to remain legible.

Sustainability was integral to the proposal rather than treated as a separate layer. A Passivhaus-informed approach was adopted to reduce operational energy through a highly insulated and airtight envelope, solar-responsive glazing and passive design strategies. The proposal explored heat pumps supplied by Iceland’s geothermal energy infrastructure, with preliminary analysis indicating the potential for the building to achieve net-zero operational energy. The design was also considered against future climate scenarios, allowing the building's environmental strategy to respond not only to present conditions but to the changing Icelandic climate over its lifetime.

Embodied carbon was addressed with the same emphasis. The structural strategy uses a reduced-volume waffle concrete frame incorporating high levels of GGBS, balancing the durability required within an extreme climate against the carbon intensity of conventional concrete construction. Hempcrete infill provides insulation while sequestering carbon, locally manufactured stone-wool insulation reduces transport requirements, and the planted roof contributes further biodiversity and carbon capture. The external cladding explores the use of synthetic obsidian manufactured from waste stone-wool material, linking a circular material process with a dark surface inspired by Icelandic volcanic geology.

Preliminary analysis undertaken as part of the competition proposal estimated lifecycle embodied carbon at approximately 425–475 kgCO₂e/m², representing an anticipated reduction of around 55–60% compared with a business-as-usual approach. The project therefore treats architecture, landscape, material sourcing, operational energy and long-term resilience as interconnected parts of a single environmental strategy.

Movimiento Tectónico was subsequently featured by ArchDaily, giving the competition proposal an international platform. At its core, the project explores how architecture in an extraordinary landscape can be both expressive and restrained: a building whose form is derived from geological movement, whose materiality belongs to its setting, and whose environmental performance responds to the fragility of the landscape it was designed to celebrate.