Work

Building with Snow: Technical Exploration and Practice of Snow Materials and Snow Architecture

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Focusing on the design and construction of snow structures, this paper explores the properties of snow materials, construction methods, and operation–maintenance strategies, aiming to demonstrate how to integrate architectural functionality, aesthetics, and structural reliability in snow architecture. It reviews current methods of snow material testing and numerical simulation, yet research on the material properties of machine-made snow remains limited. Current design trends in snow architecture emphasize diverse artistic expressions. After reviewing construction methods of existing snow buildings, the paper employs finite element analysis software to validate design schemes. Upon confirming structural feasibility, it further proposes a monitoring framework for snow structures.

Source: Buildings

DOI: 10.3390/buildings15081277

Authors: Jianfeng Sun, Qingwen Zhang, Guolong Zhang, Feng Fan

Institutions: Harbin Institute of Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Language: English

Topic: Architecture and Computational Design

Subfield: Architecture

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137