Scott Base Redevelopment Project Manager, Simon Shelton, says the chosen companies fit well with Antarctica New Zealand’s values and passion for the harsh continent.
“It’s important to us that they complement Antarctica New Zealand on this journey. They need to be able to work as part of our organisation and understand our environmental, cultural and logistical requirements,” he says. “We chose these organisations for their operational skill, innovation, values and willingness to collaborate”.
Euan MacKellar of Jasmax, one half of the Jasmax-Hugh Broughton Architects team, is looking forward to the challenge of designing New Zealand’s future physical presence in Antarctica.
“It is an incredible honour to be working with Antarctica New Zealand on the plans to redevelop Scott Base, where we will need to deliver high performance buildings in one of the most extreme natural environments on the planet,” he says. “It is a huge privilege to be part of the committed team creating designs which will help our scientists working in Antarctica to better understand our environment as we strive to protect our planet for generations to come”.
Antarctica New Zealand is the government agency charged with carrying out New Zealand's activities in Antarctica, supporting world-leading science and environmental protection. New Zealand has occupied Scott Base every day since it was established by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1957 and is recognised as a leader in the international Antarctic Treaty System. Mr Shelton says it’s therefore important that Scott Base is a safe, fit-for-purpose facility well into the future.
“We intend to role-model environmental stewardship while creating a design that caters for New Zealand’s scientific and strategic needs in Antarctica. We are looking for efficiencies in how we, and our facilities, operate through all aspects of the design.”