HOW IGLOOS ARE BUILT
These tessellated domes are designed to keep people warm, despite encasing them in snow
WORDS AILSA HARVEY
Gaps are sealed with snow to give the igloo a uniform appearance
Igloos can be built anywhere there’s snow when travelling in the Arctic
Igloos have beenbuilt by Inuit people for hundreds of years, and the fundamental design of this ancient invention is still chosen for construction in extreme environments today. The Inuit are indigenous to the Arctic and are experts at exploiting the frozen environment for survival. The word ‘igloo’ means ‘house’ in the Inuit language, Inuktitut, and is a dome made out of snow bricks. Many Inuit families used to build igloos to live in before the dawn of more permanent houses. Today, they are still used by hunters and as emergency shelters in severe weather.