Joanna Hobbs
The Last Snow
Accumulating the layers of architecture over time.
An Architecture of Traces.
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Through a methodology of accumulation and a gathering of information across thousands of years, ‘The Last Snow’ spans between the time taken for frost to form, to the slow geological formation of glacial till deposits. Set in the Cairngorms, the project first develops a coat that gathers traces of movement between bothies, and secondly a refuge, repair workshop, and home for two reindeer herders, speculating what may appear on the site of the current ski station beyond the last predicted snowfall, which is forecast to take place in 2080. The project explores an accumulation and intensification of layers animated by the weather, as well as the markings that the weather, animals and people leave on an environment. As they pass through the site, activating different spaces, the proposal encourages and embraces the ephemeral qualities of these events, amplifying, accelerating or slowing different aspects to diversify the qualities and kinds of animation that take place. The proposal itself is seen not only as a site for the concentration of animation, but also as a space that is itself animated through time. Much like the nomadic architectures existing in similar extreme environments that the project references, the proposal is seen as a shifting structure within the timeline of the site in the Cairngorms, which inevitably continues to transform over time.