Scara Alpine Shelter

Empatic architecture studio
/
City planning – Landscape
/
Romania
Company Name
Empatic architecture studio
ARCHITECTURAL CREDITS
Empatic architecture studio
Architects: Anca Loghin, Ana Chiprian, Florin Florescu
Project Team
Asociatia Montana Carpati + peste 100 voluntari
Substructure: Ductil Tech – Ing. Aurel Roșu | Mectrade Service
Superstructure: ERGIO Wooden Construction | Nadig | Nvent | Urenditi
Roofing and photovoltaic panels: KPU | Metigla | Roofit.Solar | SolarTech Photovoltaic
Helicopter transport: Conservation Carpathia | General Aviation
Inspectorate of the M.A.I. Argeș County Council | Argeș Mountain Rescue Public Service
CLIENT/OWNER NAME:
Argeș County Council & Argeș Public Mountain Rescue Service
Project Name:
Scara Alpine Shelter
Company Country:
Romania
Project Country:
Romania
Project City:
Făgăraș Mountains
Project Category:
City planning – Landscape
Project Area:
33
Completion Date:
20230826
Project overview
The mountain has its own life, rhythm and way of functioning, thus it should never be underestimated. The existence of a nearby shelter is not only a reason for a well-deserved stop but also a life-saving thing. The unpredictability and constant change are main features of the mountain weather and this is the reason why the shelter aims for a significant contribution.Scara Alpine Shelter is also a metaphor that has two meanings: a sundial by day and a portal to the stars by night. The shelter is situated in the Fagaras Mountains, between Scara and Negoiu Peaks, and is functionally divided in two areas: entry vestibule, serving as a windfang and storing space and common space which can accommodate 18 people with a certain degree of comfort. During extreme weather conditions, when hiking gets risky or even life-threatening, the shelter capacity can greatly be increased. Inspired by the character of the surrounding mountains, the story of the shelter started from a solid base volume that belonged to the ground and got animated by a beautifully placed skylight.The shelter has an aerodynamic longitudinal section that allows the gradual heating of the inside air, starting from the lower sleeping area towards the upper zones. The intention of a single strategically placed window protects the shelter from any act of vandalism but, more important, becomes the main feature of the entire volume. Situated in the highest point of the shelter, the window redefines the interior space and gives its occupants a beautiful experience. It widens the perception of the common area and opens the communication with the exterior. You tend to look towards it, you receive its light and warmth and connect with the outside weather from a safe environment. Moreover, at night the window becomes a portal towards the stars and moon, a living painting that brings the user to a contemplative state.
Project history
How? The project is the result of more than two years of work by a team of professional volunteers (architects, engineers, coordinators) and mountain lovers who joined forces and they worked on the concept of the refuge, assessed the terrain, planned and coordinated the ascent of the materials to the ridge and its actual construction.Why? Towards the end of 2018, the second refuge on the Scara Saddle was scattered in the valley after 10 years of sheltering mountaineers. The first refuge still stands, from 1990, in the same saddle, but had become a dump. Also in 2018 we went up to clear it of several hundred pounds of waste and repair it, so that it could still house a few people in the absence of the larger one. It was clear to us that was needed a more sturdy refuge for safer hiking in Făgăraș Mountains, so we started gathering people around the project. For? Shelters – we have 150 in the country, according to Salvamont Romania, that are smaller or larger constructions that you’ll find open in our mountains, closer to the forest, or on ridges, made of wood, stone or tin. They can be an intermediary point in the interventions of mountain rescuers and are meant to shelter, free of charge, mountaineers who encounter problems on the trail – either due to fatigue, changing weather or an accident; over the years, however, many of the shelters have become impractical – some are blown away by wind, avalanches or vandalised for materials. Hence the need for more sturdy materials and concepts moulded to the specifics of the terrain, as we practised at the Scara Alpine Shelter.