NEWS Can ice become a sustainable building material for the future? Researchers at Umeå School of Architecture are exploring exactly that. By combining advanced digital design tools with simple, reusable materials, they are developing new ways of shaping ice into strong, temporary structures – with potential use both in Arctic architecture and in emergency situations.
Our approach combines parametric design with simple construction methods, showing that sustainability and innovation can go hand in hand
For centuries, people living in cold climates have used ice and snow to create shelters and temporary constructions. Inspired by this tradition, the Umeå team set out to investigate how such methods could be reimagined for today’s needs. Their work, supported by UmArts’ Small Visionary Projects program, focuses on a modular formwork system built from wood and textile. Instead of pouring concrete, the moulds are filled with fibre-reinforced ice, known as Pykrete, which is both strong and surprisingly versatile.
In January 2025, the researchers built and assembled their prototypes just outside Umeå School of Architecture. Wooden frames, reinforced with custom textile membranes, became the flexible moulds that shaped the ice. The process proved that the system can be built with simple tools and adapted to different designs. But nature was not entirely cooperative: mild winter weather made large-scale experiments difficult.
“The weather in Umeå gave us challenges, but also valuable insights into how this technique can be further developed for Arctic settings,” says Julio Diarte, assistant professor and project coordinator.
First assembly of the formwork testing its stability and accuracy.
Image Mikael Parkman
Digital studies using Finite Element Analysis method to assess Pykrete shell deformation under different designs.
Image Elena Vazquez
Behind the apparent simplicity lies a layer of digital innovation. Using computational design and structural simulations, the team tested how fabrics stretch, how curves can be shaped, and how the ice material behaves once frozen. This combination of high-tech planning and low-tech building methods highlights how sustainable design doesn’t always require advanced machinery – sometimes the most innovative solutions are those that can be realised with minimal resources.
“Our approach combines parametric design with simple construction methods, showing that sustainability and innovation can go hand in hand,” says Elena Vazquez, associate professor responsible for digital design and structural simulations.
The project has already shown that ice can be much more than a temporary spectacle in winter festivals. With further research, it could become part of the toolkit for creating emergency shelters or temporary structures in regions where conventional building materials are scarce. Next winter, the team will continue their experiments, refining the formwork and testing its potential on a larger scale. The two researchers behind the project have also presented their findings at the 43rd Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe) Conference in Ankara, Turkey, where they shared their results with an international audience.
