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It has been two weeks since Winter Storm Fern swept through the United States, and many cities are still busy digging themselves out of waist-high snow mountains. A brand-new building in Antarcticawhere temperatures average 14 degrees Fahrenheit along the coastmight offer some useful insights for a more efficient approach. Perched on the southern edge of Adelaide, an island on the Antarctica Peninsula, the Discovery Building spans two stories and nearly 50,000 square feet. It is clad in highly insulated metal composite panels and topped with a mono-pitch roof that slopes in just one direction, so snow slides right off instead of piling up. [Photo: BAS] Most notably it sports an innovative feature called a wind deflector, which protrudes on the leeward edge of the building (the one sheltered from the prevailing wind) and prevents snow from piling up right next to the building. So far, the system has most commonly been used above doors to clear snow that would otherwise fall adjacent to the building, but the architects say it’s never been used at this scale before. The feature could change the way we design buildings for harsh climates. [Photo: Stle Eriksen] Design for extreme conditions The Discovery Building is located within Rothera Research Stationa center for marine and atmospheric studies and the U.K.’s largest research facility in Antarctica. (The station is famously served by one of the most advanced, icebreaking polar research vessels in the world, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, which itself carries the autonomous underwater vehicle Boaty McBoatface, of internet fame.) [Photo: BAM] For years, the research station was spread across nine separate buildings, meaning researchers often had to navigate between them in blizzard conditions. Now, all functions are consolidated under one (very unique) roof, in a building that acts as the stations nerve center. [Photo: Matt Hughes/BAS] The Discovery Building was designed by British firm Hugh Broughton Architects, which, over the past decade, has a gained a reputation for designing buildings that exist in extreme conditions. In 2013, the firm completed Halley VI, a raised building that sits on a floating ice shelf. Mounted on hydraulic legs with retractable skis, the station was specifically designed to be relocated if the ice shelf showed signs of breaking off, which it did in 2017. The entire base was successfully moved 14 miles inland. Halley VI Science Modules, ca. 2012. [Photo: Hugh Broughton Architects/Wiki Commons] Halley VI, which went on to earn over a dozen awards, led to several commissions in other extreme, isolated environments, including a health center in the world’s most remote island, Tristan de Cunha, and Juan Carlos 1, a radial modular research base also on the Antarctic Peninsula. The firm is also currently designing a new building for the Australian Antarctic Division at Davis Station in East Antarctica. What keeps bringing Broughton back to such punishing conditions? #8220;The briefs are interesting and challenging,” he says of the requirements and constraints such projects often demand. Over the years, Broughton has gained an understanding of the challenges that come with harsh climate of the Antarctic, but every site, he says, continues to bring with it its own set of complications and peculiarities, whether those are topographical, climate-related, or simply differences in the way the building is used. “I must admit, when we first started on Halley VI, I thought ‘is there any chance for a cookie-cutter approach here?’ But there most definitely isn’t,” Broughton says. “Every site has its own idiosyncratic, environmental, but also cultural and social challenges.” [Photo: Matthew Scott /BAS] The wind as a resource In the case of the Discovery Building at Rothera, which took six years to build due to the limited construction season (October-March), wind was one of the primary challenges. Lifting the building on stilts, like the architects did at Halley VI, would have helped the wind blow underneath the building and chase the snow away from it. But the building’s requirementswhich called for workshops and science offices, a heating and power plant, a health facility, and stations that could serve as a launchpad for expeditions in the fieldmade it too heavy to be lifted. The need for constant vehicle access to stage expeditions also meant the building had to sit on the ground. The architects had to find another way to prevent snow from building up. To understand snow behavior in those particular windy conditions, Broughton’s team worked with Canadian engineering agency RWDI, which conducted detailed wind and snow modeling studies. It was RWDI that introduced Broughton to wind deflectors, which look a bit like angled metal fins and function like aerofoils in Formula One cars, redirecting airflow to work with the building rather than against it. [Image: BAS] By channeling wind down the facade and along the ground, the deflector transforms what would normally be a liability into an asset that actively clears snow. This means the building remains accessible, but also that snow doesn’t pile up right up against the facade, which could lead to damage. In a climate where blizzards can last for days, a wind deflector reduces the amount of effort needed to clear the snow, as well as the fuel required to power the snow plows. “There’s both a resource and a carbon cost,” says Broughton. [Photo: BAM] Lessons from Antarctica There are currently 70 permanent research stations dotted around Antarctica, representing 29 countries from every continent on Earth. Many of these stations were built in the late 1950s, after the explosion of polar research that took place during the International Geophysical Yearan 18-month global scientific collaboration that involved more than 60 countries conducting coordinated research on Earth. After an initial renovation period in the ’80s, many of these buildings have been reaching the end of their lifespan. This, combined with an increased emphasis on climate change research, is leading to what Broughton calls a construction boom on the Antarctic Peninsula. “There’s also a geopolitical aspect to it,” he says. “Everybody wants to have a presence.” Antarctica is not under the sovereignty of any single country and is regarded as the “international continent.” Over the past few decades, scientists have become better at understanding how wind blows and snow drifts around a building, and as a result, Broughton’s team has become better at responding to these challenges. He thinks these lessons can carry over to the urbanized world. [Photo: Matthew Scott /BAS] As climate change reinforces the strength and frequency of extreme weather eventslike Fern in the U.S., and Storm Goretti in Europecities are scrambling to mobilize resources and clear snow. (New York City, for example, converted garbage trucks into snowplows.) Broughton believes that buildings where winters are harsh and winds are strong could benefit from relatively low-cost systems like wind deflectors, but he says there are other lessons architects can borrow from Antarctica. These include focus on thermal efficiency by favoring air-tight envelopes instead of relying on heating, as well as efficient planning that means you’re achieving more with less built space. “There is a whole raft of principles that are applied to these buildings by absolute necessity that could be applied more by choice in a more temperate environment,” he says.
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When viewers tune in to the 2026 Winter Olympics, they will see pristine, white slopes, groomed tracks, and athletes racing over snow-covered landscapes, thanks in part to a storm that blanketed the mountain venues of the Italian Alps with fresh powder just in time. But at lower elevations, where cross-country and other events are held, athletes and organizers have been contending with rain; thin, sometimes slushy snow; and icy, machine-made surfaces. Most of our races are on machine-made snow, 2026 U.S. Olympic team cross-country skier Rosie Brennan told us ahead of the Games. TV production is great at making it look like we are in wintry, snowy places, but this year has been particularly bad. As scientists who study mountain snow, water resources, and the human impact of warming winters, we see winters changes through data: rising temperatures, shrinking snowpack, shorter snow seasons. Olympic athletes experience changing winter conditions personally, in ways the public and scientists rarely do. Lack of snowfall and more frequent rain affect when and where they can train, how they train and how dangerous the terrain can become. We talked with Brennan and cross-country skiers Ben Ogden and Jack Young as they were preparing for the 2026 Winter Games. Their experiences reflect what many athletes describe: a sport increasingly defined not by the variability of natural winter but by the reliability of industrialized snowmaking. What the cameras dont show Snowmaking technology makes it possible to create halfpipes for freestyle snowboarding and skiing competitions. It also allows for races when natural snow is scarcethe 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing relied entirely on machine-made snow for many races. However, machine-made snow creates a very different surface than natural snow, changing the race. In clouds, each unique snowflake shape is determined by the temperature and humidity. Once formed, the iconic star shape begins to slowly erode as its crystals become rounded spheres. In this way, natural snow provides a variety of textures and depths: soft powder after a storm, firm or brittle snow in cold weather, and slushy, wet snow during rain or melt events. Machine-made snow varies less in texture or quality. It begins and ends its life as an ice pellet surrounded by a thin film of liquid water. That makes it slower to change, easier to shape, and, once frozen, it hardens in place. Theyre faster, icier, and carry more risk When artificial snow is being made, the sound is piercinga high-pitched hiss roars from the pressurized nozzles of snow guns. These guns spew water mixed with compressed air, and it freezes upon contact with the cold air outside, creating small, dense ice particles. The drops sting exposed skin, as one of us, Agnes Macy, knows well as a former competitive skier. Snow machines then push out artificial snow onto the racecourse. Often, the trails are the only ribbons of snow in sighta white strip surrounded by brown mud and dead grass. Courses built for natural snow feel completely different when covered in man-made snow, Brennan, 37, said. Theyre faster, icier, and carry more risk than anyone might imagine for cross-country skiing. Theres nothing quite like skiing on fresh snow. After a storm brings a blanket of light, fluffy powder, it can almost feel as though youre floating. The snow is forgiving. On artificial snow, skiers carry more speed into downhill runs. Downhill racers may relish the speed, but cross-country skis dont have metal edges like downhill skis do, so step-turning or skidding around fast, icy corners can make an athlete feel out of control. It requires a different style of skiing, skill sets and strengths than I grew up learning, Brennan said. How athletes adapt, with help from science Athletes must adjust their technique and prepare their skis differently, depending on the snow conditions. At elite levels, this is science. Snow crystal morphology, temperature, ski base material and structure, ski stiffness, skier technique, and environmental conditions all interact to determine an athletes speed. Before cross-country, or Nordic, races, ski technicians compare multiple ski pairs prepared with different base surfaces and waxes. They evaluate how quickly each ski glides and how long it maintains that glidetraits that depend on the friction between the ski and the snow. Compared to natural snow, machine-made snow generally provides a more durable and longer-lasting surface. In cross-country racing, that allows for more efficient and stronger pushes without skis or poles sinking deep into snow. Additionally, improvements in the machines used to groom snow now provide harder and more homogeneous surfaces that permit faster skiing. While fast skiing is the goal, ski crashes are also the most common cause of injury in the Winter Olympics. With machine-made snow, ski jump competitors and anyone who falls is also landing on a harder surface, which can increase the risk of injury. Why winters are changing Weather can always deal surprises, but long-term climate trends are shifting what can be expected ofa typical winter. In the Alps, air temperature has increased by about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 1800s, before rising fossil fuel use began increasing the levels of greenhouse gases trapping heat in the atmosphere. Globally, 2025 was the third-warmest year on record, following 2024 and 2023. For mountain regions, these warmer conditions have consequences. Snow melts earlier and more frequently in midwinter, especially during warm spells that used to be rare. Midwinter snowmelt events are occurring more often at higher elevations and earlier in the season across many mountain ranges of western North America. At the same time, the snow linethe elevation where precipitation shifts from snow to rainis moving upslope. Warming in high mountain environments is also causing the threshold where rain turns to snow to rise by tens of meters per decade in some regions. This means storms that once blanketed entire valleys in snow now may deliver snow only to upper slopes, with rain falling below. Together, these changes mean that many winter storms produce less snow, over less area, and for shorter durations than they did a generation ago. Training venues The changing winter landscape has also transformed how athletes train. Traditional training venues, such as glaciers once used for summer skiing, have become unreliable. In August 2025, the Hintertux Glacierthe only year-round training center operating in Austriaannounced its first temporary closure. Its been increasingly hard to make plans for locations to train between races, Brennan said. Snow reliability isnt great in many places. We often rely on going to higher elevations for a better chance of snow. Higher-elevation training can help, but it concentrates athletes in fewer places, reduces access for younger skiers due to the remoteness and raises costs for national teams. Some of these glacierslike Canadas Haig Glacier or Alaskas Eagle Glacierare accessible only by helicopter. When skiers cant get to snow, dryland training on rollerskis is one of the only options. Winter athletes see the climate changing Because winter is their workplace, athletes often notice subtle changes before those changes show up in long-term statistics. Even athletes in their early twenties, like Young, said they have noticed the rapid expansion of snowmaking infrastructure at many racing venues in recent years. Snowmaking requires large amounts of energy and water. It is also a clear sign that organizers see winters becoming less dependable. Athletes also witness how communities are affected when poor snow conditions mean fewer visitors. In the Alps, when conditions are bad, it is obvious how much it affects the communities, Ogden, 25, said. Their tourism-based livelihoods are so often negatively affected, and their quality of life changes. Many winter athletes are speaking publicly about their concerns. Groups such as Protect Our Winters, founded by professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones, work to advance policies that protect outdoor places for future generations. A wintry look, but an uncertain future For athletes at the 2026 Olympics, the variability within the Olympic regionsnow at higher elevations, rain at lower onesreflects a broader truth: The stability of winter is diminishing. Athletes know this better than anyone. They race in it. They train in it. They depend on it. The Winter Games will go on this year. The snow will look good on television. But at the same time, winter is changing. Keith Musselman is an assistant professor in geography, mountain hydrology, and climate change at the University of Colorado Boulder. Agnes Macy is a graduate student in geography at the University of Colorado Boulder. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Fashion weeks around the world are dominated by four main shows: New York, Paris, Milan, and London. But in 2020, Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) made a bold move that helped it garner attention. It launched a framework with nearly 20 sustainability standards that fashion brands must meet to participate. The choice came at a time when fashions sustainability practices were under increased scrutiny. Every year the industry contributes up to 10% of global carbon emissions, pollutes billions of cubic meters of clean water, and produces metric tons of textile waste. [Photo: James Cochrane/OperaSport] Copenhagens fashion week was applauded for its forward-thinking approach. However, over the next few years, that facade started to crack. Brands that had helped establish Copenhagen as an up-and-coming fashion mecca departed for bigger fashion weeks (see Ganni and Cecilie Bahnsen). And its sustainability claims came under fire. This year marks the 20th year of CPHFW, and with the anniversary, the city and its fashion scene are ready to double down on the idea that Copenhagen is one of the best cities for sustainable, emerging fashion. The sustainability debacle Danish anti-greenwashing specialist Tanja Gotthardsen and the Danish Consumer Council (Forbrugerrdet Tnk), as well as consultancy firm Continual, brought a complaint to Danish Consumer Ombudsman (that overlooks marketing and consumer protection laws) against CPHFW and some of its participants for greenwashing. It alleged the days-long Danish fashion event made misleading claims about its sustainability requirements, and the brand Baum und Pferdgarten admitted to failing to meet its pledge against polyester. While there could have been severe ramifications from the complaint, the Ombudsman ultimately dismissed it since CPHFW is not directly consumer facing and instead gave something of a warning to strengthen its oversight. [Photo: James Cochrane/OperaSport] The dialogue with the Ombudsman was constructive and valuable, and it has allowed us to stay focused on further developing the Sustainability Requirements as a strong screening and development tool for the fashion industry, Cecilie Thorsmark, Copenhagen Fashion Week’s CEO, tells Fast Company. As a result, the Fall/Winter 2026 season saw two new minimum standards focusing on circular design principles and responsible purchasing practices, and overall, the bar has been raised across the existing Minimum Standards taking many of them from a commitment level to an actual implementation level. It maintained its green reputation within the industry, too. Its important to acknowledge that the most sustainable choice would be to not make new clothes, but thats not realistic. CPHFWs framework aims to tame the beast, encouraging upcycled materials, decreasing virgin plastic-based fiber use, and having transparent supply chains that arent fueled by exploited labor. For many designers gunning to show at CPHFW, this culture determines how they design, and they often work to incorporate framework tenets into their brand from day one. [Photo: James Cochrane/OperaSport] It was very important for us that we had a thoughtful production from the beginning, OpéraSport co-founder Awa Malina Stelter says. The contemporary womenswear brand, which she created in 2019 with Stephanie Gundelach, met the framework and survived the screening by CPHFW partner Rambll on the first try. The impact of the sustainability-aware culture is also evident for Forza Collectives Kristoffer Kongshaug. Four years ago when he started the brand, the founder and creative director says, It was a given that if you were to start a brand, it had to be sustainable. You’re not doing it right if you leave that out of the conversation. Secondly, I wanted to be a part of the [CPHFW] calendar. Exits and homecoming This go-round, some homegrown talent made a return. For the Fall/Winter 2026 show season, CPHFW debuted a homecoming slot, specifically targeting Nordic talents thatleft CPHFW to calendars in other cities. Brands returning to the event act as proofpoints that CPHFW can indeed help launch an emerging brand, and it remains a valuable place to keep growing. Oslo-born ready-to-wear label Holzweiler led in the inaugural spot, after a few years hiatus away from Copenhagen while showing at London Fashion Week. Andreas Holzweiler, co-founder of the label, says the team worked closely with Thorsmark for the return. There was a shared understanding that returning should feel meaningful, not symbolic, he says. [Photo: James Cochrane/Holzweiler] Leaving Copenhagen wasnt about stepping away from the platform itself, but about following a natural progression at the time. London offered a different scale and challenged us in new ways, Holzweiler tells Fast Company. What brought us back was clarity. After taking time to strengthen the brand internally, Copenhagen feels aligned again with where we are today. Its scale, he adds, feels best right now for the brand to cut through. Thorsmark doesnt take brands leaving the schedule as an insult. [It] underlines that we have built a platform that allows these brands to grow and thrive, which we are incredibly proud of, as well as being proud of these brilliant brands themselves, she says. For other brands that have left the schedule and not returned to it, some have found ways to still have a CPHFW presence. Ganni, for example, put on an event with Disney. Leaving the schedule is often a business question and more about getting in front of the right people to sell the pieces and create culture. Staying or returning to CPHFW signals the right people are more consistently showing up in the Scandi city. More than a launchpad CPHFW is becoming a platform for emerging brands to startand stay. Its always been where you can go and see the cool kids, Forza Commercial Strategy Head Ariana Milton says. This is aided by the fact that the org is dedicated to emerging talent through programs like its Newtalent directive, which launched in 2022 and provides three seasons of support, including money, mentorship, and more. [Photo: James Cochrane/Forza Collective] Its “One to Watch” label also helps the industry know who to keep an eye on. This all helps brands find their footing, and then what? Historically, they leave. Five to ten years back in Copenhagen, it had always been like that the brands that grew big enough to leave would eventually do it, Kongshaug explains. [But] if we keep up the pace and the level of fashion that comes out of the city right now, there would probably not be any reason to leave because the right people are here. The exposure is here. Today, honestly, the platform is here. [Photo: James Cochrane/Forza Collective] For young brands like Nicklas Skovgaards eponymous line, founded in 2020, Copenhagen is home. Its where he feels most creative and where he wants to stay. Plus, it seems to be working for the balance sheet. His womenswear label is already in several stockists across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Another way it’s supporting its designers and new talents is by working more closely with the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF), which takes place at the same time bi-annually and has expanded over recent years. [Photo: CIFF] To CIFF Director Sofie Dolva, the two groups fates are intertwined. For both to succeed, and help boost Nordic fashion brands, its important they keep working together. The key is to be close and to coordinate also with the schedule across so you get the right mix, according to Dolva, whos been at her post since 2022. Both for us and Copenhagen Fashion Week, it is really important to support the new talents. Without the new talents and new brands showing some innovativeness, it gets boring. Our industry needs excitement and newness. The Fall/Winter 2026 season was an example of how that can be done. Not only did the two orgs host events together and sync on timing so that buyers and press ere in town for both, but many CPHFW designers, including those in the Newtalent program, had booths at CIFF. Two on-calendar labels, Forza Collective and Fine Chaos, even had their runway shows at the fairs massive location just outside Copenhagens center. CIFF also plans to increase its partnerships with retailers, which could have a positive ripple effect on designers looking for wholesale partners. This season, it debuted a partnership with Milans 10 Corso Como, hosting a mini version of the conceptual store at the trade fair. Dolva says she wants to go from a transactional relationship to a more partnership level [with retailers] because if we don’t work together, we will not win together. [Photo: James Cochrane/Holzweiler] For a homecoming Holzweiler, its about what you can get in the Danish city that the others, like Paris and London, cant offer. Copenhagen operates at a different scale, he says. It allows for more focus and continuity around the collections, which can be valuable depending on where you are as a brand. Both [larger and more intimate] contexts matterthey just create different conditions.
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