16 June 2009

Travel update



I'm almost ready for the summer! It's time to plan my holidays now. Searching for some good inspiration on Eco travel I found a very cool spot in Patagonia in Argentina: Eco Camp Patagonia.
Patagonia, one of the more remote and spectacular places on earth, is the southern most point of land you can go to in the world. Shared by Argentina and Chile, Patagonia offers the hiker the ultimate backpacking adventure. From the Towers of Paine to the Grey Glacier this area is unparalleled in natural beauty.
Patagonia EcoCamp design was inspired on the traditional Kawesqar hut resembling and igloo and a dome at the same time. The instinctive engineering ability of the Kawesqar can be easily understood these days. The semi-hemispherical structure of the EcoCamp domes is formed by a number of isosceles triangles that provides uniform distribution of the stress caused by severe wind loads. Wind speed in Patagonia often surpasses 160-180km per hour which makes traditional straight and flat walls extremely vulnerable if the structure is meant to be light. Other significant aspect is that rounded bodies minimize the external surface in contact with the cold environment allowing less exchange of temperature with the warm interiors. Finally, semi-hemisphere gave Kawesqars the maximum internal space in relation to the surface they had to cover with valuable and sometimes scarce animal skins.

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