Living in the Arctic Circle presents many challenges—how to build an ultra-airtight, ultra-vapor tight structure is just one them. You can live in an igloo, the ultimate sustainable structure or you can follow the suggestions in this month’s Building Sciences column and have a structure that might turn out to be the future of housing—superinsulated, ultra-airtight, great windows, sealed combustion, mechanical ventilation, and drained and ventilated assemblies. Other challenges, such as how to handle sewage, are best left to the experts.

Units: Dual