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A successful example of such an accommodation at a greater scale is the existing in Lapland exquisite Ice Hotel with the target clientele who are ready to pay high rates for spending a night in a sleeping bag in the icy surroundings and enjoy the unique Ice Art gallery and Ice Chapel services. These tourists are attracted by the exotic experience and stay only for a weekend.
At a smaller scale, the “snowy” guest space can be arranged as an iglu/igloo built of pressed snow blocks put in a spiral way, which gives the whole construction a rounded shape. The slots between the snow blocks are insulated by the powder snow that acts as glue (see the detailed instructions on how to build an igloo at the website http://home.no.net/gedra/igloo_bg.htm). An interesting idea could be a smaller igloo connected by a corridor to the main one that can be used for such things as products, luggage, fire fuel, etc. An improvised snow-dwelling could be also made by first installing wooden framework, covering it with cloth and snow, and then, when the snow is hardened, removing all the support structure, so that the dwelling from outside looks like a huge round snowdrift. Even more extreme can seem a snow grot that can be dug in the form of a snow cave, with an elevated sleeping place and a roof high enough to sit and move, and rounded in order to make water run down and prevent any leakages.
Snow dwellings require a low temperature inside and for this reason attract mostly tourists looking for adventure or a special experience. They can have a cooking place with a real fire and a heat reflector (foil or a similar material) and a sleeping place close enough to enable one cook sitting on the sleeping bag. Next to the cooking place a drying space could be arranged by making stocks in the wall above the fire. The sleeping place should be located at the upper level, with sleeping places side by side to keep warmth (in case more than one person occupies the igloo), and with the head direction towards the entrance to have more air. The entrance to such a hut should be located at the lowest level possible, sometimes it is even done in such a way that the guest has to kind of dive when entering; this measure is to keep the cold air down. At the entrance and in the roof constructions of this type usually have ventilation holes (one in the former case and two in the latter).
Apart from the above suggestions, the exterior or the whole of the guest space can be stylised as a traditional dwelling of some indigenous people. For example, it may adopt the form of an 8-sided nomad’s ger made out of thick felt laid over a wooden structure and covered with decorative cloth (see detailed instructions on how to build a ger at www.woodlandyurts.freeserve.co.uk). With the entrance facing south, appropriate interior and some traditional elements, such an accommodation can be definitely positioned as a traditional Mongolian ger. A variation of such a ger could be a similar-looking permanent wooden structure built without a single nail, with an earth layer placed on the roof for a better insulation, resembling Navajo’s hooghan.
An alternative shelter to a ger can be a nomadic ∆-shaped chum, or tipi/tepee made of poles coming straight together in the center on the top, overlaid with caribou hides that is traditionally used by some nationalities such as Eskimos, Sioux Indians, Evenks and others living in the high artic (for description and instructions on how to build a tipi see www.tipi.com). A more feasible variation of such a tipi can be one having the same shape but constructed of wood and bark sheets. A similar idea of having a wooden framework out of flexible branches tied at the top of the dwelling that has a triangular or more a ∩-like rounded shape was used by Indians for wigwam.
The interior of such units can be kept more or less traditional with a minimum number of built-in hidden modern features on the choice of the owner (e.g., heater, hot water, gas cooker, airco etc.). The masking of the installed modern features is usually done in order to recreate the atmosphere and make an impression of authenticity while ensuring sufficient comfort. For keeping the ambience, a number of objects should be used, most of them on purely decorative purposes. So, for instance, in a Mongolian ger the central place is always taken by the fire, with the tulga – three ringed support on legs for holding pots and roasting spits. Various objects can make the place more authentic, e.g., a home shrine installed in the northern part of the dwelling, goatskin bag for making Mongolian alcoholic drink, etc. The number of atmospheric elements used in the interior are solely the choice of the accommodation owner.
Alternatively, only the exterior could be done in a traditional style, while the interior is modern and features a comfortable bed instead of a traditional earth mat or a sleeping bag, a private bathroom with the most recent facilities, a stove or other self-service facilities. Also, it is possible to borrow only the general idea, but not the traditional building materials or interior ambience. Such an approach might allow to broaden the clientele from adventure and active vacation to other, more exigent categories of tourists with stricter comfort requirements.
On the whole, all these small units can be either self-contained and equipped with their own facilities (stove, fridge, microwave, coffee-maker/kettle, etc.) or dependent on the services of a central facility, but in both cases they need to be supervised and operated on the basis of the main unit, usually equipped with meal service and dining area, reception and personnel, etc.
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Shape | 3.5. Sanitary Unit |
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