Paul: Originally this design had small modules all connected to a central area (see
here). The problem with that layout was snow management - anything to the west of a structure would quickly get buried by blowing snow. The long thin layout (which will run north-south) will certainly reduce the annual maintanence (one of the key requirements of the new design).
koldK: The designers are
Faber Maunsell with
Hugh Broughton Architects. Faber Maunsell are a pretty big international company who have had experience of constructing buildings at the South Pole station. A member of each of the three finalists visited Halley V last summer and spent a couple of weeks talking to everyone on base about what would and wouldn't work.
Here's what
I think about the new design.
Simon