Any kind of building here in the arctic has special challenges. Houses are built on stilts to keep them off the permafrost.
The permafrost is a permanently frozen mixture of soil and water that lies just a few feet below the surface. If the permafrost gets warmed and melts, it turns to a muddy unstable slurry which is why houses are built off the ground.
Sometimes people in snowy places use snow to build houses called igloos. When the snow is tightly packed it can retain heat and the snow is readily avaliable at all times.
