Ferraro starts off his presentation by briefing us on his experience in Antarctica. An interesting technique he uses to deal with the snowy climate which is foreign to Hawai'i is drift modeling. This is the modeling of snow in turbulent situations. With this, he can figure out which direction to face the building, and what other design decisions must be implemented to create the best possible living conditions. This is the typical snow distribution after the wind:

Drift modeling is able to predict this distribution with a screen similar to this:

As pictured, the snow tends to gather around the building while creating a gap in the facade. In order to combat this, Ferraro and his partners created a structure in which it is elevated off the ground. This allows snow to pass through and distribute evenly without the hassle of snow plowing after a storm. In addition, he also incorporated many other sustainable design strategies such as:
All heating is provided by jacket cooling and exhaust gas heat exchangers at the primary diesel power plant.
Alternative energy systems use wind and solar power providing up to 14% of the station's power requirements.
Good indoor air quality is ensured by specification of low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints, adhesives, caulking compounds, and insulation.
All water is derived from the surrounding ice field and strictly rationed.
Existing buildings were dismantled and reconstructed to reduce retrograde and waste generation.
New buildings are sited to dramatically reduce snow plowing, which had accounted for a major portion of the station's fuel usage.
All building systems were designed to reduce waste in the shipping and construction process.
All waste materials are processed and returned to the continental U.S for disposal.
To double its useful life, the building can be raised above the snow surface as required with a unique jackable column system.
Specifications preclude environmental destructive materials as described by the Antarctic Treaty.