Indigenous Knowledge as a Source for Designers: From the Pure Tradition, Through the Multicultural Mix, To the New Arrivals

The uniqueness of the Russian Arctic territories lies in the fact that this is one of the few places on the Earth where an eco-friendly way of life has been preserved. The culture of the indigenous populations of the Arctic has conserved till today the protogenic experience in the life of reindeer breeders, hunters and fishermen with their original tools, household habits, dwellings, clothes, vehicles, etc. This stable socio-natural system can become a "field laboratory", a "range" for studying the ecological principles, techniques, and specific features of life in the extreme environment for use on a global (circumpolar) scale— for making a contribution to the development of a global strategy to ensure sustained existence of mankind. The focus is on the studying the indigenous way of life in the light of the profession of design, i.e. with the emphasis on the material culture. The goal of the comprehensive research work is to develop a model of the emerging New Arctic Culture (culture of newcomers) through using aboriginal "patterns" of adaptation. The presentation contains three models of how designers could use the traditional knowledge, in other words— indigenous wisdom. It also suggests several examples: the projects of Master's degree students from the Ural State Academy of Architecture and Art.