Whittier, Alaska, a tiny town of 200 tucked along Prince William Sound, is accessible only by sea, train, or a rare road-rail tunnel. Interestingly, its centerpiece, the Begich Towers Condominium (BTC), locally nicknamed “The Building,” houses nearly the whole town under a single roof. It has successfully blended daily life with work and social spaces since 1957, proving that humans are perfectly capable of thriving together when given the chance.
BTC is a fascinating architectural feat, but it’s also a laboratory for understanding how extreme environments shape human behavior and challenge ideas of community, sustainability, and survival in isolated spaces.
Intrigued? Click through this gallery to see how architecture and community intertwine in one of America’s most extraordinary towns.