In contrast to traditional glasshouses, which usually consist of a fully glazed structure, cold-climate specific greenhouses must include additional climate-buffering elements to shield the plants from extreme night-time temperatures. Our greenhouses comprise a freestanding structure in two parts, a thick masonry shelter with a roof to provide both insulation and residual heat during the night, and a receiver surface of either glass or polythene sheeting, which abuts this structure. This design is ideal for the extreme climate above 2,700m, as the heat stored in the earth wall reduces the risk of frost damage to the plants during the night.

The introduction of solar agricultural glasshouses provides a source of fresh vegetables that are currently unavailable in many remote areas during the winter months, and they also provide an income generating opportunity for local people. ATA works to develop extremely high performance yet low cost greenhouses and livestock shelters for extreme mountain conditions.