Antarctica began as a proposition about contemporary architectural practice. At its core is the idea that the experience and talent of young architects can be drawn together in some way, without shoehorning individual practice ito a branded style and under a conventional business structure.

The proposition was made as an alternative to the isolated pursuit of individual small practice within an environment that provides fewer and fewer opportunities for newcomers. This was seen as a potential water of the skills of young architect who have the capacity but not necessary business credentials or history to tackle more significant architectural projects. By operating as a collective, individual practitioners could pool their knowledge and skills to challenge for projects beyond the domestic and small scale.

The proposition was also that it was a strength to maintain and intensify the diversity of the individual members of its collective, by providing a means within its structure for members to participate in a variety of ways. Furthermore, such a ‘virtual office’ did not require all its members to be in the same location or city, to only ever operate under the collective or to only be architects.