Deserts are already abundant with sand, so why not construct buildings out of it? This was the thought behind Flohara, a collection of shelters Paris-based firm XTU Architects thought up for the Morocco Pavilion in the 2014 Venice Biennale.
The firm marketed the idea as a way to construct a city in the Sahara, a step toward making deserts more habitable and sustainable, as the need to transport additional building material is decreased (water, on the other hand, is another story).
Gizmodo reports that the construction of shelters using the method developed by XTU Architects can be broken down in three steps. First, “bubbles” that function as support skeletons for building upon must be inflated and placed in the desired site toward the wind. Next, sand, water, a hydogel, and the bacteria Sporosarcina pasteurii (which hardens sand) is mixed and sprayed onto the bubbles. Finally, the structure will be left alone as the sand and sun slowly build and harden the structure before the bubble is deflated.
Read more at Gizmodo.
Related Stories
BD+C University Course | May 24, 2018
Accommodating movement in building envelope materials [AIA course]
We may think of the building envelope as an inanimate object, but in reality its components can be quite mobile. This AIA CES course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
Sponsored | | Feb 28, 2018
Quality Products Needed To Meet Green Building Standards Today
Sustainable healthcare facilities will need energy-efficient building enclosures from the outset.
Sponsored | | Feb 15, 2018
Fact vs. fiction: Hotel waterproofing in coastal zones
Sign up for our free March 6 webinar on “A Project Peer Review: The Single Most Important Factor in Reducing the Risk of a Mold and Moisture Lawsuit in Your Next Project”.
Building Materials | Dec 19, 2017
‘Ultra Violet’ is Pantone’s Color of the Year 2018
The color represents a symbol of counterculture, unconventionality, and artistic brilliance, according to Pantone.
Sponsored | Building Materials | Aug 24, 2017
Controlling condensation
No matter what structural material you build with, be it steel, concrete, or wood, water is the enemy.
Sponsored | Building Materials | Aug 17, 2017
Teflon’s little brother is breathing new life into big design
Lighter than glass and 100% recyclable, one material takes center stage in the future of building.
Concrete | Jul 7, 2017
The secrets held within Ancient Roman concrete could improve future building practices
Not only has the concrete stood the test of time, but it has actually become stronger.
