Sand Babel looks like a futuristic building in desert. It’s a conceptual and ambitious project constructed of sand which are plentiful material using solar-powered 3D printer. This building will be a group of ecological structures, scientific facilities or tourist attractions.
The main structure of this building is divided into 2 parts, the first part is above the ground while the second part is partially above the ground and partially underground. The first part consists of several independent structures for a desert community while the second part connects several buildings and creates multi-functional tube network system.
Designers : Qiu Song, Kang Pengfei, Bai Ying, Ren Nuoya, and Guo Shen
The material is sand, yes, you read that right, the main portion of this structure is constructed with sand. The top structures are inspired by natural phenomena known as Tornadoes and Mushroom rocks, something that is pretty common in deserts. The spiral skeleton structure is very tall with strong tension in order to meet requirements for residential buildings. The design of dual funnel not only improves cross-ventilation but also generates water condensation based on temperature differences. Take a look at the base, that net structure mimics tree roots. The overall design allows for sand dunes to keep flowing, it also facilitates communication between buildings.
Sand Babel can be considered as future green architecture due to its sustainable development. It harnesses local resources by using solar powered 3D printing technology that turns sand into buildings, it means the cost of construction, material, and transportation will be dramatically reduced. This smart building takes advantage of temperature difference to create internal airflow and water vapor condensation, solar and wind energy to generate clean energy for the building.