Abstract
As China’s first 3D-printed concrete structure in desert environment, the project not only supports ecological restoration in Inner Mongolia, but also serves as an architectural prototype for future extraterrestrial habitat of humankind.
Project Summary
Tengger Desert is the fourth largest and southern most desert in China. Since early 90's, a non-profit organization had been planting trees on the fringe of the desert to contain its hazardous expansion eastward. Commissioned by the organization, designRESERVE has designed a new campsite which provides shelter and supporting facilities for tree planting volunteers during field operation. Considering the severe site conditions, restrained budget and timeframe for construction, designRESERVE developed prototypes with 3D concrete printing technology to accommodate various types of use.
Key Details
The Tengger Desert, a major source of sandstorms threatening East Asia, has seen remarkable ecological restoration since the early 2000s through collaborative efforts of international funds, local government and non-profit organizations. Established by Mr. Wu Xiangrong in Alxa Left Banner, a non-profit group with initiative of “Planting Trees, Planting Hearts" has made the most outstanding achievement through sustainable planting approach and with the aids of volunteers from all over China and overseas.
The rangers of desert-locking forest, as they call themselves, often endure extreme weather conditions during long time operations in desert. Commissioned to design a field camp for rangers and volunteers, designRESERVE’s task is to create a durable, modular shelter system that also serves as a platform for public environmental education. The camp comprises nine modular units accommodating living room, kitchen, restrooms, showers, and storage. Each unit’s size and weight are optimized for transportation and fast assembly in remote desert areas. Arranged in an enclosed layout, the cluster, also called “Desert Ark”, provides a secure, aesthetically powerful, and spiritually enforcing retreat in the middle of desolate land.
The process of construction includes six major phases:
Phase 1_3D-printed concrete units are prefabricated by Robotic 3D Concrete Printing (R3DCP) system in a factory of Wuxi.
Phase 2_Deliver units by truck to desert site
Phase 3_Install the units on site with help of local herdsmen.
Phase 4_Prepare the foundation for deck, with reusable cargo pallets for minimal environmental impact.
Phase 5 _ Build wood-plastic composite deck as common area for all units with retractable canopy to reduce solar heating in summer.
Phase 6_Install life supporting system including Low-E glass doors, water supply, drainage and solar panels.
Project Innovation
Given the desert’s harsh construction conditions and limited time frame, design team employed 3D concrete printing technology (supported by Prof. Xu Weiguo’s lab from Tsinghua University) for rapid on-site installation. Instead of building a concentrated volume, the required program of 150 sqm campsite is divided into nine modular units accommodating living room, kitchen, restrooms, bathroom, and storage. Most key interior fixtures are designed to integrate with the prefabrication of concrete body in the factory, resulting in minimized site laboring and easier maintenance. All concrete units are assembled on site in only two working days, with the aid of local herdsmen and regular vehicles and equipment.
Considering the site’s exposure to constant storm as strong as 34m/s in record, the profile of units is articulated with undulant curves to minimize wind load. The fluent texture of building surface corresponds to the rolling landscape of surrounding dunes. Since the major component of printed concrete is essentially alternative form of sand, the campsite thus achieves great harmony with nature both aesthetically and physically.
Design Benefits
The project utilizes reversible construction methods to minimize environmental impact, with the possibility of future relocations as reforestation program expands. The 3-D printed concrete units sit directly on sand and stabilized by their own weight. The wooden deck is supported by a network of reusable cargo pallets tied together with steel pipes. Physically as well as symbolically, the whole campsite is floating on sand. This approach significantly reduces the construction time, cost and energy consumption on site, while enhances the structure’s resilience to ever-changing contour of the desert.
Adjacent to the site, lies an intermittent desert lake fed by groundwater from nearby Helan Mountains, providing natural water supply for planting and camp activities. Using biodegradable septic tank to collect and filtrate drainage, the campsite is able to recycle 100% sewage for irrigation and fertilization of planted trees.
In Summertime when daytime temperature could reach 45℃ high, the canopy covering
campsite effectively screens heat over deck and concrete modules, eliminating the use of air-conditioning. During wintertime, all rooms could receive sufficient sun light through large opening of glass door or skylight. The thickness and cavity of concrete wall become an excellent insulation layer, maintaining indoor thermal comfort even during winter nights with outdoor temperature as low as minus 30℃. The campsite is fully powered by off-grid PV system consisted of high-efficiency solar panels, resulting in zero carbon emission level and a fully self-sustainable project.
As China’s first 3D-printed concrete structure in desert, Desert Ark shows promising application of the 3D concrete printing technology in extreme environment. The project not only supports ecological restoration in ethnic minority region of Inner Mongolia, but also serves as an architectural prototype for future extraterrestrial habitat of humankind.
Project Data
Project Title：Desert Ark
Client：Alxa Tennger Desert Ecology Fund
Project Location：Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, China
Project Type：Public Building，Cultural Building，Sustainable Architecture，Green Infrastructure
Gross Area：150 Sqm
Completed Year：2025. 05
Project Arhitect：designRESERVE
Chief Designer：Fangzhou Lydia Song, Feng Yue
Design Team：Jingning Huang, Yanbo Xu
Technology Advisor：Prof. Weiguo Xu
3D-print Concrete Manufacturer：Wuxi Heqing Digital Construction Technology Co,.Ltd.
3D Printing Team：Yuan Gao, Fang Cui, Zhipeng Lin, Yixuan Jing, Yuxuan Mao
Construction Personnel：Xiangrong Wu, Xiaoming Wang, Haifeng Lang, Debater Tao, Yinan Fu, Zhaojin Liu, Ming Lu, Chengduo Qi, Xingmao Dai, Hainian Tian, Peiyun Tian, Xiaoyi Wang, Zhaoyan Yu, Xiting Tang, Zhonglin Xiang, Chunhua Sun, Huiping Sang, Chunlai Yun, Decheng Zeng, Xin Zhou, Dake Qu, Jinshan Wang, Xingyu Ouyang
Photographer：ATDEF team, Huaer Lin, Ziwen Hu, Yong Hu
Video Link ：
YouTube：https://youtu.be/YoKX53YXLlc
Google Drive：https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hx9VonQU-PYmRtdTh-r_42PZLGziQKmh/view?usp=drive_link
Wechat Channels：https://weixin.qq.com/sph/AOAa3lntM
Documentary Team：Huimin Jia, Sishuang Zhang, Ziwen Hu, Yong Hu, Shihan Ren, Weibo Zheng, Yan Fang
Materials：3D-printed concrete，Wood-plastic composite floor，Cargo pallets, High-strength fiber shading net，Solar Panel，Battery
