Desert Ark — 3D-Printed Shelter for Tree-Planting Volunteers in the Tengger Desert
- Open Gate Portugal
- Sep 30
- 2 min read
Desert Ark, designed by designRESERVE, is a modular 3D-printed campsite that provides shelter and essential facilities for volunteers engaged in ecological restoration in the Tengger Desert, China’s fourth largest desert. Since the 1990s, the Alxa Tengger Desert Ecology Fund has been leading large-scale tree planting to stop desert expansion.
Desert Ark supports this mission by combining architecture, sustainability, and innovation in one project.
Design & Functionality
The campsite consists of nine modular units with spaces for living, cooking, restrooms, showers, and storage.
Units were designed for easy transport and rapid assembly, optimized for harsh desert conditions with extreme winds (up to 34 m/s).
The curved, undulating profiles reduce wind load while blending visually with surrounding dunes.
Built with 3D concrete printing, using sand as a primary component, the structures harmonize with the environment.
Sustainability & Innovation
The site is built with reversible methods, without permanent foundations. Units sit on reusable pallets reinforced with steel, giving the impression of a “floating camp.”
Powered entirely by off-grid solar PV, the camp achieves ultra-low carbon emissions.
A biodegradation tank enables 100% of wastewater to be recycled for irrigation and fertilization of new trees.
Construction was achieved under severe site conditions with limited budget (€35,000) and time.
Broader Impact
Desert Ark is China’s first 3D-printed concrete structure in a desert environment, serving as both a functional base and an architectural prototype for future applications — including potential extraterrestrial habitats.
Beyond practical use, it is intended as a public education platform, symbolizing resilience, sustainability, and innovation.
Project Details
Location: Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, China
Completion: March 2025
Gross floor area: 150 m²
Client: Alxa Tengger Desert Ecology Fund
Cost: €35,000
Architects: designRESERVE (Fangzhou Lydia Song, Feng Yue, Jingning Huang, Yanbo Xu)
Partners: Tsinghua University (Prof. Xu Weiguo’s lab), Wuxi HeQing Digital
Construction Technology Co.
About designRESERVE
Founded by Fangzhou Lydia Song and Feng Yue, designRESERVE is a Beijing- and California-based studio focusing on sustainable and context-specific design. Their work emphasizes inclusiveness, cultural vitality, and the integration of contemporary life with local history. Recognized twice by Architectural Digest as one of China’s most influential firms, the studio combines urban design, architecture, landscape, and visual art in its projects.
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