Geodesic housing for thermal adaptation

Three key issues and subsequent objectives for the project were established during a three-day trek through the Atlas mountains: - Extreme heat: Enhance the thermal comfort of housing - The scarcity and expense of Atlas Cedar: Utilise local materials - The poor image of earth construction: Re-imagine vernacular forms Thesis statement: How can earth construction respond to the challenging environment of the Atlas mountains and create thermally comfortable architecture through utilising recent advancements in technology?

A New Earthscape, makes use of the dome form to create thermally comfortable architecture, using only earth, to create a new perception of what earth construction can be. A parametric design script was developed to optimise the size, position and orientation of dome clusters based on the environmental conditions in which they sit. Each home is unique and locally adapted to place. The geodesic nature of the domes is signified through triangular compressed earth openings that cast radiant patterns inside.

Their positioning is completely determined by prevailing wind and solar characteristics of the site. The design is modular, simplifying the construction process and reducing cost. A critical element of the project was developing a parametric design script to analyse when bricks first receive sunlight and for how long. This then determined the required thickness of each brick to thermally distribute heat throughout the night using the thermal mass of earth. The result is beautiful geometries on the domes interior faces, creating a spirtual atmosphere. A key design decision was leaving the interior walls exposed to embrace the textural qualities of earth. A vernacular cacti waterproofing method, prevents the need for mortar and reduces maintenance.

The overall form of the dome clusters on the landscape is organic, much like how soap bubbles interact with a surface. At the end of its life, the dome simply crumbles back into the earth from which it was formed, emphasising the cyclical nature of earth construction.