This building is many things in one: an interactive facility, a meeting place and a generator of renewable electricity capable of powering a small town in the desert of Nevada that is the home of the famous ‘Burning Man’.
‘Burning Man’ is one of the most popular festivals of the year and it is they have gathered up to 79,000 people Arrivals from all over the world — including celebrities of all stripes and Silicon Valley moguls wanting to party.
Jesus Diaz
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The festival brings together party, music and art with a feeling of respect for nature and the environment that has been one of its most recognizable hallmarks. ‘Burning Man’ would have been held just during these dates if it had not been for the pandemic, but the community of ‘burners’ is still very active and it does not seem that one of the ‘parties’ of the year is in danger in the future.
Until now Black Rock City has been an ephemeral city in the middle of the Nevada desert, in the USA. So what he does not have access to the electricity grid, water or mobile coverage. The city is assembled for the week that the event lasts and then disassembles as soon as it ends as if nothing had happened there.
But now the organizers want to have a permanent city to develop more ambitious projects that can be extended over time. For this they have chosen a nearby land called Fly Ranch, an oasis of more than 15,000 km2 It does not have access to electricity or a mobile network, but it does have plenty of water, animals and more than 100 types of plants.
‘Solar Mountain’ (solar mountain in Spanish) fulfills several functions, in addition to providing electricity to the city, it will also serve as an interactive installation and meeting place for its inhabitants. The project of the Indian architecture studio Nude is one of those selected for the development of ‘Fly Ranch’ and is currently in the prototype phase.
The building has 728 solar panels capable of producing 873.6 kWh per day and 26,572 kWh per month. A sufficient power, according to its creators, to provide renewable energy to the new city and its activities. Although surely this only happens at the beginning and as the city grows they have to look for new sources of energy.
The internal structure is made of recycled wood and all the components are modular and prefabricated to facilitate assembly. The solar panels are connected to a central column and are enclosed within an aluminum frame that protects them. They will also be covered by a 3.2mm thick anti-reflective glass that, in addition to allowing optimal performance, improves its durability.
“The panels are a great choice for applications that do not have access to the electrical network, they are relatively compact and are easy to assemble or disassemble,” say their creators. “Panels are easy to install thanks to pre-drilled holes and pre-installed bypass diodes minimize power drop caused by shade and provide performance even in low light.”
The undulating shape of the building is designed to blend in with the environment. And according to what they comment from Nude: “the mountain becomes a source of clean energy collection, it allows people to connect with themselves, with nature and with others, and it becomes a play space in which people of all ages can enjoy both climbing and descending the steps ”.
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