Imagining what a 3D printed solar tower might look like if built in the desert.

This design, originally posted by Yankodesign, caught my attention. It is an amazing example of the creativity, as well as ecological friendliness, possible through 3D printing. Developed by designers Qiu Song, Kang Pengfei, Bai Ying, Ren Nuoya, & Guo Shen, it’s known as a Sand Babel. It is designed to be an ecological structure used for scientific research, in this case as a solar powered tower, and can also be used as a tourist attraction.

Part of the goal behind the design was to mimic natural phenomena, like tornadoes. The underground section mimics tree roots. The above ground section can house a community. The underground section connects several other buildings to create a multifunctional tube network. According to the original posting of this material, “The design utilizes a spiral skeleton structure which is tall and straight with tensile strength to meet the requirements of residential use, tourism and scientific research. The dual tunnel model not only improves cross-ventilation, but also generates water condensation atop the structures based on temperature differences. The net structure for the underground and surface sections is similar to the roots of a tree. The design not only helps to keep flowing sand dunes in place but also facilitates communication among the buildings.”

This inspiring design is definitely an example of out of the box thinking. Let the following images spur your creativity.