This subterranean hotel uses a windcatcher tower to ventilate the underground spaces, drawing in hotel air which is cooled over open pools of water. This is accomplished using a qanat tunnel that leads underground water through the hotel and further into the desert to help with desert agriculture. The hotel acts as a well using evaporative cooling to provide comfortable shelter from the arid desert's high temperatures.
The hotel is located on the coast of Makran in Iran. It uses ancient Persian technology such as qanat irrigation as well as windcatcher towers and tent-like PVC sail to rise and fall above the desert floor trapping condensation. This structure is lined with highly reflective metal silk which inflates as the desert temperatures rise expanding the air inside the PVC canopy allowing it to float above the hotel. Condensation is trapped inside the canopy and filters down into one of the evaporative cooling pools scattered within the hotel.
Image Credit: Margot Krasojevic
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Subterranean Living
- There is an opportunity for hotels and other structures to explore the use of subterranean spaces for a unique and energy-efficient way of sheltering people and providing a new type of experience for guests.
- Ancient Technology
- The use of ancient technology such as qanat irrigation and windcatcher towers can offer an innovative approach towards creating sustainable architecture that incorporates traditional knowledge.
- Evaporative Cooling
- Incorporating evaporative cooling in architecture and interior design can help to create more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly spaces that are comfortable even in hot and dry climates.
Where This Applies
- Hospitality
- Hotels and resorts can adopt subterranean living as a unique way of offering guests an unforgettable experience that is energy-efficient and sustainable.
- Architecture
- Architects and designers can explore incorporating ancient Persian technology such as qanat irrigation and windcatcher towers into their designs to create innovative and sustainable buildings.
- Agriculture
- The use of qanat irrigation not only provides an opportunity for hotels and resorts to use the technology for cooling and shelter, but also presents a chance for agriculture to thrive in arid and desert climates.
