[Image from DUNE: Arenaceous Anti-Desertification Architecture]
Eco Factor: Creative plan to stop desertification by greening the Sahara Desert.
Magnus Larsson, a student at the Architectural Association in London, has proposed an outrageous solution to stop Sahara Desert’s ongoing growth. The young researcher wants to use bacterium, bacillus pasteurii, to turn sand into firm sandstone structures very quickly.
Larsson has proposed a 6,000km wall that will be constructed from sand using the bacterium. Once the wall is built, it could be used to house a sort of lengthy oasis of water or vegetation. While growing vegetables in the Sahara Desert might read funny to you, but Larsson expects that the microscopic bacterium is proficient enough to achieve the unexpected.
The proposal has won first prize at the Holcim Foundation’s Awards for Sustainable Construction held in Marrakech, Morocco. Check out some more images of the project on Flickr.
