--- slug: lanterns-sea-village title: Lanterns Sea Village — Sustainable temporary accommodation for surfers in Tarifa hero_subtitle: "One hundred bamboo tetrahedrons suspended over the sea: a reversible village that leaves no trace on one of the Mediterranean’s most fragile coastal landscapes." year: "2014" location: Tarifa, Spain typology: Temporary accommodation vertical_primary: Sustainable Design vertical_primary_slug: sustainable-design badge_raw: 2014 · Tarifa, Spain · Temporary residences · Sustainable Design scheda: Location: Playa de Los Lances, Tarifa, Andalusia, Spain Year: "2014" Typology: Temporary accommodation Area: 4,200 m² (residential) Status: Concept Designers: Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella Publications: ArchDaily (2015) images: - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-landscape.jpg alt: Panoramic view of the Tetrahedron Village in Tarifa caption: The village stretches along the coast of Tarifa, with bamboo tetrahedrons suspended over the water, minimising the impact on the coastal landscape. - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-exterior-rendering-01.jpg alt: Close-up rendering of bamboo tetrahedrons in Tarifa caption: The tetrahedral housing units, grouped in sets of three, create a mutual structural balance, supported by pile foundations in the sand. - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-exterior-rendering-02.jpg alt: Night view of the village, with the beach lit up caption: At night, the tetrahedrons light up like lanterns on the sea, giving the project the name that captures its visual essence. - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-axonometric-and-materials.jpg alt: Exploded axonometric view of sustainable materials caption: The axonometric diagram shows the bamboo structure, the floors made from recycled timber, and the sunshades made from recycled surfboards. - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-structure.jpg alt: Self-supporting bamboo tetrahedron framework caption: The triangular geometry ensures maximum structural rigidity with a minimum number of components and ground supports. - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-section.jpg alt: Two-storey modular residential unit section, Tarifa caption: "The section reveals a two-level layout: access walkways four metres above sea level and residential units on the upper level." - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-plan-and-mobility.jpg alt: Layout of the village, paths and semi-square caption: The linear arrangement along the sea converges into a semi-square on the beach, fostering a sense of community among the surfers. faq_count: 6 related_slugs: - bamboo-office - unboxed - polymnia-futura cta: title: Are you planning a temporary accommodation facility or one with a low environmental impact? body: Lanterns Sea Village demonstrates that sustainable and reversible settlements are buildable in fragile landscapes. If you have a similar project — temporary accommodation, eco-resorts, coastal facilities — we can discuss the design approach best suited to your site and budget. button: Let’s talk about your project microcopy: "[Let’s talk about your project]" gallery_renders: - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-exterior-rendering-01.jpg alt: Close-up rendering of bamboo tetrahedrons in Tarifa caption: The tetrahedral housing units, grouped in sets of three, create a mutual structural balance, supported by pile foundations in the sand. - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-exterior-rendering-02.jpg alt: Night view of the village, with the beach lit up caption: At night, the tetrahedrons light up like lanterns on the sea, giving the project the name that captures its visual essence. gallery_drawings: - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-landscape.jpg alt: Panoramic view of the Tetrahedron Village in Tarifa caption: The village stretches along the coast of Tarifa, with bamboo tetrahedrons suspended over the water, minimising the impact on the coastal landscape. - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-plan-and-mobility.jpg alt: Layout of the village, paths and semi-square caption: The linear arrangement along the sea converges into a semi-square on the beach, fostering a sense of community among the surfers. - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-section.jpg alt: Two-storey modular residential unit section, Tarifa caption: "The section reveals a two-level layout: access walkways four metres above sea level and residential units on the upper level." - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-structure.jpg alt: Self-supporting bamboo tetrahedron framework caption: The triangular geometry ensures maximum structural rigidity with a minimum number of components and ground supports. - filename: lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-axonometric-and-materials.jpg alt: Exploded axonometric view of sustainable materials caption: The axonometric diagram shows the bamboo structure, the floors made from recycled timber, and the sunshades made from recycled surfboards. --- # Lanterns Sea Village — Sustainable temporary accommodation for surfers in Tarifa _One hundred bamboo tetrahedrons suspended over the sea: a reversible village that leaves no impact on one of the Mediterranean’s most fragile coastal landscapes._ **2014 · Tarifa, Spain · Temporary accommodation · Sustainable Design** --- ## When architecture hovers over the sea Playa de Los Lances, in Tarifa, is one of the most popular stretches of coastline for surfers across Europe. A landscape of wind, sand and light that attracts thousands of sports enthusiasts every year in search of waves and a place to stay. The problem is well known: traditional temporary accommodation solutions — campervans, shipping containers, prefabricated structures placed on the beach — leave a permanent mark on a fragile ecosystem. The challenge for Lanterns Sea Village was to design a settlement comprising 100 housing units that could house the surfing community without leaving a trace on the landscape once dismantled. Barberio Colella Architetti’s response stems from a precise vision: lightweight tetrahedral structures rising from sea level, suspended in place like lanterns. This is not an arbitrary formal gesture, but a structural and environmental choice: the triangular geometry is the most rigid of all, and the grouping of three tetrahedrons generates a mutual static equilibrium that minimises the number of ground supports. The foundations are reduced to deep piles in the sand, eliminating any need for excavation or concrete casting. The load-bearing material is bamboo, chosen for its structural properties, sustainability and lightness. The floors are made of recycled timber, whilst the sunshades are crafted from old surfboards — shaped and glued — transforming an object symbolic of the local culture into a functional architectural component. Each housing unit, measuring approximately 30 square metres, comprises a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, arranged over two levels: on the lower level, four metres above sea level, run the access walkways; on the upper level are the actual residences. The cluster of 100 modules stretches linearly out to sea and converges in a semi-square on the beach, creating a communal living space. The entire village is energy self-sufficient thanks to mini marine turbines, mini wind turbines and amorphous photovoltaic panels integrated into the extensive roof surfaces. The project is fully reversible: every component can be dismantled and recycled, restoring the landscape to its original state. Lanterns Sea Village was featured on ArchDaily in 2015. --- ## Image gallery ![Panoramic view of the Tarifa tetrahedron village](images/lanterns-sea-village/lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-landscape.jpg) *The village stretches along the coast of Tarifa, with bamboo tetrahedrons suspended over the water that minimise the impact on the coastal landscape.* ![Close-up rendering of bamboo tetrahedrons in Tarifa](images/lanterns-sea-village/lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-exterior-rendering-01.jpg) *The tetrahedral housing units, grouped in threes, create a mutual structural balance, supported by pile foundations in the sand.* ![Night view of the illuminated beach village](images/lanterns-sea-village/lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-exterior-rendering-02.jpg) *At night, the tetrahedrons light up like lanterns on the sea, giving the project the name that describes its visual essence.* ![Exploded axonometric view of sustainable materials](images/lanterns-sea-village/lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-axonometric-and-materials.jpg) *The axonometric diagram shows the bamboo structure, the recycled timber floors and the sunshades made from recycled surfboards.* ![Structural diagram of self-supporting bamboo tetrahedron](images/lanterns-sea-village/lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-structure.jpg) *The triangular geometry ensures maximum structural rigidity with the minimum number of elements and ground supports.* ![Cross-section of the two-storey Tarifa living module](images/lanterns-sea-village/lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-section.jpg) *The cross-section reveals the two-storey layout: access walkways four metres above sea level and living quarters on the upper level.* ![Site plan of the semi-square village](images/lanterns-sea-village/lanterns-sea-village-surfers-tarifa-plan-and-mobility.jpg) *The linear arrangement facing the sea converges into a semi-square on the beach, fostering a sense of community among the surfers.* --- ## Technical details - **Location:** Playa de Los Lances, Tarifa, Andalusia, Spain - **Year:** 2014 - **Typology:** Temporary residences - **Area:** 4,200 m² (residences) - **Status:** Concept - **Designers:** Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella - **Publications:** ArchDaily (2015) - **BCA Vertical:** Sustainable Design --- ## How do you build a temporary settlement on the coast without damaging the landscape? Anyone managing accommodation or residential facilities in protected coastal areas is familiar with the dilemma: every foundation, every concrete slab, every excavation permanently alters a fragile ecosystem. Conventional temporary solutions — containers, lightweight prefabricated units, modular structures on plinths — reduce the impact but do not eliminate it. In Tarifa, where the dune and marine landscape is the main economic and environmental asset, a radically different approach was needed: architecture that could be dismantled without leaving a trace, built with renewable materials, and capable of operating with energy self-sufficiency. Lanterns Sea Village demonstrates that it is possible to design a settlement comprising one hundred housing units with foundations reduced to bamboo poles in the sand, a fully recyclable bamboo structure, and sunshades made from recycled materials. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is it possible to build a temporary village on the coast without laying concrete foundations? Yes, provided the structure is designed to rely on mutual balance and minimise the number of supports. In Tarifa, the bamboo tetrahedrons are supported in groups of three, connected at the top, transferring loads to deep-set bamboo poles in the sand. This solution eliminates foundation slabs, kerbs and concrete pours — and makes the entire village demountable and the site restorable. ### Is bamboo a reliable structural material for architecture? Bamboo has a strength-to-weight ratio comparable to steel and has been used as a structural material in architecture for centuries in tropical regions. The design challenge lies in the joints and connections: in Tarifa, the tetrahedral geometry simplifies the joints and exploits the intrinsic rigidity of the triangular form. Bamboo is also a rapidly renewable resource (3–5 years to mature), with a much lower carbon footprint than timber, steel or concrete. ### How is the energy self-sufficiency of temporary residences ensured in a coastal setting? In Tarifa, the project incorporates three complementary sources: mini-turbines harnessing the power of the sea, mini-wind turbines integrated into the roof (Tarifa is one of the windiest places in Europe) and amorphous photovoltaic panels installed across the large surfaces of the tetrahedral roofs. The combination of multiple renewable sources ensures constant energy production across a range of weather conditions. ### How much does it cost to build a temporary bamboo structure compared to a conventional one made of steel or timber? The cost of bamboo as a raw material is significantly lower than that of steel and competitive with structural timber. The main saving, however, lies in the foundations: eliminating concrete slabs and in-situ concrete reduces excavation and site restoration costs. The overall cost depends on the local bamboo supply chain and the complexity of the joints, but for temporary structures the cost-benefit ratio is favourable and very advantageous compared to conventional alternatives. ### What does it mean for an architectural project to be ‘landscape-reversible’? It means that the building can be completely dismantled — structure, cladding, services, foundations — without leaving any permanent traces on the site. In Tarifa, every component is designed to be separated, recycled or reused: the bamboo structure, the recycled timber floors, the sunshades made from salvaged surfboards. Even the pile foundations can be extracted from the sand, restoring the beach to its natural state. ### How do you design a communal space in a temporary settlement for surfers? In Lanterns Sea Village, the arrangement of the 100 modular units is not random: the linear layout facing the sea converges into a semi-square on the beach, creating a sheltered open space where the surfing community can gather. It is an ancient urban principle — the square as a place for communal life — applied on a small and temporary scale. --- ## Are you designing a temporary or facility with low environmental impact? Lanterns Sea Village demonstrates that sustainable and reversible settlements are buildable in fragile landscapes. If you have a similar project — temporary residences, eco-resorts, coastal facilities — we can discuss the design approach best suited to your site and budget. **[Let’s talk about your project]** _[Let’s talk about your project]_ --- ## Related projects - **Bamboo Office** — Bioclimatic office building in Changzhou: the same principle of structural sustainability using bamboo, applied on a different scale. - **Unboxed** — Prefabricated timber building for the Mediterranean: a modular and reversible approach to sustainable living. - **Polymnia Futura** — Sustainable urban regeneration in Polignano a Mare: a systemic vision of sustainability applied at an urban scale. _Discover our approach to Sustainable Design →_