--- slug: urban-dunes title: Urban Dunes — 3D-printed bioclimatic design roof in Abu Dhabi hero_subtitle: A 3D-printed desert sand structure that transforms a public space into a passively air-conditioned urban oasis. year: "2020" location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates typology: Public space vertical_primary: Sustainable Design vertical_primary_slug: sustainable-design vertical_secondary: Sustainable Design vertical_secondary_slug: sustainable-design badge_raw: 2020 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates · Public space · 3D-printed design + sustainable design scheda: Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Year: "2020" Client: Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi Typology: Urban coverage Area: 1,000 m² Status: Award-winning concept — Honorable Mention Designers: Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella (Barberio Colella Architetti) with Angelo Figliola (design and environmental analysis) Awards: Honorable Mention, Cool Abu Dhabi Challenge. Golden Trezzini Awards — Special Mention (2021) Publications: 3D Printing Industry, 3DNative, Parametric Architecture Main materials: 3D-printed desert sand (binder jetting), heat-reflective cool pigments, water images: - filename: urban-dunes-axonometric.jpg alt: "Urban Dunes: daytime exterior view, Abu Dhabi" caption: Daytime exterior view of the 3D-printed sand vault — the open arches and geometric mashrabiyyas create a dialogue between the covered public space and the surrounding urban context. - filename: urban-dunes-design-framework.jpg alt: "Urban Dunes: an urban oasis by day" caption: "The interior spaces during the day: light filtering through the mashrabiyya creates geometric patterns of shadow on the water basins, whilst the palm trees stretch across the central oculus of the vault." - filename: urban-dunes-exterior-day.jpg alt: Urban Dunes at sunset, bathed in golden light caption: At sunset, the low-angled light streams through the arched openings in the vault and the perforated surfaces, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of spaces found in traditional Islamic architecture. - filename: urban-dunes-exterior-night.jpg alt: "Urban Dunes: interior night-time lighting" caption: A night-time view of the public space beneath the vaulted ceiling — the artificial lighting highlights the texture of the 3D-printed stereotomic blocks and the cascading fountains. - filename: urban-dunes-fabrication-process.jpg alt: "Urban Dunes: Night-time exterior view, Abu Dhabi" caption: "Night-time exterior view: the illuminated dome becomes an urban landmark, with the three oculus windows — two for the fountains, one for the palm trees — visible from the top." - filename: urban-dunes-interior-day.jpg alt: Exploded axonometric view of Urban Dunes components caption: "An exploded axonometric view showing the system’s components: a stereotomic vault made of 3D-printed blocks, central columns with earth pipes heat exchangers, perimeter mashrabiyyas and water basins." - filename: urban-dunes-interior-night.jpg alt: "Urban Dunes Design Concept: Strategies" caption: "The design framework: from the climatic analysis of Abu Dhabi to the passive and active strategies integrated into the roof — wind, water, thermal mass and shading." - filename: urban-dunes-interior-sunset.jpg alt: Sand binder jetting fabrication process caption: "The additive manufacturing process: the stereotomic blocks are 3D-printed using binder jetting technology, which solidifies local desert sand using a binder." - filename: urban-dunes-modularity.jpg alt: Modularity of stereotomic blocks caption: "The modular vault system: the stereotomic blocks are designed to be assembled without mortar, following the principles of traditional stereotomy reinterpreted using digital tools." - filename: urban-dunes-plans.jpg alt: Urban Dunes floor plan – covered public space caption: Plan of the 1,000 m² public space, showing the four wind-capturing towers, the central columns and the layout of the water basins and cascading fountains. - filename: urban-dunes-sections-and-elevations.jpg alt: Sections and elevations of the bioclimatic design vault caption: "Cross-sections and elevations: the cross-section shows the vault’s 55 cm thickness, the earth pipes heat exchangers buried at a depth of 3 metres, and the passive ventilation system integrated into the columns." - filename: urban-dunes-sustainability-02.jpg alt: Strategies for sustainability and passive cooling caption: "Diagram of cooling strategies: thermal inertia of the vault, natural ventilation via mashrabiyya and earth pipe heat exchanger, evaporation from fountains and misting." - filename: urban-dunes-sustainability.jpg alt: UTCI Abu Dhabi Thermal Comfort Analysis caption: "Second environmental analysis table: the combination of passive and active systems achieves a UTCI of 26°C in August, a temperature considered comfortable for an outdoor space." - filename: urban-dunes-thermal-analysis.jpg alt: Thermal analysis of 3D-printed sand caption: "Thermal analysis of the roof: the simulation shows how the thermal inertia of the 55 cm sand-filled vault delays the transfer of heat between the outer and inner surfaces by several hours." faq_count: 6 related_slugs: - aetherius - 3d-printed-mosque - additive-stereotomy cta: title: Do you have a project that involves additive manufacturing and computational design? body: If you are exploring 3D printing for architectural components or complex structures, we can assess the feasibility together. BCA has the research background and design expertise to translate a parametric concept into a viable design. button: Send us your brief microcopy: "[Send your brief]" hero_image: urban-dunes-exterior-day.jpg gallery_renders: - filename: urban-dunes-interior-day.jpg alt: Exploded axonometric view of Urban Dunes components caption: "An exploded axonometric view showing the system’s components: a stereotomic vault made of 3D-printed blocks, central columns with earth pipes heat exchangers, perimeter mashrabiyyas and water basins." - filename: urban-dunes-interior-night.jpg alt: "Urban Dunes Design Concept: Strategies" caption: "The design framework: from the climatic analysis of Abu Dhabi to the passive and active strategies integrated into the roof — wind, water, thermal mass and shading." - filename: urban-dunes-interior-sunset.jpg alt: Sand binder jetting fabrication process caption: "The additive manufacturing process: the stereotomic blocks are 3D-printed using binder jetting technology, which solidifies local desert sand using a binder." - filename: urban-dunes-exterior-day.jpg alt: Urban Dunes at sunset, bathed in golden light caption: At sunset, the low-angled light streams through the arched openings in the vault and the perforated surfaces, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of spaces found in traditional Islamic architecture. - filename: urban-dunes-exterior-night.jpg alt: "Urban Dunes: interior night-time lighting" caption: A night-time view of the public space beneath the vaulted ceiling — the artificial lighting highlights the texture of the 3D-printed stereotomic blocks and the cascading fountains. gallery_drawings: - filename: urban-dunes-axonometric.jpg alt: "Urban Dunes: daytime exterior view, Abu Dhabi" caption: Daytime exterior view of the 3D-printed sand vault — the open arches and geometric mashrabiyyas create a dialogue between the covered public space and the surrounding urban context. - filename: urban-dunes-design-framework.jpg alt: "Urban Dunes: an urban oasis by day" caption: "The interior spaces during the day: light filtering through the mashrabiyya creates geometric patterns of shadow on the water basins, whilst the palm trees stretch across the central oculus of the vault." - filename: urban-dunes-modularity.jpg alt: Modularity of stereotomic blocks caption: "The modular vault system: the stereotomic blocks are designed to be assembled without mortar, following the principles of traditional stereotomy reinterpreted using digital tools." - filename: urban-dunes-fabrication-process.jpg alt: "Urban Dunes: Night-time exterior view, Abu Dhabi" caption: "Night-time exterior view: the illuminated dome becomes an urban landmark, with the three oculus windows — two for the fountains, one for the palm trees — visible from the top." - filename: urban-dunes-plans.jpg alt: Urban Dunes floor plan – covered public space caption: Plan of the 1,000 m² public space, showing the four wind-capturing towers, the central columns and the layout of the water basins and cascading fountains. - filename: urban-dunes-sections-and-elevations.jpg alt: Sections and elevations of the bioclimatic design vault caption: "Cross-sections and elevations: the cross-section shows the vault’s 55 cm thickness, the earth pipes heat exchangers buried at a depth of 3 metres, and the passive ventilation system integrated into the columns." - filename: urban-dunes-sustainability-02.jpg alt: Strategies for sustainability and passive cooling caption: "Diagram of cooling strategies: thermal inertia of the vault, natural ventilation via mashrabiyya and earth pipe heat exchanger, evaporation from fountains and misting." - filename: urban-dunes-sustainability.jpg alt: UTCI Abu Dhabi Thermal Comfort Analysis caption: "Second environmental analysis table: the combination of passive and active systems achieves a UTCI of 26°C in August, a temperature considered comfortable for an outdoor space." - filename: urban-dunes-thermal-analysis.jpg alt: Thermal analysis of 3D-printed sand caption: "Thermal analysis of the roof: the simulation shows how the thermal inertia of the 55 cm sand-filled vault delays the transfer of heat between the outer and inner surfaces by several hours." --- # Urban Dunes — 3D-printed bioclimatic roof in Abu Dhabi _A 3D-printed structure made of desert sand that transforms a public space into a passively climate-controlled urban oasis with bioclimatic design._ **2020 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates · Public space · 3D Printed Design + Sustainable Design** --- ## Lifting desert sand to create an urban oasis In Abu Dhabi, extreme temperatures render outdoor public spaces unusable for much of the year. The city’s Department of Transport launched the Cool Abu Dhabi Challenge, a global competition to design urban roofs capable of mitigating the heat island effect. Barberio Colella Architetti, in collaboration with Angelo Figliola, responded with Urban Dunes: a project that does not add technology to the urban space, but rediscovers the principles of traditional architecture from the Arab world and reinvents them through digital fabrication. The underlying idea is straightforward: to lift, as it were, a thick layer of sand to create artificial dunes beneath which an urban oasis takes shape. The roof is a complex vault — arches, central columns, three large oculus — composed of stereotomic blocks 3D-printed using binder jetting technology, which solidifies local desert sand with a binder. The 55-centimetre thickness gives the vault high thermal inertia: the mass slows the transfer of heat from the outer to the inner surface by hours, keeping the space below cool even on the hottest days. Beneath the vault, an integrated passive cooling system amplifies the roof’s effect. Geometric grilles inspired by traditional mashrabiyya accelerate the flow of incoming winds via the Venturi effect and direct them over water basins filled with cool water. Four towers capture the prevailing winds and channel them into earth pipes heat exchangers buried three metres deep, where the air releases heat to the ground before rising back up through the central perforated columns. Two cascading fountains and a group of palm trees — free to grow through the central oculus until they rise above the dome — complete the microclimate with evaporative cooling. The only active system is a high-pressure misting system that lowers the perceived temperature by up to 20°C. The result, measured using UTCI simulations, is a 1,000 m² public space that reaches a perceived temperature of 26°C in August — comfortable for an outdoor environment in Abu Dhabi’s desert climate. The project received an honorable mention at the Cool Abu Dhabi Challenge, out of over 300 entries from 62 countries, and has been featured on various specialist websites, including 3D Printing Industry, 3DNative and Parametric Architecture. --- ## Image gallery ![Urban Dunes daytime exterior view Abu Dhabi](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-axonometric.jpg) *Daytime exterior view of the 3D-printed sand vault — the open arches and geometric mashrabiyyas create a dialogue between the covered public space and the surrounding urban context.* ![Urban Dunes interior by day, urban oasis](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-design-framework.jpg) *The interior space during the day: light filtered through the mashrabiyyas creates geometric patterns of shadow on the water basins, whilst palm trees pass through the central oculus of the vault.* ![Urban Dunes interior at sunset, golden light](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-exterior-day.jpg) *At sunset, the slanting light passes through the arched openings of the vault and the perforated surfaces, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of traditional Islamic architecture.* ![Urban Dunes interior at night, illuminated](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-exterior-night.jpg) *Night-time view of the public space beneath the vault — artificial lighting highlights the texture of the stereotomic blocks in 3D-printed sand and the cascading fountains.* ![Urban Dunes night-time exterior, Abu Dhabi](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-fabrication-process.jpg) *Night-time exterior view: the illuminated vault becomes an urban landmark, with the three oculus windows — two for the fountains, one for the palm trees — visible from the top.* ![Exploded axonometric view of Urban Dunes components](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-interior-day.jpg) *Exploded axonometric view showing the system’s components: stereotomic vault made of 3D-printed blocks, central columns with earth pipes heat exchangers, perimeter mashrabiyyas and water basins.* ![Urban Dunes design framework](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-interior-night.jpg) *The design framework: from the climatic analysis of Abu Dhabi to the passive and active strategies integrated into the roof — wind, water, thermal mass and shading.* ![Sand binder jetting fabrication process](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-interior-sunset.jpg) *The additive manufacturing process: the stereotomic blocks are 3D-printed using binder jetting technology, solidifying local desert sand with a binder.* ![Modularity of the stereotomic blocks for the vault](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-modularity.jpg) *The modular vault system: the stereotomic blocks are designed for dry assembly, following the logic of traditional stereotomy reinterpreted using digital tools.* ![Plan of Urban Dunes covered public space](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-plans.jpg) *Plan of the 1,000 m² public space with the four wind-capturing towers, the central columns and the layout of the water basins and cascading fountains.* ![Sections and elevations of the bioclimatic vault](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-sections-and-elevations.jpg) *Sections and elevations: the section shows the 55 cm thickness of the vault, the earth pipes heat exchangers buried at a depth of 3 metres and the passive ventilation system integrated into the columns.* ![Sustainability strategies for passive cooling](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-sustainability-02.jpg) *Diagram of cooling strategies: thermal inertia of the vault, natural ventilation via mashrabiyya and earth pipe heat exchanger, evaporation from fountains and misting.* ![UTCI thermal comfort analysis, Abu Dhabi](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-sustainability.jpg) *Second environmental analysis table: the combination of passive and active systems achieves a UTCI of 26°C in August, a temperature perceived as comfortable for an outdoor space.* ![Thermal analysis of 3D-printed sand vault](images/urban-dunes/urban-dunes-thermal-analysis.jpg) *Thermal analysis of the roof: the simulation shows how the thermal inertia of the 55 cm sand vault delays the transfer of heat between the external and internal surfaces by several hours.* --- ## Technical specifications - **Location:** Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - **Year:** 2020 - **Client:** Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi - **Typology:** Urban roof - **Area:** 1,000 m² - **Status:** Award-winning concept — Honorable Mention - **Designers:** Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella (Barberio Colella Architetti) with Angelo Figliola (design and environmental analysis) - **Awards:** Honorable Mention, Cool Abu Dhabi Challenge. Golden Trezzini Awards — Special Mention (2021) - **Publications:** 3D Printing Industry, 3DNative, Parametric Architecture - **Main materials:** 3D-printed desert sand (binder jetting), heat-reflective cool pigments, water - **Main BCA vertical:** 3D Printed Design - **Secondary BCA vertical:** Sustainable Design --- ## How can a public space be cooled in an extreme climate without relying on active climate control? In desert climates such as Abu Dhabi, summer temperatures regularly exceed 45°C, rendering public spaces unusable for much of the year. Conventional solutions — active climate control running at full capacity — are energy-intensive and unsustainable on a large scale. Urban Dunes demonstrates an alternative approach: reinterpreting traditional Arab architectural elements (massive vaults, mashrabiyya, water basins, wind towers) through digital fabrication and 3D printing, creating a roof that harnesses the thermal mass of the sand, natural ventilation and evaporative cooling to achieve comfortable outdoor conditions with minimal energy consumption. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How does 3D printing with desert sand work to create architectural structures? The process is called binder jetting: a large-format 3D printer deposits layers of sand and solidifies them with a chemical binder, creating large blocks with complex geometries and a high level of precision. Desert sand, an abundant material at virtually no cost, becomes the primary building material. The stereotomic blocks are then dry-assembled to form the vault, following the logic of traditional stereotomy — the same used to build stone vaults — but reinterpreted using parametric modeling tools. ### What passive cooling strategies are used in Urban Dunes? Urban Dunes incorporates five passive strategies: the thermal inertia of the 55 cm-thick sand vault, which delays heat transfer by hours; the mashrabiyya (traditional geometric grilles) which accelerate the wind via the Venturi effect and direct it over water basins filled with cold water; wind-capturing towers connected to ground-coupled heat exchangers buried 3 metres deep, where the air transfers heat to the ground; cascading fountains and vegetation, which cool through evaporation; and cool pigments mixed with the sand, which increase surface reflectance. The only active system is a high-pressure misting system. ### What is digital stereotomy and how does it apply to contemporary architecture? Stereotomy is the art of cutting solid materials into blocks that interlock to form self-supporting structures — it is the construction principle behind the stone vaults of antiquity. Digital stereotomy draws on this principle but updates it with parametric modeling and digital fabrication (3D printing, CNC cutting), allowing for more complex geometries and forms that are impossible to achieve with manual cutting. In Urban Dunes, the stereotomic blocks of the vault are parametrically designed and manufactured using 3D sand printing, combining traditional construction logic with the precision of additive manufacturing. ### How realistic is it to build architectural structures using 3D sand printing? Binder jetting technology for sand is already used industrially for the production of foundry moulds and large-scale components. Companies such as ExOne, Voxeljet and D-Shape have demonstrated the feasibility of 3D-printed architectural blocks. The Urban Dunes project was developed with realistic technical parameters: the 55 cm thickness is structurally plausible, the block dimensions are compatible with existing industrial printers, and the dry-assembly process follows a construction logic proven by traditional stereotomy. The main challenge remains the regulatory certification of the printed components, an area where research is evolving rapidly. ### Who designed Urban Dunes and what expertise do the designers have? Urban Dunes was designed by Barberio Colella Architetti (Maurizio Barberio and Micaela Colella) with Angelo Figliola for the environmental design. Barberio is the author of the ‘Manifesto for Stereotomy 2.0’ published in the Nexus Network Journal, the theoretical foundation of digital stereotomy applied to additive manufacturing. The practice has published in Springer Nature (Digital Wood Design, Architecture 4.0) and has experience in digital fabrication with the Hypar Gate pavilion in Troyes (2016), a double-curved stone structure that has actually been built. ### Could Urban Dunes be realised in a Mediterranean climate such as that of Puglia? The design principles of Urban Dunes — thermal inertia of mass, natural ventilation, evaporative cooling — are applicable to any hot climate, including the Mediterranean. The designers themselves have suggested that an Apulian version could use waste materials from the local stone industry instead of sand, creating locally sourced architecture. The challenge of summer comfort in public spaces in Southern Italy is less extreme than in Abu Dhabi but still very real, and the passive solutions integrated into the roof would work effectively even at more moderate temperatures. --- ## Do you have a project requiring additive manufacturing and computational design? If you are exploring 3D printing for architectural components or complex structures, we can assess the feasibility together. BCA has the research background and design experience to translate a parametric concept into a realisable project. **[Send your brief]** _[Send your brief]_ --- ## Related projects - **AETHERIUS** — Modular 3D-printed pavilion using recycled concrete aggregates (RCA): the same stereotomic/parametric logic applied to a public space - **3D Printed Mosque** — 3D-printed mosque using digital stereotomy - **Additive Stereotomy** — Research into digital stereotomy applied to additive manufacturing _Discover our approach to 3D Printed Design →_