Location: Atacama Desert, Chile.

Architect: Camilo Moraes.

Piedras Bayas Beachcamp is a sustainable tourism station located in the coastal zone of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The project uses light structures, local materials, non-contaminant sanitary systems, and green-powered facilities to minimize its impact on the natural landscape. The domes are separated by 50 meters to maintain privacy and allow for a more visible presence of the landscape. The wooden pillars were buried one meter in the sand and compacted with salt water, and no cement was used for the foundations. The main local materials used were “Brea” and “Totora,” which were used for cladding and insulation. The project was built in four stages over a four-year period and includes an administration office, two toilets, a dining terrace, a ranger house, three domes with one room each, a self-service community kitchen, and an administration room. The project is an architectural example of low-impact construction for non-intervened natural landscapes.

Photo credit: Alejandro Galvez & Cristina Ananias.