Ancient meets modern in the latest project from Oppenheim Architecture. Designed for the Red Sea Development Company in Saudi Arabia, Desert Rock just broke ground—or rather, broke into the ground. The resort will be carved directly into the ancient mountainside, and the materials removed to carve into the site will be reused to build the resort itself.
Desert Rock will be a true, regenerative resort, with the Oppenheim’s architecture used as a tool to not just sustain, but also improve, its environment. Highlights include:
- Architecture designed to reduce energy consumption and regenerate native flora
- Materials excavated from the site reused to create the infrastructure
- Ground stone and existing sand used for concrete aggregate, the main building material for all the architecture
- Water retention and distribution systems used throughout the site, with harvested rainwater flourishing the surrounding Wadi
- Designed to achieve the highest LEED certification level
Photo: Courtesy of Oppenheim Architecture
