#desert solarpunk

[its-kks-world]

I did a redraw of one of my solarpunk ladies.

I think I’m going to start redrawing this image every year.

[its-kks-world]

Another practice piece.

The sketch for this has been on my computer for at least a year.

[its-kks-world]

Solarpunk!

[kekemakesthings]

My lovely Solarpunk Lady.

Based on this post.

[its-kks-world]

Solarpunk Fashion

“Of the Hot & Dry/ Semiarid Variety”

I’ve been thinking a Desert Solarpunk Aesthetic and I’d like the clothes to be functional as well as Fashionable. To elaborate, I think the clothing needs to be designed in a way that helps the body survive in the climate. So, Solarpunk Fashion in the desert (I’m thinking of Las Vegas Valley Specifically) needs to:

1. Protect the body from the sun

2.  Keep the body cool

3. Keep the body Warm

4. Offer comfort and Support

5. Be aesthetically pleasing

This will probably be another text heavy post, so my ideas and reasoning will be under the cut.

Sun Protection

The sun is a menace. It’s bright, it’s hot, it gets in my eyes while I’m walking, and it can cause skin cancer. Therefore we need some protection from it. 

Parasols

Gloves

Large Hats

Long sleeves

Pants/leggings/tights

Sunglasses/goggles

Keeping Cool

Because of the heat, usually pretty terrible in the summer, clothing should also help us keep cool.

Light Fabrics

Light Colors

Flowy Fabrics (I noticed that flowy skirts tend to be pretty cool)

Good Wicking

Breathable Fabrics

Water Holder

Keeping Warm

Though the summers are hot the winters and nights get cold. So, a layer-able style and clothing with double uses might be good.

Gloves/hats

Scarves/Jackets

Fabric to keep in heat

Layers

Comfort and Support

In a Solarpunk society, there will be travel by foot, bike, and public transport so clothes should keep the wearer comfortable and protected. So that’s just something to keep in mind while thinking of the clothing.

Aesthetic

Another thing to keep in mind is the look of the clothing. The way things look is very important to people and can have a effect of how much they accept something. Even if we design the perfect alternatives to fossil fuels and wasteful practices if it’s an eyesore a lot of people won’t want it. It’s the same for clothing. People like what they like and even if the clothing might be better for them they won’t want to wear something that doesn’t look good.  

[its-kks-world]

Desert Solarpunk Brainstorming

Pertaining to Hot and Dry deserts, though cold deserts could be interesting too. I wrote a list of thoughts I had about Desert Solarpunk. It's just a bunch of ideas that need expansion. So here's the list in no particular order. Underground Houses/Communities: The windows might be on the ceilings and if that's the case I say stained glass. Wouldn't the surface look beautiful? Would these windows open and close? How would we regulate heat? Would these underground communities be based on the burrows many animals make? How do we make these underground communities accessible the elderly, the disabled and small children? Like ease of movement and stuff. I mean if we can't get everyone to live comfortably than the whole underground living thing is pointless. Other Housing: How do we make current buildings sustainable to this environment? There has to be insulation and windows shield or whatever that can at least dial back the wasteful air conditioning. One of Romie Stott's micro stories mentions mud insulation, does anyone know how that would work? As for new development, passive design needs to happen. Passive design is building a house(or other building) so it works with the environment and so it keeps cool or warm without air conditioning. So from my last post I got feedback which led me to do lots of research on desert (or hot place in general housing) I still need to do research on Coober Pedy, Australia, kivas, and pueblos. I did do research on Cycladic Architecture and Mosques though. Cycladic Architecture was based in the need to shield residents from the wind and the sun, so some aspects of it might be useful here. Mosques were a little harder to do research on, but what I got is the way each is built has a lot to do with the region and religion. Food and Gardening: Is there any reason dried food should make a come back or would that be counterproductive? Are there edible desert plants? I mean obviously there are, but are there enough that desert gardening could be a resource? What would desert gardening look like? Would it make use of rainwater collection? Clothing: We can't really talk Solarpunk without talking fashion. So clothes should be designed in a way that works with the climate. So what kind of clothing would keep someone cool in a hot and dry environment? What would be daily wear in a Solarpunk desert? I've been thinking goggles designed like sunglasses to keep the sun out of people's eyes and also keep dirt and sand out of people's eyes. (I also just want an excuse to wear cool goggles) Okay that's all I've got for now.

[its-kks-world]

Desert Solarpunk

A lot of Solarpunk focuses on reclaiming cities and living with nature, but I haven’t seen any talking about desert life. Basically we’re surrounded by lots of dirt, we don’t have a lot of water, but people insist on planting trees and non desert plants anyway, and most backyards consist of rocks. So here’s my contribution.

I saw a post about the decline of architecture and how architecture should work with the environment instead of depending on air conditioning to keep homes cool or warm. This got me thinking about something that’s always on the back burners of my mind because I live in Las Vegas Valley which is Solarpunk housing in a desert.

So does anybody remember that sustainable fridge, the one buried underground to keep food  fresh without electricity? Would it then be possible to build houses underground to protect people from the sun and from the desert heat? I mean like future buildings and neighborhoods. Maybe even underground apartment complexes based on the ways animals borrow and live in the ground.

Of course the standing city, no matter how poorly designed it is, will have to be used because trying to rebuild would be a waste of resources. So how do we make the standing buildings, the casinos, sustainable then. Solar panels and what else?