Desert Seal, a foldable lightweight tent, is suitable for extreme environments. It makes the most of the desert's steep daily temperature curve by means of a solar-powered fan positioned at the top opening of the tent, which circulates cool air during the day and the warm air radiating from the desert floor at night; solar film-coated Mylar is being tested for added energy gain. The tents are tall enough that a person can stand fully upright inside. Educated as architects, Vittori and Vogler met at a congress of the European Space Agency and they have been separately involved in space design. The study for these tents was initiated by the agency to promote the application of inflatable technology and high-tech textile materials in extreme climates on earth.
Gallery label from Born out of Necessity, March 2, 2012–January 28, 2013.
