Burning Man is a week-long event, held every year in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, in which an entire community (known as Burners) is created solely for the purpose of art and self-expression.  When it is over, all participants (of which there were about 70,000 for 2014’s event) leave, erasing all traces of their presence.  In fact, “leaving no trace” is one of Burning Man’s 10 Principles because they respect the environment and the desire to leave a place better than they had found it.

No small feat, considering the size of the festival.

The question of temporary, environmentally friendly housing for the week-long event has created some very interesting and creative solutions; solutions that just might provide an answer for other global problems, such as refugee camps or disaster-relief communities.

One very promising option is called the Hexayurt, a cardboard living structure that was first tested during the 2003 Burning Man.  The Hexayurt, invented by Vinya Gupta, is a flat-pack structure that is lighter in weight and more durable than the refugee tents currently used by large aid agencies.  Today there are over 13 different Hexayurt designs used by thousands of Burning Man participants.

While most of the larger world aid agencies (like the Red Cross and the UN) aren’t convinced and still employ the use of tents, the UNHCR has begun considering alternatives, much like Gupta’s Hexayurts.  They have joined forces with The Ikea Foundation to create flat-packed homes for refugees, and are currently testing them on the border between Ethiopia and Somalia.

Meanwhile, these temporary housing solutions are continually being improved upon and tested every year at Burning Man festivals: yurtdomes, geotensic structures, and icosa pods are three  such designs currently being tested.  Companies like World Shelters have risen out of Burning Man and provide these shelters to emergency disaster relief agencies.

Burning Man’s principles have encouraged invention and ingenuity since it started in 1986.  There is no currency accepted at the event—Burners must bring their own supplies or trade with each other.  It encourages them to prepare and create.  And it has been so successful that it has inspired a “maker movement”, kicking off other maker fairs and festivals around the world.  One larger spin-off is a company called Black Rock Solar.  It started in 2007, installing a 30kw solar array for Burning Man and has grown into a company that helps schools and hospitals utilize solar power.

Burning Man is living proof that it is possible for people to gather in a public space in a way that is environmentally conscious.  We look forward to seeing what other sustainable innovations will come out of the festival in the coming years.