An architectural cross-section illustration of an underground community in a dry landscape, featuring gardens, solar panels, a marketplace, hydroponics, and a classroom.

A detailed architectural cross-section illustration of a subterranean, earth-sheltered community structure built into the ground in a rural dry landscape of Kiniabour in the Thiès region of Senegal. The above-ground environment features sandy dry soil, scattered grass, native shrubs, acacia-type trees, baobab silhouettes, and small cultivated crop plots typical of the region. The roof of the underground structure is covered with a mixture of local vegetation and community crop plantings adapted to the region’s dry climate. Above the roof are lightweight fabric and thin plastic sheet canopies angled to collect rainwater, integrated with solar panels, and skylights allowing passive sunlight down into the internal spaces. A few local community members walk along the rooftop garden path among the mixed native and crop vegetation. Beneath this green, earth-covered surface, the building interior is shown in cutaway: Left Area: an underground community marketplace, with simple tables, baskets, and people interacting in a shaded, earth-insulated space. Center Area: a hydroponic food-growing system using recycled blackwater, with tanks, clear piping, suspended growing trays, and arrows indicating nutrient water cycling and plant root absorption. Right Area: a classroom, with a group of Black students seated and attentive, facing a large whiteboard. A white teacher holding a globe is standing at the board, symbolizing international educational support and sustainable development See more