manuel álvarez diestro photographs world’s most arid regions
Photographer Manuel Álvarez Diestro explores the relationship between architecture and geological formations in some of the world’s most arid regions. His latest series, Living with the Rocks, documents human habitation in Monegros, Spain, as well as the deserts of Egypt, Oman, and Iran, examining how built structures integrate with or contrast against natural rock formations.
The images highlight the physical and visual connection between human settlements and the surrounding landscape. In Monegros, homes are carved directly into rock surfaces, merging construction with the natural environment. In other locations, modern buildings stand in stark contrast to the rugged terrain, creating a dialogue between geometric architectural forms and the organic patterns found in stone formations.
isolated building construction enclosed between rocks in Oman | all images by Manuel Álvarez Diestro
Living with the rocks captures built form against rugged terrain
The series also reflects on the temporal scale of architecture in relation to geological time. While natural rock formations evolve over millennia, human structures emerge rapidly, often appearing as abrupt additions to the landscape. Despite their rigid, rectilinear designs, these buildings echo patterns found in natural formations, blurring the boundary between artificial and organic structures.
Photographer Manuel Álvarez Diestro’s process of capturing these remote environments involved navigating extreme conditions, often enduring intense heat. In one instance, during a heat wave, his tripod cracked while framing a city through a rock formation—an event that underscores the contrast between human fragility and the enduring nature of geological landscapes.
new housing development in Egypt´s desert
unfinished vertical development outside Tehran, Iran
village against rocky landscape in Northern Oman
unfinished building next to massive rock in Oman
house with a running wall against rocks in Teheran, Iran
isolated white residential building in a sea of rocks in Oman
new horizontal housing development sprawling between rocks in Oman
rocks on top of Teheran overlook the endless metropolis
Cairo’s neighborhood interacting with rocks, Egypt
rock transformed into a house in Monegros, Spain
Alborz Mountains framing Tehran’s suburbs, Iran
project info:
name: Living with the rocks
photographer: Manuel Alvarez Diestro | @m.a.diestro
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
