Architect Bases
Early concept art of an Architect Base.
Category: Structures Type: Architects Depth range:
- 0 - 1400 meters (Subnautica)
- 0 - 950 meters (Below Zero)
Architect Bases are ancient structures built by the Architects on Planet 4546B roughly one thousand years prior to the events of Subnautica. Most major installations are located within The Crater, with a number of smaller, auxiliary ones being located in Sector Zero. Additionally, minor installations—known as caches—can be found in both areas. With the exception of the Disease Research Facility, all bases and caches are in working order, with some still in active operation due to their automated nature.
Architect Bases in The Crater
Main Bases
| Location | Description | Goto ID/Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
 Quarantine Enforcement Platform | A massive automated weapon system found on the Mountain Island. | gun<br>gunmoonpool<br>gun_elevator_enter<br>gun_elevator_exit |
 Disease Research Facility | A heavily-damaged facility found on the seafloor of the Lost River. | lostriverbase |
 Alien Thermal Plant | A geothermal energy plant found in the Inactive Lava Zone's Lava Castle. | lavacastlebase<br>lavacastlebaseinside |
 Primary Containment Facility | A vast facility in the Lava Lakes that houses the last known Sea Emperor Leviathan. | antechamber<br>aquarium<br>prison |
Caches
Caches found in the Crater are locked and require a specific Alien Tablet to open. The color of Tablet needed depends on the type of cache. Sanctuaries require a Purple Tablet, and the laboratory requires an Orange Tablet.
| Location | Description | Goto ID/Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
 Sanctuary Caches | A sanctuary found in the Northern Blood Kelp Zone. | -554 -534 1521 |
 Sanctuary Caches | A sanctuary found in the Deep Sparse Reef. | -929 -287 -760 |
 Sanctuary Caches | A sanctuary found in the Dunes crater. | -1187 -378 1130 |
 Lost River Laboratory Cache | A laboratory found in the Lost River Ghost Canyon. | -1111 -685 -655 |
Architect Bases in Sector Zero
Main Bases
| Location | Description | Goto ID/Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
 Architect Phase Gate Facility | An Architect base found behind Outpost Zero that houses a phase gate. | shieldbase<br>shieldbasecaveentrance<br>shieldbasetop |
 Fabricator Base | An Architect base in the Fabricator Caverns used to fabricate Architect vessels. | fabricatorbase |
 Sanctuary Zero | An Architect sanctuary located in the Twisty Bridges that contains Al-An's consciousness. | sanctuary |
Caches
Caches found in Sector Zero are inaccessible unless Al-An is present within Robin's head.
| Location | Description | Goto ID/Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
 [[Arctic Spires](/wiki/arctic-spires) Cache](/wiki/arctic-spires-cache) | An Architect cache found in the Arctic Spires. | arcticspirescache |
 [Crystal Caves Cache](/wiki/crystal-caves-cache) | An Architect cache found in the Crystal Caves. | crystalcastlecache |
 [Deep Lilypads Cave Cache](/wiki/deep-lilypads-cave-cache) | An Architect cache found in the Deep Lilypads Cave. | deeppadscache |
Achievements
Main article: Achievements
Subnautica
Spoiler alert: The following section contains story related material.
Ancient Technologies
Find the Enforcement Platform
How to obtain: The player has to reach the Mountain Island and find the Quarantine Enforcement Platform.
Spoiler alert: The following section contains story related material.
Follow the Lost River
Find the Disease Research Facility
How to obtain: The player has to discover the Disease Research Facility in the Lost River.
Spoiler alert: The following section contains story related material.
Thermal Activity
Find the Thermal Plant
How to obtain: The player must discover the Alien Thermal Plant inside the Lava Castle.
Spoiler alert: The following section contains story related material.
Fourteen Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Find the Primary Containment Facility
How to obtain: The player must find and enter the Primary Containment Facility in the Lava Lakes.
Subnautica: Below Zero
Main article: Achievements
Spoiler alert: The following section contains story related material.
Xenobiology
Encounter a sapient alien lifeform.
How to obtain: Find Sanctuary Zero and initiate the download sequence in the storage cube's chamber.
Spoiler alert: The following section contains story related material.
Out of Mind
Construct an alien vessel.
How to obtain: Construct Al-An's Storage Medium at the Fabricator Base.
Gallery
Subnautica
Quarantine Enforcement Platform
Disease Research Facility
Alien Thermal Plant
Primary Containment Facility
Quarantine Enforcement Platform
Concept art of the Quarantine Enforcement Platform
Quarantine Enforcement Platform interior concept
Quarantine Enforcement Platform Control room by Pat Presley
Quarantine Enforcement Platform deactivation terminal Concept Art
Disease Research Facility
Concept Art of the Disease Research Facility
Alien Thermal Plant
Alien Thermal Plant concept art
Primary Containment Facility
Concept Art of the Primary Containment Facility
Primary Containment Facility Antechamber concept art
Sea Emperor's aquarium Concept Art
Entranceway concept art
Other
Original Concept Art for the Alien Bases
More early concept art
Precursor cable concepts
Subnautica: Below Zero
Architect Phase Gate Facility
Fabricator Base
Sanctuary Zero
Architect Phase Gate Facility
Concept art of the entrance by Cory Strader
An early version of the Phase Gate Facility by Cory Strader
Fabricator Base
Concept Art of the Fabricator Base
Sanctuary Zero
Sanctuary Zero concept art by Cory Strader
3D concept art of the unfolded Containment Cube (ft. Al-An)
Ditto, different angle
Trivia
Models for the Quarantine Enforcement Platform and various parts of bases were accidentally revealed during an experimental patch that added them into the entity gallery. A user on the forums revealed screenshots of the bases and they spread quickly. After seeing this, the developers quickly removed them and asked pictures of them to be prevented from spreading; they called it "a huge screw up".
The small structures that surround the Primary Containment Facility are known as Sonic Deterrents. Lore-wise, they are designed to protect the bases from large creatures, but do not function in gameplay.