IF YOU THINK urban space is at a premium on this planet, you are not alone.
Designers, urban planners and architects have explored vertical living, land reclamation and other non-traditional alternatives to accommodate the world’s demand for living space. The next frontier – on this planet anyway – is under the ocean wave.
Japanese company Shimizu has been making waves (sorry) with this design for a development under the sea’s surface.
They claim that “the deep sea offers enormous potential for ensuring effective and appropriate cycles and processes in the earth’s biosphere”.
The design focuses on efficiency, sustainability and “breaks free from past patterns of land development”.
It has a ‘Blue Garden’ base camp that measures 500m in diameter, its spherical shape floating on the surface of the water. This makes it safe from hurricanes and earthquakes, according to the designers, and the temperature can be more easily controlled than on land.
At this level (at 200m under the sea surface), where the human activity takes place, sunlight will still penetrate and photosynthesis by phyoplankton still occurs.
The serious work begins at lower levels, with a spiral descending to the sea floor.
Look at his infographic to see how they plan to structure water treatment, energy generation and stability for the whole project along the length of the spiral.
Click here for a high-res version if you have difficulty viewing this image:
What do you think of it?
A more detailed plan of the materials that could be used, and the functions of the design – and a business plan for the sustainability of the ‘city’ are here.
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