Surviving Architecture Without Land

Surviving Architecture Without Land:

A Futuristic Exploration of Urban Design on Water

By: Jonathan Smith

      The following is a compilation of the major problems and responses as to why this research and project is significant in solving a variety of environmental and living problems.

Land could become a sought after commodity in the near future, how does this project help to alleviate this issue?

      This thesis project will propose architectural solutions offshore that will help to alleviate the unavailability of land in the future. This could also be taken into consideration or water adjacent cities that need expansion in specific areas of their city. The planning and development of this offshore city could be applied to other smaller projects as well.

Global warming is an issue mentioned, but how does this project address that?

      Global warming cannot solve architecture; period. Instead, architecture can be part of a larger solution to the environmental problem. This project will help to create an environment that helps to not only encourage green building, but also green lifestyle choices. The urban fabric that the project will be composed of will be centered around the need for sustainability in order for success.

This idea is extremely conceptual, how viable is this project for a realistic future design?

       The idea explored in this thesis project is meant to add a planning precursor to what future architects and designers incorporate into their urban design solutions. There is a multitude of solutions to various problems in society, this is merely one instance that solves a variety of issues.

By creating offshore living you are in turn creating offshore living problems. A few of these include: the reliability that people have on soil based foods and living; the turbulence and natural disasters located in the oceans or offshore; and the magnitude of engineering involved in keeping a city afloat on water safely.

       The research and design will work to solve the above problems. Alternative modes of living and lifestyle choices will solve the major connection the inhabitants have with land.  The urban design involved with the project can only reinforce and support the lifestyle change involved in the success of such an idea. The natural disasters will be dealt with via mobility of the city or the defense of the city against damages. The engineering of this project will be coordinated with research other individuals have done for similar projects. These projects include things as simples as offshore drilling wells to large airports that are located on water.