FLOATING OASIS

Abstract

The thesis examines the recent frantic development of the building of artificial islands that seeks to mimic natural paradises for resorts and tourism purposes. Not only do the building of these islands come a huge financial and environmental cost, they are also largely unsustainable and relies on external sources for water, food etc, defeating the “natural paradise” tag they seek to be. In today’s context of climate change, global warming and the forecasted rising sea levels threaten to engulf these islands that are being built, as well as many island nations such as the Maldives. Building artificial islands for leisure becomes secondary when the issue of survival is at hand. The thesis thus arrives at creating a self-sustainable artificial island for a community of 500 people on the sea. It will act as a Noah’s Ark that carries 500 environmental refugees from present low lying places which are predicted to be flooded over in the next centuries. The project deals with the issue of self-sustainability specifically in terms of the human basic needs. By recycling waste products produced by human and animals, energy and materials are yielded to create food and fresh water. In addition, the project also functions as a portof-call for ships to discharge waste and load fresh water. The mechanisms of the various processes are exposed and integral in the design of the architecture. Based upon the data analysis of a varied diet, the area of production is designed for a family unit of 4, which is responsible for a plot of “farmland”. The community envisioned comprises of various roles, i.e. farmers, chicken herders, machinery operators and technicians, to be undertaken by the inhabitants. The central focus of the community is the exchange square whereby the inhabitants can engage in barter trading for other crops, soil fertilizers, livestock etc.