Seascraper – Floating City

By:  | January - 25 - 2010

Green Skyscrapers
In the next few days we will showcase 25 innovative proposals for green skyscrapers. These projects were submitted for the Annual Skyscraper Competition from 2006 to 2009.

Project 25 of 25

William Erwin, Dan Fletcher
United States


Seascraper

Seascraper


As global population continues to rise, urban centers are becoming increasingly dense. It will be necessary to develop areas previously believed to be uninhabitable. Seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is water; the Seascraper will provide a low impact sustainable living environment that reduces urban sprawl on land by allowing us to create dwellings in the ocean. The Seascraper is essentially a floating city. It will consist of homes, commercial space, and recreation areas. It will produce all of the energy necessary to support these functions.

Seascrapers will be located where deep sea current is adequate for production of power, for example, the Gulf Stream. Tethered to the hull, turbines will reach to depths ranging from 800 to 1200 feet and harvest ocean currents. A flexible photovoltaic skin will also capture the sun rays. The concave shape of the seascraper not only allows light to penetrate the lower levels, but collects and processes rainwater. Freshwater will also be created in a desalination plant located in the lower industrial core. The long tubes originating from the base assist in the creation of a reef system surrounding the city by pumping deep, nutrient rich water closer to the surface. These nutrients encourage the growth of phytoplankton, the building blocks of marine habitats.


Seascraper - 1

Seascraper - 1


Seascraper - 2

Seascraper - 2

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