Belgium-based Vincent Callebaut Architectures revealed the firm's plan for the first underwater skyscrapers in the world which can house 20,000 people. Callebaut said his "oceanscrapers" are designed as sustainable housing for humans to lower the planet's dangerously high carbon footprint.
The "oceanscrapers" can produce their own heat and energy, so they don't need fossil fuels. Vincent Callebaut Architectures released their plans for "Aequorea", a floating ocean village made of "oceanscrapers."
Each of the "oceanscrapers" looks like a floating jellyfish on the waters' surface. The docks and entrances are found parallel to the ocean's surface. The structure is submerged in the water by 1,000 meters. Each "oceanscraper" will measure 500 meters wide and come with 250 floors.
The team visualized the "Aequorea" villages to spread across the world's biggest oceans. Each ocean village will probably cost around £1,430 (roughly $2,123) per square meter to build.
Eco-Friendly Ocean Villages
The design firm designed each "oceanscraper" to house offices, laboratories, sea farms, agricultural areas and even community gardens with real grass. A power plant that produces Aequorea's drinking water will use in-depth pressure to separate salt and water and offset osmotic pressure, once again keeping to the theme of a self-sufficient ocean village.
Wind chimneys located in the towers will provide renewable air. Another option is an oxygen station. As for food, Callebaut said fishing and farming vegetables and fruits are all possible within these "oceanscrapers."
The Future Of 3-D Printing
Callebaut's "oceanscrapers" will be 3D-printed using recycled ocean waste. The materials will be a mixture of algae and plastic waste. These will be swept from major water bodies around the world and recycled to create the self-sufficient ocean architecture.
Callebaut pioneered a new architectural discipline called Archibiotics that fuses information, communication technologies and renewable energies. The discipline aims to help solve the long-standing, global conflict surrounding oil consumption.
Callebaut introduced the Aequorea concept along with a fictional but plausible timeline that resulted in its creation. The futuristic ocean village was launched with an open letter written by a 15-year-old "aquanaut" teenager named Oceane.
"Faced with climate change and the rise of water levels, a new civilization emerged: the People of the Seas," said the open letter.
The fictional letter was from December 24, 2065 and addressed to the "People of the Land." It recounts how Oceane's grandfather told him about the past generations' lifestyle and careless handling of the planet's natural resources.
