SURVIVOR
PROF.: ANDRE HABERMANN
TASK
Designing a research station situated in close proximity to the coast of Venice, Italy.
PERSONAL GOAL
Exploring strategies for designing buildings in regions heavily affected by rising sea levels to ensure their long-term functionality.
RESULT
A man-made island unaffected by rising sea levels and changing climates, designed to be resilient and endure as the last survivor.
PROJECT INTRODUCTION
The building was designed with a lifespan of 300 years in mind and utilizes reinforced concrete and concrete boat technology, which, unlike traditional steel ships, do not require extensive maintenance. It serves as a meeting point for artists and researchers who can work and live in isolation from the outside world.
The building is self-sufficient in terms of fresh water, food, and electricity, with an artificial forest purifying the air and providing a space for residents to unwind. This forest concept is based on NASA biodome experiments exploring scenarios for people living in isolation and remaining happy, including potential Mars missions.
After the building's lifespan has ended, it can be easily submerged, and the experience with other concrete boats submerged over 100 years ago demonstrates that they are better suited for the formation of coral reefs than conventional boats. The building and roof are designed to prevent overheating, especially given its location in the Venice Lagoon. The orientation and shape of the roof have been carefully crafted so that the building receives sunlight only for a specific period in each sector as the sun moves throughout the day, allowing for a natural daily and work rhythm without the risk of overheating. Solar panels are also directly integrated inside the roof so that the building can create its own clean energy.
The project was initially planned to take place on the small abandoned island of "Madonna del Monte" in the Venetian Lagoon.
However, SURVIVOR was designed to be significantly away from the island, as it is floating and thus its position is variable.
LOCATION
ENGENERING CONCEPT
A floating structure engineered to withstand rising sea levels.
IMPLEMENTATION
Utilizing concrete boat technology, the building is transformed into a floating island capable of withstanding natural disasters and rising sea levels. It ensures a secure and isolated research environment while seamlessly integrating the trinity between working, living, and leisure in physical form.
HABITATION
CONCEPT
Creating a self-sustainable building that functions as an island for scientists and artists to work remotely, isolated from the outside world.
DESIGN
CONCEPT
Translating the trinity between working, living, and leisure, as well as the continuity of the building in physical form. While showcasing between the building and the sea.
FUNCTIONALITY
SECTORS
The building has been divided into three primary sectors, each seamlessly merging into one another. This allows for clear delineations without disrupting the functions of the three sectors. However, communication and movement of individuals between the sectors occur fluidly.
The glazing of the partition walls between the sectors plays a crucial role in establishing visual connections between them.
FLOATING
As the laboratory is designed to withstand future climate changes and rising sea levels, there are no fixed anchorings in the ground. Instead, the entire building floats.
Principles of concrete boat construction were applied, with additional volumes integrated into the hull of the building. These volumes can be flexibly filled and emptied depending on additional load.
The maximum buoyancy exceeds the required buoyancy by approximately 300%.
LIFECYCLE
As the building is designed for the next 300 years and requires autonomy from the outside world, various methods have been combined here to test this idea.
Electricity: Electricity is generated directly through the integrated photovoltaic cells on the roof.
Food & Water: Food and water are produced and purified in the building's vertical farm.
Air: The integrated forest provides the best and most natural way to purify the air.
LIGHTING & ELECTRICITY
The building is designed so that each sector receives sufficient sunlight through the gaps between the ceiling panels during the optimal times of the day. This way, the sun aligns with the actual workday.
Additionally, photovoltaic panels are integrated into the ceiling panels, enabling the building to be powered by clean energy independently of the power grid and external influences.
RESULT
RESEARCH & DESIGN PROCESS
SURVIVOR is the result of an iterative process in which various approaches, designs, and inspirations were discarded, combined, altered, and adjusted. Initially, I focused on the connection and transition between the built structure and the sea, a detail that ultimately significantly shaped the design's appearance. Typically, development was carried out through sketches and working models.
To master the challenge of the transition, the solution was to abstract the sea as a rigid, flat surface, simulated with a sheet of paper. The challenge was to find a balance between the sea and the object by introducing cuts into this paper and accordingly folding the plane – the sea.
A series of iterations followed, in which attempts were made to develop a form that met the functions, requirements, and constructive possibilities through various folds and creases.
Based on the model experiments, further iterations in drawings followed, where the search for fold lines became more targeted.
The actual and final form of the building was then determined through additional iterations using various digital tools.
The models and drawings showcased here represent just a handful of the created iterations and variants.
The approach to form-finding through the use of paper was part of the process from an early stage in the project development, as the type of technology to be used for constructing the building was also determined quite early on for me personally.
While others in the project opted for elevated but rigid pedestal constructions, justifying this with the fact that Venice is currently protected from flooding by MO.S.E., Venice's flood barrier system, and the rise in sea level is significant but predictable, my approach, in the spirit of sustainability, was to focus on longer-term use. To achieve this, a floating structure was the obvious choice, though diving into the topic of boat building revealed that traditional steel boat construction would be too maintenance-intensive for long-term use.
Further research led to the discovery of concrete boat construction, which developed in the mid-19th century but is no longer in use today, as suitable for a long-term, low-maintenance, and robust building method.