The Jacques Rougerie Foundation, a French oceanographic architect, has been running a competition for biomimetic projects for the sea and space for 10 years in a row. The essence of the competition is in the search for new "sites" (on the water, under water and outside our planet) for human life and activities in connection with the rapid growth of the world's population. Water and space objects proposed by the participants should not only be functional - the inspiration for creating their architectural appearance should be drawn from nature.
Since, according to expectations, most of humanity will live near coastlines by 2050, projects aimed at solving the problem of rising sea levels are evaluated in a separate category.
You can apply for awards in two categories: Grand Prix (with a reward of € 7,500) and Focus Award, where the award is more modest, € 2,500. The total prize fund is € 30,000.
We present six winning projects of the last season of the competition.
The Grand Prix. Ocean
Project "Eighth Continent"
The floating research and education center, in addition to its primary function, cleans the ocean and rebalances the marine environment with an integrated plastic recycling station. The object is conceived to be completely self-sufficient. The power supply is planned to be carried out by solar panels. They will also allow water to be desalinated due to heating and evaporation. It is also suggested to use tidal energy.
The Grand Prix. Space
Project "Coralization"
This project is also dedicated to the collection and recycling of waste, only space waste. The author is inspired by coral reefs, which help cleanse coastal waters of pollution. The space station will collect, recycle and reuse space debris as building material. It was proposed to finance the project through space tourism.
The Grand Prix. Sea level rise
Rising with the Ocean Project
The author has come up with a proposal for the fishing village of Totope in Ghana, which is suffering from coastal erosion and rising sea levels. The solution may be to create a floating platform that can change its height if necessary using biohydraulics. Thus, local residents will not have to leave the coast: they will be able to maintain their usual way of life, and the land can be used until it goes under water.
Focus Award. Ocean
Himanthalia project
The complex, located off the Atlantic coast of France, is intended for alternative treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system, the consequences of injuries and injuries, and respiratory diseases. Patient reception units are sealed by natural water pressure.
Focus Award. Space
IRIS project
IRIS Project - Orbital Elevator and Space Telescope. His motto is to look to the sky. The architectural design of the project is based on the structure of the human eye.
Focus Award. Sea level rise
Floating Lotus Project
The proposed location for the project is Ghana. Settlements in the coastal zone of this country suffer from soil salinization, the cause of which is global warming. Farmers and fishermen are left without a livelihood. In addition, the demand for electricity here exceeds the supply. The Floating Lotus is a sustainable power source with built-in facilities for living, farming and fishing.
You can find out more about the competition on its website.
