Lilypad - A Floating Ecopolis For Climate Refugees
The climate is changing and not in the good way as the global warming will affect large areas on Earth. One of the repercussions is that the ocean level will increase very much because the ice caps of Antarctic and Greenland, and the glaciers in the mainland will melt. Also, you should know that under warm temperatures the water expands therefore the oceans will rise a lot.
Scientists made some research about how the global warming interacts with the increase of ocean levels and they got to the conclusion that with every 1°C the ocean level will rise with 1 meter and according to their estimations, Netherlands, Bangladesh and the atoll Majuro in Oceania (Marshall and Kiribati islands, and the Maldives islands) will be the most affected. The former with 6% of ground loss, the second with 17.5% and the latter with almost an unbelievable rate of 80%. Also, many other countries like Vietnam and Egypt will be devastated by floods and the crops will be ruined by the salt water.
According to a climatological study of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), if we won’t take any measures there will be 250 million of climatic refugees and 9% of the GDP will be threatened. Although most of the governments of developing countries aren’t taking any measures, there are some interesting projects that could be a solution for the rising of the ocean levels.
One of these is the Lilypad which is a prototype of auto-sufficient amphibious city and it was designed by architect Vincent Callebaut. The Lilypad project is actually a floating ecopolis that will provide housing for a large crowd of climate refugees therefore will be the solution in case of worldwide ecological crisis.
Lilypad consists of a new biotechnological prototype and was designed for nomadism as it will travel on the water line of the oceans, all the way from the equator to the poles thanks to two marine streams: warm ascending of the Gulf Stream and the cold descending of the Labrador.
The Lilypad is an amphibian (half aquatic and half terrestrial) city which will house about 50,000 inhabitants and will enable life in the heart of the subaquatic depths. This ecopolis will be “covered by a stratum of planted housing in suspended gardens and crossed by a network of streets and alleyways with organic outline” that will “create a harmonious coexistence of the couple Human / Nature”.
Inspired by the lilypad of Amazonia Victoria Regia, this floating ecopolis will be made of polyester fibres and covered by a layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2). The Lilypad City will made use of all renewable energies - solar, thermal and photovoltaic energies, wind energy, hydraulic, tidal power station, osmotic energies, phytopurification, biomass will produce much more energy than it consumes and also, the floating structure will “reach” zero carbon emissions as all the carbon-dioxide and the waste will be recycled.
Lilypad is a visionary structure and it’s one of the major challenges of the 21st century. This self-sustainable floating ecopolis will prove to be very important as the Earth is warming and the ocean level is rising so much. Hopefully, Lilypad will become a living dream because there will be many ecological refugees that will need it.
Tags: Amphibious City,Architecture,Climatic Changes,Concept,Concept City,Ecopolis,floating,Floating City,Floating Ecopolis,Futuristic,Futuristic Architecture,Global Warming,Green Architecture,Lilypad,Lilypad City,Vincent Callebaut,Visionary,Visionary Architecture
This extremely high tech, futuristic floating city, with all the best amenities that money could buy would be for REFUGEES? Who are you kidding!! This type of real estate will ONLY be for the extremely wealthy. Refugees will be left to fend for themselves, and we all know that. Wealthy people will be able to afford to float around the planet, going where the resources are located and escaping the foulest weather.
Refugees? Please. What is this architect thinking? That capitalism will allow that to happen? No way.
The headline term is “climate refugees” … which has no bearing on social or financial status. Even a rich person could be a “Climate Refugee”
What if two of them crash into each other? Or worse, a hurricane. Then will the refugees go?
Despite that it would probably be only for the super rich, as is the way of humankind, what an AMAZING design! Truly inspired from God’s creation. It is beautiful!
What’s it made of? Steel? Rusts… Concrete maybe. How does it react to big waves. By cracking and sinking? Why would anyone want to let their island drift to the pole. What if it rams another island. What if it runs aground. What if it springs a leak. A terrorist bomb or a torpedo would sort of make that happen. What if it drifts into N.Korean waters and they confiscate it. Why would a floating artificial island be cheaper than existing land higher above flood zone? IF London is flooded, why not just move up to the 2nd story like Venice? And I’d get tired of that insipid white curvy style.
Great,innovative concepts! God create the human beings to think smartly, solve the problems and win the solutions. Be a possitive man!
I would like to reply the comments mention above,
About first comments, only peoples who extremelly wealthy could have it. That’s not true. Principally the costs to construct the “LILYPADS” and the saleable price for the buyer can be reachable. Don’t be worried about it, because the new technology systems to build “LILYPADS” can be developed in large quantity production and the saleable price automatically will reachable.The most highest costs usually in research and development for the first project. After first research and development has done, and the systems has founded. It will be normal technology systems like the systems to build real estate complexes in the land (normal houses). The price could be in variant depend on how the architects threat the design.
Second, about 3′rd question. What if two of them crash into each other? Or worse, a hurricane. Then will the refugees go?
It will not crash each others. Every “LILYPADS” can be protected by multi sensory systems to prevent a crash. About a hurricane, we can provide smart detector to bring the “LILYPADS” dive to the sea and the residents can enjoy an awsome scenery view of the sea when a hurricane pass on the sea.Although bad things happen it’s bring to a goodness if we think positivelly. Amazing!
The fact is that in 1000 years what’s left of humanity will be living in the ruins of a civilization they wont comprehend.
No one will be living on a techno-foolish lillypad, in a cave is more likely.
It is a very wonderful project, I hope it will construct very soon, It is not important that who can live in that, the important thing is escaping people in that awful time.
it´s JDS
IT´S JDS!
This is a good idea for climate refugees. Government has to take action and fund this kind of project when climate become servere. There shouldn’t have much difference in rich or poor. Rich people has to come out with more money to build this kind of thing.
Ummm. Look at the picture. Do you know how complex it would be to even try to build one let alone mass produce them. Nice design. very impracticale
Its a Brave and innovative design…
The nature of humankind is “to create” new things (Just like our God who have created the amazing universe), and the designer has done very good so far…even though its only an preliminary design ideas.
anyway, nothing perfet as long as we are in this world…but at least, there stil people who think in different way…to use their gifted talents for humanity purposes.
Be blessed!
Will it go underwater?, if so what mechanisms help it to stay steady, does the mass of the people inside affect the balance
pffff to all the naysayers… bring on the lilypads… i would prefer a more personal sized one though.