M.ARCH JURY WEEK: ADAPTIVE FLOATING SETTLEMENT

19 February 2016 Fujian, China

Adaptive Floating Settlement is a research and design project aiming for the integration of different strategies and design processes to address wave energy reduction through the development of organisational logics of floating settlements. The research is contextualised within a design proposal for a novel floating settlement situated in Lianjiang County in Fujian, China.

In this context, research was conducted concerning the aquaculture activities and environmental conditions of the site along with information regarding the compound effects brought about by coastal migration, climate change, and increasing demand for food. The aim was thus to find potential solutions for floating settlements to be more adaptive and resilient to rapid changes in the environment and the needs of the society. Wave reduction techniques were then studied in order to inform the overall generative design process and act as one of the principle design drivers for this project. For the purposes of meeting the project ambitions, design strategies were divided into two main areas: wave reduction infrastructure and settlement organisational logic explorations. The context-specific proposal was then developed through a series of experiments that led to the creation of a set of digital tools which facilitated the attempt for an integrated design approach. For more information: Emergent Technologies & Design MSc./ M.Arch EmTech microsite Like EmTech on Facebook Follow EmTech on Twitter