In simple words, the project is about a floating community coping up with the rising sea-levels. As the current mainstream response method, land reclamation, has many negative impacts on the environment and economy, the proposal discusses a maritime community as an alternative to land reclamation.
The floating community consists of many single modules. The main body of each building unit consists two parts: the load-bearing structure fixed on the seabed and the residential part embedded in the loadbearing structure. Among them, the load-bearing structure is composed of columns and grooves fixed to the columns; and the housing structure is composed of hollow concrete below the sea level and the main body of the house above the sea level. The bottom of the groove can be opened so that sea water can enter freely. The hollow concrete is embedded in the groove and floats on the water. When the sea level rises, the water pressure rises, causing sea water to enter from the bottom of the equipment, so that the house can float upward. Besides, I set the floating modules as hexagonal modules, so that the modules can gradually grow in all directions.
In recent years, Singapore reclaimed land from sea in the regions of west coast and Jurong Island, which is where the project is positioned as a substitute for land reclamation projects.
The inland floating community consists of low-rise floating modules and high-rise towers fixed on the ground. Among them, low-rise modules include a research complex, a marketplace and residential hubs. The marketplace carefully accommodates vertical farms, storage and shopping spaces to leverage the microclimate conditions. The most widely distributed are residential modules which over time can be installed and increased on site.
Another important part of the community is the high-rise tower. It is designed over a hexagonal concrete foundation that can accommodate up to 6 residential modules. These are continuously stacked upwards with each layer is rotated 30 degrees counter clockwise relative to the layer below. The modules are added as per the population requirements while the empty modules serve as public spaces. The tower is strategically connected to the surrounding low-rise floating modules through a floating podium. There is one module removed in each layer, so that a circular gap would be formed on the surface of the building. This gap is connected to the lift core in the centre of the tower, enabling better natural ventilation inside the building.