27-Scott Wilson Group plc Sustainable community development News 100707

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Scott Wilson Group plc - Leading the way for a sustainable world

Scott Wilson, the international multi-disciplinary consultancy group, has designed an off-grid sustainable community onboard a disused oil tanker.
Scott Wilson’s Sustainable Construction Team propose that phased out oil tankers be converted into functional environments to increase our habitable area without drastically changing our way of life. Their prototype, the ‘Ark’, was short-listed in the ‘Building a Sustainable World’ Royal Institute of British Architects USA architectural design competition and was awarded an honourable mention (fourth place) at the final in Los Angeles.
The team entered the international competition to develop a concept for a maximum capacity sustainable community to address shifts in global climate and were the only UK based team short listed for the final. Approximately three billion people, about half of the world’s population, currently live within 200 kilometres of a coastline. With this figure likely to double by 2025, the prototype could be applied to serve a multitude of functions on shores around the world. A Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) was used as the prototype for the sustainable community. These are currently being phased out with between 600 and 700 removed from service each year, in 35 – 40 years there will be an abundance of oil tankers to be decommissioned.
The regularity of the oil tanker’s structure is ideal for modular construction, which will reduce waste and be easy to construct. Current cruise ship construction practices can be applied, environmentally conscious specifications standardised and implemented throughout. At full capacity, the Ark would accommodate just over 2000 people and has been designed to mimic an urban centre. The lowest three stories have been reserved for support functions including food storage, desalination and mechanical plant equipment. Commercial, educational and other public functions will be located within a double-height storey directly above the storage area that will form a street level to provide a central community space. Residential units will then stack vertically to the top with roof gardens provided for agriculture and recreation spaces such as sports pitches.
The Ark would be connected to the land through an ‘umbilical cord’ for waste disposal and loading of resources but could be disconnected at any time if needed. The community would have enough resources onboard to self-sustain for up to three months. However, it is not intended that this community exist in isolation. As land mass decreases (due to rising sea levels) and additional agricultural land is required for increased population numbers, it is proposed that other ships be converted for a variety of uses such as universities and commercial or financial districts.
Whilst environmentalists believe that every person needs to reduce their carbon emissions to approximately 2,500kg/year in order to decrease global warming, the average person in the UK currently uses 10,983kg/year. Through local food production, energy efficiency, renewable energy generation and virtual elimination of fossil fuel transportation, C02 emissions per ship inhabitant would be reduced to below the recommended amount. In addition, a wave dragon would be attached to the ship for local energy production and provide almost all of the energy required.
Phil Garlick, who led the Scott Wilson entry, comments, “We designed the Ark as a long-term solution to issues like climate change and to assist in the development of more sustainable lifestyles. We were delighted to be chosen as a finalist by the Royal Institute of British Architects USA and even more so to be awarded an honourable mention against so many other brilliant entries”.
Twelve finalists were chosen from 65 submissions, encompassing over 170 architects, city planners, engineers, students and designers from over eighteen different countries. The winners were decided after the finalists presented their entries at a conference in Los Angeles in June.

Email: rachel.brierley@scottwilson.com

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