Friday 31 December 2010

The Ark

Well this is a fairly suitable post for the time (by making fairly distant links: Christmas -> biblical -> flooding). Yeah, didn't really know how to start this post, but viola - it's done now.

Remistudio, the Russian based architectural firm, has announced concepts for a bioclimatic building known as "The Ark". (Technical details for the bioclimatic part: "The cupola, in the upper part, collects warm air which is gathered in seasonal heat accumulators to provide an uninterrupted energy supply for the whole complex independently from outer environmental conditions.")
It will be deployed in areas of flooding, or potential flooding, with the purpose of being able to withstand the effects of tsunamis, earthquakes and similar tectonic activities for example, while protecting the inhabitants on board. A suitable place for deployment would be the Philippines. The arch-shaped building, has a structure that enables it to float and exist autonomously on the surface of the water.
The Ark will be able to sustain life for several months at a time, employing self-sufficient ways of preservation due to the the Ark several innovative green strategies.

The Ark was designed by Remistudio in connection with the International Union of Architects’ program "Architecture for Disaster Relief."

While this sounds all well and dandy, I somehow doubt it'll pass the theoretical/concept stage. The concept is very good, however there are already similar structures around which perform exactly the same - Cruise Ships for example.
Secondly, judging by the scale of the project and its deployment, it will indefinitely cost vast sums of money. Who will fund the projects? Possibly tied aid from MEDC's to the affected areas would be the most likely outcome, but then there's the issue of who is actually allowed on the "The Ark.". Much like the biblical Ark, it could have the restrictions. While it wont be one male and one female from the affected area, it will most likely be only allowing the rich on board, which provokes ethical issues. This defies the point of supplying aid to the area as it's meant to help the needy, not the greedy.

6 comments:

Rondariel said...

Interesting concept and interesting design. Unfortunately you're probably right. This will never get built...

Chukkie123 said...

I couldn't agree more, nice idea's that will never get built.

Alphalpha said...

damn shame, it would look AWESOME

Shahan said...

It sounds like a load of useless speculation to me. As you implied, there's no drastic need in the world for such an ark.

Noah had to build his because he'da drowned. Are we going to drown?

I think not.

SaintFear said...

This would pretty awesome to see constructed.

PvtCarlin said...

Sounds like a risky build.
Following :)

http://thingsihearinthearmy.blogspot.com/