Architectural design takes all forms, with a focus from the ground up. But UOOU, an Amsterdam- and London-based design practice, came up with an architectural proposal that doesn’t consider the ground at all. Instead, the team focused on creating a housing solution for a group of atolls floating in the South Pacific Ocean, somewhere between Hawaii and Australia. Gianluca Santosuosso and Eri Pontikopoulou, with consultation from Matthias Kimmel, came up with the sustainable urban planning concept, which addresses the need for controlled growth over time. The area is known as the Republic of Kiribati. The problem is rising waters and limited landmass; the solution is floating structures. The overall blueprint for the community resembles a tree, with the town center being the trunk while the housing units make up the branches. These units are focused on not only providing shelter but communing with the surrounding elements of nature. The designers kept the division between outdoors and inside thin, with openings to enjoy sunlight, the sky and the view of the Pacific Ocean from inside. Locally sourced, natural materials , particularly wood, are used to honor the culture and the oceanscape. In the center of each housing pod group is […]
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