Harvest City / Tangram 3DS

Location: Haiti     Design / Project Year: 2010

If there is one video that you are going to watch to redeem your souls with regard to the devastation that was released upon this poor island nation earlier this year, let it be this one.

Working with Boston Architect and Designer, Kevin Schopfer, the architect and design firm Tangram 3DS have helped to visualise his amazing idea of a floating city of 30,000 residents, being almost completely self sustainable, with regards to energy, water and food production.

It is described by ArchDaily (2010):

Harvest City is envisioned as a 2 mile diameter complex of tethered floating modules. The overall design is divided into four zones or communities interconnected by a linear canal system. The four major canals will focus built neighborhoods consisting of four story housing complexes. The outer perimeter of the design is predominately “one acre” crop circles with secondary feeder canals. The inner “harbor” will house the city center with schools, administrative, community activities and general marketplace. The entire complex will float and be cable secured to the sea bed. Because of its low profile, low draft dead weight capacity and perimeter wave attenuators, hurricanes and typhoon will have little effect other than collection of much needed water harvesting. A breakwater will be constructed to add to the city’s stability.

An amazing idea. If the funding can be found and this project could actually become a reality, it could help kick start the island nation’s economy and help set it on a path towards self growth and with sustainable development in the aftermath of the disaster that literally shocked - no pun intended - the world.