energy of the sea: an offshore marine research facility a Thesis submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of The University of Cincinnati in Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture in The School of Architecture and Interior Design of The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning 2007 by Benjamin Ian Cripe B.S. Arch, University of Cincinnati, 2005 Committee Chairwomen Elizabeth Rioden Aarati Kanekar Abstract Current trends in architecture have prevented sustainability from becoming a mainstream design solution and the general population is acutely unaware of the importance of sustainable design. Presently global warming, urban sprawl, and the overuse of natural resources are major concerns for the natural environment. This thesis investigation looks to the future when renewable energy sources may be the only source of power. In addition, designing on the ocean could soon become a reality due to city overcrowding and inadequate natural resource stewardship. The design intervention employs ocean waves to generate energy for a floating marine research facility located three miles off the coastline of Cape Mendocino, California. Acting as a self sustaining building, this facility not only uses ocean waves as its primary source of energy, but is also envisioned as an iconic structure which can serve as an educational model for sustainable design, floating architecture, and ocean wave energy. iii this pageintentionallyleft blank iv Contents Abstract .iii Contents .v Illustration Credits .vii s1_0: Opening Remarks Introduction .01 Thesis Statement .04 The Future Significance of Ocean Wave Energy and Floating Architecture .05 Document Organization .07 s2_0: Design Influences and Technological Assessment Literature Review .09 Powering a Building with Ocean Wave Energy .15 Rejuvenating Typology: Designing on Water .25 Ecological Implications of Wave Energy Conversion and Floating Architecture .30 LEED Guidelines and Sustainable Design Methodologies .34 s3_0: Summation and Proposed Outcomes Research Summary .38 Proposition .40 Outcomes .41 s4_0: Designing for the Transient: Floating Architecture and Projects of the Sea s4_1: Ocean Architecture: Primitive Beginnings .43 Tonle Sap, Cambodia Canadian Floating Communities Sausalito, CA Floating Community Watervilla - Herman Hertzberger Water Dwelling - Drost + Van Veen Floating Homes GMBH Nordic Watercolor Museum s4_2: Ocean Architecture: Theoretical Underpinnings .50 Triton City - Fuller Maunsell Sea Forts Plug-in City - Archigram Oil Rigs Pompidou Center Japanese Metabolists Nakagin Capsule Apartments Marine City Floating Factory Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Building City in the Air s4_3: Ocean Architecture: Marine Research Facilities .60 Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institution Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Scripps Institution of Oceanography FLIP Platform Sea Orbiter – Jacques Rougerie v s5_0: Site Site Selection .68 Environmental and Unforeseen Hazards .79 s6_0: Program Program Analysis .81 Programmatic Description of Spaces .82 s7_0: Design Process Programmatic Design .84 Building Form Studies .87 Schematic Design of Building Relationship to .91 Ocean Waves and Spatial Organization Concepts Revisited: A Fresh Design Consideration .99 s8_0: Reflection Final Thoughts on the Thesis .106 s9_0: Bibliography .107 Ocean Wave Energy Conversion Sustainable Design Floating Technology Architectural Precedents Site Forces vi Illustration Credits s1_0: 1.01 Hood Canal, WA. Courtesy Ben Cripe 1.02 Beijing power plant. <http://www.downtheroad.org>. 1.03 <http://www.istockphoto.com>. 1.04 <http://www.gettyimages.com>. 1.05 <http://www.flickr.com>. 1.06 Ben Cripe- data courtesy “Feasibility of Developing Wave Power as a Renewable Energy Resource for Hawaii.” Hawaiian Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. 1.07 Bioshelter <http://www.enviroeducation.com>. 1.08 ibid s2_0: 2.01 <http://www.istockphoto.com>. 2.02 <http://www.alertbay.com>. 2.03 <http://wwwfloatingcommunities.com>. 2.04 <http://www.japaneselifestyle.com>. 2.05 <http://www.skyscrapers.cn/images/asia/jp/to_os_kansai-airport.jpg>. 2.06 Ben Cripe- data courtesy World Energy Council. <http://www.worldenergy.org>. 2.07 ibid 2.08 Ben Cripe- data courtesy “Feasibility of Developing Wave Power as a Renewable Energy Resource for Hawaii.” Hawaiian Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. 2.09 World Energy Council. <http://www.worldenergy.org>. 2.10 “Desalination with Wind and Wave Power” Anibal Traca de Almeida 2.11 Ocean Power Delivery, Ltd. <http://www.oceanpd.com>. 2.12 ibid 2.13 Ben Cripe- data courtesy <http://www.jamstec.go.jp>. 2.14 Ben Cripe- data courtesy <http:// www.energetech.com.au>. 2.15 AquaBuoy <http://www.finavera.com>. 2.16 Ben Cripe- “Power Take-Off Schemes” courtesy Nicholas Jon Baker 2.17 ibid 2.18 Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge. <http://en.wikipedia.org>. 2.19 Swath International, Ltd. <http://www.swath.com>. 2.20 Ben Cripe- data courtesy “Very Large Floating Structures: Applications, Analysis, and Design.” E. Watanabe. 2.21 ibid 2.22 Ben Cripe- data courtesy “Overview of Mega-Float and Its Utilization.” Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. 2.23 Ben Cripe- data courtesy “Very Large Floating Structures: Applications, Analysis, and Design.” E. Watanabe. 2.24 ibid 2.25 <http://www.oceanpowertechnologies.com>. 2.26 Macroalgae. Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment <http://ccma. nos. noaa.gov/>. 2.27 Northern Red Oak leaf. <http://bio.bd.psu.edu/plant_web>. 2.28 <http://www.istockphoto.com>. s3_0: 3.01 <http://www.mbari.org>. 3.02 <http://www.sfwater.org>. vii s4_0: 4.01 Terry’s Trek. <http://www.terrystrek.com/archive/000291.html>. 4.02 <http://www.alertbay.com>. 4.03 <http://www.floatinghomes.org>. 4.04 <http://www.hertzberger.nl>. 4.05 ibid 4.06 ibid 4.07 <www.drostvanveen.nl/>. 4.08 <http://www.floatinghomes.de/>. 4.09 ibid 4.10 ibid 4.11 <http://www.akvarellmuseet.se/english/eng_index.htm>. 4.12 ibid 4.13 <http://www.fabiofeminofantascience.org/RETROFUTURE/RETROFUTURE14.html>. 4.14 Ben Cripe 4.15 ibid 4.16 Ben Cripe- data courtesy “Seafort Project” by Steven Turner. <http:// www.seafort.org/> 4.17 <http://en.wikipedia.org>. 4.18 ibid 4.19 Featherweights: Light, Mobile, and Floating Architecture. Oliver Herwig. 4.20 Archigram: Architecture without Architecture. Simon Sadler. 4.21 <http://www.offshore-technology.com/>. 4.22 Courtesy Frank Liu. <http://www.pbase.com>. 4.23 Ben Cripe 4.24 Metabolism in Architecture. Kisho Kurokawa. 4.25 Ben Cripe 4.26 Metabolism in Architecture. Kisho Kurokawa. 4.27 ibid 4.28 ibid 4.29 ibid 4.30 Ben Cripe 4.31 <http://www.archiplanet.org/>. 4.32 Ben Cripe 4.33 Metabolism in Architecture. Kisho Kurokawa. 4.34 Ben Cripe 4.35 ibid 4.36 Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. <www.mbari.org>. 4.37 ibid 4.38 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. <http://www.whoi.edu/>. 4.39 ibid 4.40 ibid 4.41 Scripps Institution of Oceanography. <http://sio.ucsd.edu/>. 4.42 Ben Cripe 4.43 ibid 4.44 Marine Physical Laboratory. <http://www.mpl.ucsd.edu/resources/flip.intro.html>. 4.45 Jacques Rougerie. <http://www.rougerie.com/>. 4.46 Ben Cripe 4.47 Ben Cripe- data courtesy Jacques Rougerie. s5_0: 5.01 Ben Cripe- data courtesy Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future. Godfrey Boyle. 5.02 Univ. of Arizona viii 5.03 The California Institute of Technology 5.04 National Geophysical Data Center. <http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/>. 5.05 Ben Cripe 5.06 ibid 5.07 ibid 5.08 ibid 5.09 ibid 5.10 Water Encyclopedia. Piers Chapman. <http:www.waterencyclopedia.com/ mi-oc/ocean-currents.html>. 5.11 National Geophysical Data Center. <http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/>. 5.12 Ben Cripe- data courtesy Berkeley Seismological Laboratory. <http:// www.seismo.berkeley.edu/weekly/mendo.html>. 5.13 Ben Cripe- data courtesy Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future. Godfrey Boyle. 5.14 Ben Cripe- data courtesy Thompson, Brooks, and Cole. 5.15 Ben Cripe 5.16 <http://www.kayaker.net>. 5.17 ibid 5.18 ibid 5.19 <www.sunnyfortuna.com>. 5.20 Ben Cripe- data courtesy United States Geologic Survey. <http://www.usgs.gov >. 5.21 ibid 5.22 California Geographical Survey. Dr. William Bowen. <http://geogdata.csun.edu/>. 5.23 ibid 5.24 Ben Cripe s6_0: s7_0: 7.01 Ben Cripe 7.02 ibid 7.03 ibid 7.04 ibid 7.05 Ben Cripe- data courtesy <http://www.lajollasurf.orf>. 7.06 Ben Cripe 7.07 - 7.31 ibid ix section1_0: opening remarks introduction Architects have an ethical responsibility developed a vertically oriented language in to society and the natural environment when pursuit of the tallest possible structures. From designing the spaces people inhabit. Frequently an ecological point of view, tall buildings are during the design process there are key ideas a wonderful design idea because they utilize a lost in the translation between client and small footprint; minimizing ground disturbance. architect, but more importantly, between the Conversely, not all buildings are meant to climb natural environment and the architect. I have hundreds of feet above the Earth, and regardless found a personal connection to the sustainability of height, many impose a variety of hazards to the movement and the possibilities of an ecologically natural environment. The sustainability movement responsive built environment. I believe architects has been working to educate and transform the can design as they have for decades, but can architectural community for many years. Passive also implement a few simple techniques to make design strategies and new technologies