SeaVive

In 2030, Copenhagen is a city built on borrowed time. The water surrounding Copenhagen is steadily rising as many refused to accept global warming as an issue. The rising water, which causes consistent localized flooding, has threatened the welfare of all communities located along the harbor of Copenhagen. The Freetown of Christiania, an experimental commune along the harbor, struggles to deal with the water bordering the northeastern and western edges of the community. The commune, which was protected by a series of berms and ramparts that were created while the site was a fortified military barracks, now witnesses these man-made defenses failing against the forces of nature as water breaches over them at the slightest amount of rain. The people of Christiania have tried resisting the issues of flooding by creating other man-made infrastructure such as riparian buffers and floodable parks to supplement the failing defensive borders, however, the water continues to rise. The commune makes the decision to retreat to higher ground, heeding the warnings and efforts of the Danish government to assimilate with the citizens of Copenhagen.

The year is 2100. What was once a dream of the original inhabitants of Freetown Christiania is now a reality as it is physically disconnected from Copenhagen. The only visible aspect of the old world in Christiania are the pitched roofs of single-story structures that have yet to collapse dotting the seascape and a few feet of the defensive berms that circled the commune poking above the water. A few multistory structures remain with the upper floors occupied by Christianianites until deemed unsafe as the lower story slowly disintegrates from being submerged underwater. Between the remaining buildings are floating platforms, that act as the new public space for Christiania. These platforms contain new buildings, civic space, and green space, allowing for a new civilization to come to fruition. As the remaining existing buildings are deemed unsafe, they are demolished and the space is filled in with a platform with new buildings and open space; what used to be streets are now canals, where old buildings used to stand are now platforms where new buildings sit. The commune is revived. New floating districts are established outside of downtown Christiania to house the citizens and provide local markets, parks, and infrastructure. As one moves further from the downtown core, the districts become less dense, more sub-urban. This is Christiania.

Enabling the commune to float is the modular seasteading platform that is can be expanded to fit the needs of the community. The caissons are kept in place by piles allowing the platforms to rise and fall with the water levels. The platforms are based on a 100 ft by 100 ft module that create 400’ x 400’ micro communities within the commune. These communities relate back to the existing neighborhoods that existed before the commune became inundated by water with an urban neighborhood, a medium density suburban neighborhood, and a low density suburban neighborhood. These platforms also form pathways around existing buildings that have not succumbed to the floodwaters.

Within the caissons lives all of the electrical and water systems. Christiania is largely self sufficient with rainwater collections systems and solar panels integrated into each building, however, the commune is still connected to the grid as the power station located near the commune has not been affected by the rising waters. Modular houses and buildings plug into each platform. Vegetation such as shrubbery, grasses and small trees can be planted on the platforms for shading, farming, and leisure.