Designing for impermanence

The persistence of microplastics within our ocean is a prevailing issue researchers are trying to solve. 

We set out to design a floating research center to aid scientists in the remediation of this problem. Our design integrates polyhydroxyalkanoates or PHA, a plastic that breaks down into fish food, as the main structural component of the architecture. These floating structures called Living Pods will be located near urban shorelines where multidisciplinary teams can utilize the information gathered from them. The San Francisco Bay Microplastics Report, published last fall, issued recommendations for policy actions. One was to work with local universities to prioritize research into microplastic pollution in the San Francisco Bay. 

Our project is a response to this call to action.