Editors’ Choice

2019 Skyscraper Competition
Yangpeng Xin, Shiyu Fan

China

With the advent of global climate disasters and war conflicts, more and more sea refugees are suffering these every year on this planet. Their homes were flooded by rising sea levels or destroyed by war, leaving them adrift in search of new homes. When they were adrift in the ocean, they may be hit by a hurricane or a huge wave at any time, causing their boat to capsize and lose their lives.
The design aims to solve the survival problems of sea refugees — how to take shelter when they encounter storms and huge waves while drifting at sea. Our inspiration comes from the buoy used in fishing. The buoy stood above the water and would not capsize after the storm. This is because when the slender buoy stood in the water, gravity and buoyancy can maintain a good balance, even if there is a strong external force interference. This is something that we use very well in our design. Traditional lifeboats that serve as safe havens for refugees are still vulnerable to capsizing in storms. If the refugees’ safe haven is a giant buoy, it can stand up in a storm. On the eve of the storm, our ocean ark could sail like a normal ship and search for refugees. At the stern of the ship was a small refugee town. When the storm hit, the huge water tank at the front of the ark began to inject the seawater, and the center of gravity of the whole ark shifted to the bow. The difference between the water tan...