‘Buoyant Biomes: Softscape Infrastructure for Living Buffers’ explores how natural wetlands can be simulated and restored through an architectural, ecological, and urban lens. The environment plays a major role in regulating temperatures, supporting ecological health, and in the quality of life of humans, animals, and plants alike.
At an urban scale, the aggregation of these modular wetlands creates an urban park, allowing for zones of various degrees of human interaction with the environment. By utilizing interchangeable habitat modules to support native flora and fauna, this modular floating wetland system can be adapted to various climates, geographical locations, and bodies of water, allowing for the restoration of wetlands everywhere.
Through the use of pumice stone, hemp, and natural rubber, this floating wetland system is designed to sink at the end of its life cycle. This softscape infrastructure will sequester carbon biomass, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in bodies of water. Wetland flora will also improve water quality through the filtration, supporting marine habitats.
At the seafloor, these micro-biomes will provide nutrients to marine life as well as create hardscape reef structures for shellfish and aquatic flora communities. These marine ecosystems will dissipate and mitigate wave energy and protect shorelines, filter water, and produce oxygen.
Accessible through kayaks and dives, this new soft infrastructure also offers opportunities for agriculture and aquaculture, allowing the community to interact and learn more about the ecological network. Educational labs and platforms also offer gathering spaces for the community to rest, observe, and learn.