San Francisco is in a time of tremendous growth, but that growth comes with a collection of challenges — for the BIG + ONE + Sherwood team, the Islais Creek region is the epicenter at which those challenges can start to become solutions. The team, which includes Danish firm BIG, Dutch firm One Architecture + Urbanism, and San Francisco-based Sherwood Design Engineers, was assembled to compete in Resilient by Design's 'Bay Area Challenge', and its entry turns Islais Creek into a futuristic imagining for the tech industry's metropolitan hub.
Of the many challenges in Islais Creek, one of the most pressing is the environmental issues resulting from sea level rise. The coastal area is subject to terrible flooding, so the team, helmed by BIG, has designed a series of floating apartments that not only keep residents free from flooding, but also serve as artificial deltas.
Floating Flood-Protection Villages
BIG and Two Other Firms Created a Masterplan for Islais Creek
Trend Themes
1. Floating Apartments - Opportunity for innovative housing solutions that can adapt to rising sea levels and provide flood protection.
2. Resilient Design - Potential for designing urban areas that can withstand and mitigate the effects of climate change, such as flooding.
3. Futuristic Imaginings - Creating visionary concepts for the tech industry's metropolitan hubs that address environmental challenges like sea level rise.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - Architecture firms can explore designs for floating structures and resilient urban planning to address climate change and flooding issues.
2. Real Estate - Real estate developers can tap into the growing demand for flood-resistant housing solutions and invest in floating apartment projects.
3. Urban Planning - Urban planning agencies can consider resilient design strategies and innovative solutions like floating villages to prepare for the impact of rising sea levels.