Miami Underwater

With sea levels rising, the city of Miami will likely be underwater before 2100. The wetlands and swamps threaten to retake Florida, but the people of Miami will never leave. This thesis sets to explore an alternative style of living for the locals left behind - a new life embedded into the everglades. Miami will be a city full of platforms with buoyant public realms, towers with rooftop turbines, and green machine islands that clean the city’s waste. Every drop of water will be captured and stored in cisterns. Situated on a former limestone quarry, the project designs new ways of building aimed at lessening our reliance on concrete. Because the everglades are adjacent to the quarry, this integral part of our environment is being drastically harmed. This plan juxtaposes the potential of technology with the natural beauty of the wetlands in its exploration of alternative ways to fuel the city and monitor its waste. The abandoned quarries act as playgrounds of opportunities, providing a glimpse into the future of Miami.

An Alternative Future

Popular Miami postcards emphasize the city’s beautiful beaches, perfect weather, colorful buildings, and tropical vegetation. I wanted to take this identity and re-purpose its impact. I created a utopian vision for a buoyant public realm - an ideal community of loft style living, louvered structures, turbine powered towers, and beaches. My posters represent potential landscapes in a world of rising seas. These alternative ways of existing are intertwined with nature and generate a small footprint.

A Render to Remember 

This render predicts a new way of living on the edge in a location that was never fully domesticated. This car-free utopia will promote healthier lifestyles devoid of traffic, air pollution, and congestion. The eco-friendly building, along with the public space, are encapsulated by mangroves and powered by wind and sun.

A Village on the Edge 

Along the edge of a marsh exists a thriving marketplace full of fresh fruits grown afloat, baskets woven in front of you, and craftsman full of purpose.

A Buoyant Marketplace

Markets need makers.  I propose a village home to these makers that will be immersed in a garden for the entire community to tend to.

A Lovely Loft

With the perfect climate, Florida is a paradise. As opposed to building with concrete, materials like cross laminated timber, aluminum, and teak, will help preserve and advance this beloved paradise.  The building is activated by its context - bustling with light, and home to families protected by louvers. The room has a tropical vernacular essence, but exists in our modern world. 

A Community in the Wetlands 

Each floating village can be rearranged in times of storm or for expansion and can connect to other villages. These villages can contain schools, hospitals, performance areas, gardens, beaches, offices etc.

Each building is equip with a semi-permanent offshore space frame positioned tightly to the ground and to each other. This system acts in conjunction with each neighboring village to help keep the buoyant public zones afloat.

Each tower core boldly sets itself into the lower level retail, commercial, and civic spaces. The breezeways highlighted in grey are for pedestrian circulation.

Flood Map 2019

Flood Map 2060

Flood Map 2100

3-D Printed Model

↑Back to Top