Boston's floating city of the future

The Boston Arcology

With offshore construction becoming more and more popular amongst architects, it was only a matter of time before a major city contemplated an offshore extension to their cityscape. This is exactly what Boston is doing, with news that the Massachusetts state capital is planning an incredible floating city located in the harbour.

Designed by Kevin Schopfer, the man behind the proposed New Orleans Arcology Habitat, the mega-structure would essentially be a city within a city, a sustainable environment situated in the harbour, capable for housing and supporting 15,000 people.

Boasting hotels, offices, retail spaces, museums, condominiums, and even a new city hall, the Boston Arcology would aim to be an expansion of the city without impacting what is already there. As land in urban environments is incredibly expensive, the solution to build in a 'non-traditional' location is a smart one, but will a platform of 'buoyant concrete cells' be enough to stop this futuristic cityscape sinking into the river?

There have been some concerns that the Boston Arcology would seriously clash with Boston's traditional aesthetic, however it is hoped that if the structure is built, it will sit perpendicular to the waterfront to minimise the view shed on existing buildings on the shore.

The future is green

As you'd expect for a state of the art building, a lot of attention has gone into make it sustainable and as such, the Arcology would feature wind turbines, solar panels and water turbines in the harbour in order to generate energy. Lighting would also be subsidised by natural daylight that "will flood the building with the help of a passive glazing system."

In order to achieve a LEED building certification, the building will also include a fresh water recovery system, grey-water recycling, and sky garden heating and cooling vents.

Whilst the city is not likely to be built in the near future due to the state of the US economy, construction industry and the general lacking of funding for such a scheme, it is a fantastic look at how architects are trying to combine the new technology and building with established cityscapes.

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