ARTIFICIAL CORAL REEF PROTOTYPE 1

Seascape architecture is an unexplored field of landscape architecture that holds promising potential for the future.

What is missing are strong implementations of seascape architecture in restoration. Here is where this project comes in, that I have developed over the last years.

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Artificial Coral Reef Prototype 1 is a parametric metal structure that mimics a natural reef launched underwater prototype during the 8th Biorock Training Workshop in Indonesia. The project was designed as an additive system, which can endlessly grow in 3 dimensions, by adding pieces of the “Under Water 3D puzzle”. This way, linear, circular, high and low structures can be built. The small surface area of each piece made it easier for currents to pass through and the spiked edges to attach big corals- by just pushing them in. The structure was brought down in a basket and has been fully assembled under water in a short amount of time. Because of its nature- oriented geometry corals could be placed in different levels and fish were already able to hide in the gaps. In that case, all pieces were designed with the same size which made it easier and faster to assemble and no complicated introduction was necessary. The push-fit joints are reinforced by a limestone layer that emerges through mineral accretion fabrication.
The project has been designed digitally. All 100 pieces have been cut in a short amount of time out of sheet metal using a laser cutting machine at Laserpenta in Barcelona.
This ongoing research project will show whether this and other parametric structures are suitable for the local conditions at Gili Island and will guide the design of future artificial reefs.
Many thanks to Delfine and Tom to make the implementation possible, to Karl for the help with the anode connection and to Rani and David for great underwater photographs and of course to Amanda for the fantastic documentation of the electrolytic impact on the model.