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Writer's pictureMark Lafond, RA

Revolutionizing Urban and Marine Environments: The Rise of NexGen Smart Buildings

Updated: Mar 16

The Two Hundred Year Great-Leap in Architecture

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Throughout the annals of history, humanity's survival has been intricately tied to the land. It has served as the cradle for civilizations, providing sustenance, shelter, and a foundation for progress. Yet, it has also been a realm fraught with perpetual crises, be it natural disasters, conflicts, or ecological degradation. Despite the vastness of the planet's surface, only a fraction of it—less than 25 percent—has been habitable and utilized by human societies. Furthermore, contemporary civilizations are increasingly concentrated along coastlines, exposing them to additional challenges such as rising sea levels. As the global population burgeons, the prospect of sustaining life on land becomes ever more daunting. Thus, OpDes Architecture posits that the most viable solution to these multifaceted challenges lies in the advancement of civilization onto the oceans.


Born from a visionary perspective, the NOAH NexGen Platform embodies the concept of an energy-independent, seafaring city heralding a new era of enlightenment. Its design epitomizes a paradigm shift, prioritizing both active and passive systems alongside innovative technologies to bolster the resilience and sustainability of human settlements. Central to this concept is the pursuit of energy independence, a cornerstone in transitioning from a land-centric to a water-centric civilization. This philosophy stems from the recognition that true self-reliance necessitates a departure from reliance on terrestrial resources—a notion inherent in the principle of divergence within OpDes theory.


Smart Buildings, akin to nature's impulse towards self-improvement, predicates the autonomy and adaptability essential for survival. It not only catalyzes technological innovation but also fosters a continual reinvention of societal norms and lifestyles. Much like the evolutionary processes observed in nature, divergence paves the way for disruptive technologies and systems imperative for effecting transformative change. In this regard, the NOAH NexGen Platform represents humanity's next evolutionary leap—a manifestation of the symbiosis between innovation and evolution.


At its core, the NOAH NexGen Platform embodies an innovative architectural system designed to function as a self-contained, autonomous, and divergent entity within a mobile maritime environment—a "Closed-Loop" civilization on the move. This holistic approach integrates various elements, from sustainable energy generation and waste management to food production and community dynamics, to create a self-sustaining ecosystem capable of traversing the seas indefinitely. Central to the NOAH NexGen Platform's design philosophy is the utilization of robotics and automation to optimize efficiency and resource utilization while minimizing environmental impact.


Robotics play a pivotal role in realizing the NOAH NexGen Platform's vision of a self-sufficient, seafaring civilization. From the construction of the city's infrastructure to the maintenance of essential systems, robots serve as indispensable allies, augmenting human capabilities and enabling feats that would be unattainable through manual labor alone. Advanced robotic systems, equipped with artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, orchestrate complex tasks with precision and efficiency, ensuring the seamless operation of the NOAH NexGen Platform's myriad subsystems. Whether it's deploying autonomous drones for aerial reconnaissance and resource management or employing underwater rovers for seabed exploration and maintenance, robotics unlock new frontiers of possibility, empowering the NOAH NexGen Platform to thrive in the dynamic marine environment.


Sustainable design principles underpin every aspect of the NOAH NexGen Platform's architecture, ensuring harmony between human habitation and the surrounding ecosystem. Solar panels, wind turbines, and wave energy converters harness renewable energy sources to power the city's operations, reducing reliance on finite fossil fuels and mitigating carbon emissions. Vertical farming modules and aquaponic systems cultivate fresh produce and seafood in a closed-loop manner, minimizing water consumption and eliminating the need for harmful pesticides and fertilizers. Moreover, the NOAH NexGen Platform employs advanced recycling and waste management technologies to repurpose and recycle materials, minimizing waste and pollution while preserving precious resources.

In addition to its environmental sustainability, the NOAH NexGen Platform prioritizes social cohesion and community resilience, fostering a sense of belonging and interconnectedness among its inhabitants. Community spaces, recreational facilities, and educational institutions promote social interaction and lifelong learning, enriching the cultural fabric of the NOAH NexGen Platform's society. Furthermore, decentralized governance structures and participatory decision-making mechanisms empower individuals to contribute actively to the city's governance and development, ensuring inclusivity and equity for all residents. Through these collective endeavors, the NOAH NexGen Platform cultivates a sense of shared responsibility and stewardship towards the oceans, fostering a harmonious coexistence between humanity and the marine environment.


As a pioneering venture into uncharted waters, the NOAH NexGen Platform embodies the spirit of exploration and innovation, pushing the boundaries of what is deemed possible. Its transformative impact extends beyond the realm of architecture and engineering, serving as a catalyst for societal change and cultural evolution. By embracing the principles of divergence and sustainability, the NOAH NexGen Platform charts a course towards a more resilient, equitable, and interconnected future—one where humanity thrives in harmony with the oceans, guided by the wisdom of nature and the ingenuity of robotics.


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With regard to the 21st century, OpDes Architecture has been focused on the integration of our current technologies for the development of our Smart Buildings.


NOAH NexGen Platform: Prototype Model of NexGen Buildings

NexGen Buildings encapsulate the concept of creating cities capable of mobility, transitioning from one location to another seamlessly. These cities rely on renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, ionic, and hydrogen, along with clean biofuels, thus eliminating the use of highly toxic fuel technologies. Under this ethos, a pioneering prototype city named the NOAH NexGen Platform has emerged. The NOAH NexGen Platform is envisioned as a self-sustainable floating city powered by a diverse array of clean energy sources, enabling it to travel without reliance on environmentally harmful fuels.

Premise:


NexGen Buildings, as a comprehensive methodology for achieving independence, draw inspiration from the scientific method and adaptive processes observed in nature. The NOAH NexGen Platform's blueprint is grounded in the integration of nautical technologies into an energy-independent city prototype, with a focus on developing new technologies specifically tailored to this objective.


Stability and Form - Biomimicry

Drawing inspiration from nature's efficiency, the NOAH NexGen Platform's design takes cues from the starfish, a creature well-adapted to aquatic environments. The starfish's radial structure serves as a model for the NOAH NexGen Platform's superstructure, ensuring a stable center of gravity while facilitating daylight penetration and air circulation. Natural ventilation mechanisms reduce energy consumption, minimizing reliance on mechanical systems. The resulting massing concept prioritizes living quarters within the NOAH NexGen Platform.


Concept Design

The NOAH NexGen Platform embodies innovation and practicality, integrating various technologies to create energy-independent structures beneficial to civilization. Moreover, the NOAH NexGen Platform emphasizes a symbiotic relationship with the environment, presenting a novel approach to building design. As a functioning model, it pioneers a methodology for developing similar buildings in the future.


Key Oceanic Design Considerations

Water Based Movement: Mobility offers numerous advantages over static structures, allowing the NOAH NexGen Platform to adapt and optimize its efficiency. Ensuring stability while in motion is paramount, requiring careful consideration of free body motion principles. Technologies facilitating organic movement through wave currents enhance stability and reduce energy consumption.


Wave Motion: Understanding wave motion is crucial for the NOAH NexGen Platform's functionality, surpassing the focus on tectonic forces typical in high-rise architecture. Wave motion analysis informs design decisions, guiding the shape and geometry of the NOAH NexGen Platform's structure to optimize stability and energy efficiency.


Fluid Dynamics Analysis (FDA): FDA guides the NOAH NexGen Platform's planning process, informing fundamental aspects of its shape and geometry. By studying fluid behavior and its interaction with structures, the NOAH NexGen Platform's design achieves stability and habitability in marine environments.


The NOAH NexGen Platform - Assembly Model

The NOAH NexGen Platform is divided into two primary sections: the Super-Structure (above water) and the Sub-Structure (contact with water). The hull, resembling a jellyfish's shape, enhances waterborne stability. Stability takes precedence over speed in the NOAH NexGen Platform's design, ensuring safety and comfort for its inhabitants. The superstructure houses residential and administrative spaces, featuring modular configurations to accommodate diverse needs.


Comprising innovative technologies, the NOAH NexGen Platform minimizes its environmental impact as a floating city. Eliminating the need for automobiles and mass transit, the NOAH NexGen Platform operates within a Closed-Loop system where all water usage is recycled. Its mobility allows the NOAH NexGen Platform to harness wind energy optimally by relocating to regions with favorable conditions.


The NexGen Smart Buildings that we are designing today will shape the Smart Cities of tomorrow. With the integration of automation, virtual reality, robotics, and other yet-to-be-released technologies, our buildings will become decentralized, fragile-proof, self-sustaining eco systems.


Moreover, with automation, NexGen Smart Buildings will have zero human maintenance and self-cleaning capabilities, and aerodynamic profile improvement modifications.


Smart Buildings and NexGen Platforms

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OpDes Architecture has spent several years developing the NOAH NexGen Platform. It is a mixed-use, adaptable Residential + Commercial High-rise intended to provide both high density and spacious consideration within an ultra-modern system powered by SGET (Self Generating Energy Technologies). Its most compelling feature is the fact that it is an energy-independent system that provides surplus energy exceeding the high usage demands of its occupants.


The unique design of the NOAH NexGen Platform is the development of systems that maximize the quality of life for its occupants whilst meeting the complex programmatic needs of its “living” systems. Encompassing a multitude of amenities with interior spaces, it is designed to be adaptable with a customizable cellular system to maximize the flexibility of its versatile program. Built completely from the ground up to be energy-independent, the NOAH NexGen Platform was created to perform and win in regions with consistent wind vectors throughout the year.


Smart Buildings and NexGen Buildings are both the newest types of building to come into existence since the last industrial revolution. The 21st century's industrial revolution has arrived, with an emphasis on a decentralized world, our Smart Buildings are bringing a better way of living to people and cities around the globe.

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