Joerg Baumeister is the Founder and Director of the SeaCities Lab (https://www.seacities.org), which broadens the focus from the land towards the sea due to unlimited availability and higher energy and food efficiencies on the sea.
The SeaCities Lab creates novel and innovative research-based design solutions for climate change and new urban policies developing the next frontier for human settlements.
The SeaCities Lab is situated at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus as a world-first, highly inter-disciplinary initiative, building on synergies between established disciplines including architecture and design, urban planning, marine biology and engineering, tourism, and data science.
It is one of the largest groups of urban researchers in Australia due to its affiliation with the Cities Research Institute. Current SeaCities PhD researchers are Despina Linaraki, Thang Nguyen, Ioana Giurgiu, Elisa Fernandez Ramos, additional HDR students, and partnerships with a network of researchers from around the world.
The SeaCities' Mission is to combat Climate Change with Aquatic Innovations and explores three areas:
Floating Developments: Artificial Reefs (SeaManta), Aquatic Land (SeaBase)
Aquatic Urbanism: Sea-Level Rise (Cities+1m), water-based Urban Design (AquaCities)
Aquaculture: Food Security (SeaOasis), Blue Economy (SeaFisher / SeaDipper)
SeaManta
An artificial coral reef, integrated into the marine ecosystem, that can be enjoyed by divers below the water surface. Above water, hospitality and dive facilities, a swimming pool and interactive aquarium displays are inviting everybody who is thrilled by the synergy of marine wildlife’s protection and attraction. The Floating reef structure is shaped by environmental criteria like water current, wind flow, and sunlight.
Status: Realisation prepared
SeaBase
A patented semi-submersible floating platform with a wave-damping system. Its size is flexible due to the modularity, which allows applications like floating hydrogen plants in proximity to floating wind farms, micro-launchers, surveillance, and deep-sea research and mining, as well as very large structures for floating container ports, tourist hubs, micro-nations, and countries' new oversea territories. The unique and cost-saving construction method guarantees seaworthiness for operational areas inside and outside Exclusive Economic Zones.
Status: TLR 1-4 confirmed, looking for TLR 5-9 cooperation partners
Cities+1m
Consultancy for governments and communities demonstrating how to provide coastal environments and cities with the best development opportunities for a sea-level rise of +1m. The current understanding is that infrastructure, buildings, industry, and communities have to be either protected by engineering-based solutions, or cities have to retreat. We added two more solutions where cities advance onto the water or accommodate. All four different concepts can be combined in different scenarios to achieve the “best of all worlds” for a specific site.
("Cities+1m" book available here)
Status: Application tested successfully
AquaCities
Urban water challenges like extreme flooding events, urban heat, and decreased availability of freshwater are negative side-effects of climate change. The application of the AquaCities method provides urban solutions which help to counteract by providing stormwater storage, evaporation-based cooling, and grey- and wastewater recycling. Positive side-effects are new green transport opportunities and an increased urban natural experience resulting in higher real estate prices.
Status: Application tested successfully
SeaFisher and SeaDipper
This patented structure has been designed for large aquaculture applications in a harsh off-shore environment. In the next years, it will be developed further with main industry partners (Tassal and Huon Aquaculture) and more than 30 international experts. It is as major project of the CRC Blue Economy, one of Australia's largest research programs.
Status: TLR 1-3 confirmed, A$ 2 Mio grant received for TLR 4-5
No more information is currently available because we are in another patenting process.
SeaOasis
This research-based design proposal has the purpose of relieving from lack of global food supply. Due to the current overuse of land, it suggests an extension of aquatic food production with floating devices onto the sea. These devices are called SeaOasis because they function as an oasis as closed-loop systems and are therefore highly sustainable.
Best geographic conditions for an extension from agriculture to aquaculture by SeaOasis match with coastal areas with serious or alarming hunger index. The low complexity, low-cost construction and the manageable size of the design is ideal for smallholders to support food security in terms of accessibility, affordability, and diversity of diet. ("SeaOasis" book available here)
Status: TLR 1-4 confirmed, looking for TLR 5-9 cooperation partners / supporters
