SCC

The Maldives, known for its beaches and romantic atmosphere is suffering from severe erosion, pollution, and rising sea level. Furthermore, the coral reefs, which protect the Maldives from high tides, have been suffering from the climate change. To solve a problem one must start by the weakest link, in this case, it’s the coral reef. This design focuses on how to enhance the coastal resilience, by turning the problem into a solution. To do so, plastic waste is collected and turned into a 3D printer filament, which prints a 3D printed coral structure that allows juvenile coral to grow upon. This enhances the resilience of the coral reef, attracts marine life, and decreases the waste problem. Since, in the reproduction, size instead of age matters, endangered corals can repopulate ten times faster than without a 3D printed structure. This idea is the cornerstone of the building, which is called the Submerged Coral Center (SCC). The SCC raises awareness by allowing visitors to enter a panoramic view of the ocean and reef crest, the deep blue view and bleached corals reef confront the viewer with the problems of our earth. Moreover, the architectural route including the dramatic staircase illustrates the process of the 3D printed structure.