HESS project

Site location

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Redsand forts were chosen as a perfect place for hosting the HESS concept. It has a historical importance and it can be used as an example for people to learn about the mistakes of the past. We want not only to give Redsand site as example, but to demonstrate that any barriers can be broken and everything can be achieved without choosing the wrong path.

We must bypass our limits and focus the available resources on what is really important: evolution of the human being considering the nature as the most important factor. Therefore   HESS project mimic an ecosystem process having its place and role in the development of the island.

Hess project has been created for telling the scientists to focus more on renewable energies and to take everything to a new step. From the late 19th century untill today the magnetic motor of Tesla had so little importance that today it remained just a concept. We believe in this technology and want to finaly reach a new level in the concept of his design. For sure if he lived once more he would ruined the oil businesses of today that pollute and degrade the way of living.

Hess project develops around of an existing built historical area, enclosing, protecting and revitalizing it. The nucleus is composed of 7 forts surrounded by a floating agora and a circular construction. The agora has a vital role for the comunity because its green spaces helps the people to relax and enjoy walks in a natural enviroment similar to a neightbourhood park.

The access to the complex is made by the sea through three pontons and it has dirrect access to the floating agora. The agora is composed by multiple hexagonal platforms with the posibility to extend in a nearby future. This make the project very flexible and adaptive.

In the past the forts had cat ladders for access that were very innacessible and therefore a number of elevators were constructed and the ladders were eliminated. Those forts were consolidated and given new functions to be utilized in the new circuit of the complex. The main functions are scientifical but with the posibility for the public to visit the laboratories or the astronomical observatory. The other functions are public with library and a restaurant.

Because the forts are at 8 miles away from the closest british shore, the scientists must accomodate in the site. For this purpose and a better protection for astronomical observatories (wind resistance), a disc with 200m in diameter was constructed surrounding all seven forts. The disc has six sustaining pilons that describe a hexagon in plan. Beside the structural function, each pillon embed one rain water tank and 4 magnetic generators each with a 3m gabarit.

Every housing unit has its own garden creating a sensation of a home constructed on land. The necessary food for the whole self sustaining island is produced in gardens and enviromentaly controled greenhouses.

The gardens for vegetables are above the housing units and the greenhouses are beneath. In the middle of the disc, at the lowest level, there is a purification process based on wetland systems. The rainwater is colected from the envelope of the disc and stored into 6 tanks inside each structural pilon. The drinkable water is sustained by rainwater purifyer and desalinisation systems, using clean power from magnetic generators and from photovoltaic cells that are placed on both transparent and opaque skin of the disc. The people that visit and live within have the posibility to take walks and also visit the gardes for beautiful panoramic views.

: “Innovation and Architecture for the Sea- Jacques Rougerie Foundation, Space and ocean generation”

HESS Human Evolution. Shaping Society

arh. Mihaela Surdu and arh. Razvan Florin Apostol

Year 2015

Status Competition works

Type Parks, Public Gardens / Research Centres/Labs / Hotel/Resorts / Building Recovery and Renewal