These Floating Islands Will Form a ‘Parkipelago’ in Copenhagen’s Harbor. Good News Network Andy Corbley -Mar 5, 2021The Scandinavian countries are famous for their bays, and Copenhagen harbor in Denmark’s capital is a perfect example of that beauty in a metropolitan setting.Now a new architecture project drifting in the harbor’s waters celebrates this heritage while allowing residents to relax away from the boom of urban development along the shoreline, Complete with discreet features that will allow residents to enjoy the islands through kayaking, picnicking, and swimming, Danish design company Studio Fokstrot describes them as a celebration of traditional Danish harbor life, and a way to strengthen the cohesion of marine harbor ecosystems.
Each island is built from thin strips of wood, steel, and recycled boat material, and the first one is 215 square feet, featuring a single mature linden tree for shade. The presentation website dreams big, claiming that once more islands are finished (three new islands are slated to float in spring 2021), the entire parkipelago will be home to floating gardens, floating saunas, floating mussel farms, and a floating sail-in café—all of which can be explored for free.Underneath the islands’ hulls, special care is made to create a surface from which seaweed and other marine plants can cling, attracting small fish and crustaceans, which thereby attract larger sea life. “During summer the islands can be distributed to unused parts of the harbor, serving as an adventurous escape for the increasing amount of kayaks, sailors, and general users of the harbor coastline,” reads the website. “During winter and for special events or festivals, the islands can be brought together as a supercontinent, creating a cluster more easily accessed from the harbor side.”......(ed) I guess a thousand years of war have clued them in that peaceful moments with nature is infinitely better than wars- the tragedy is that it took so long! https://www.
AND URBAN......The Bogota-based Woodpecker, which tried to develop a material from rice fiber, palm fronds, sawdust, and even recycled plastic, eventually settled on coffee husk for its availability, fire resistance, and insect/waterproofing. Another benefit? Utilizing coffee husks would stop them ending up in landfills where they would add to the methane emissions of the country. “We saw that there was a huge necessity for a lightweight construction system for housing and classrooms in rural and isolated places where traditional construction systems cannot go—like bricks, cement, and concrete,” said CEO Alejandro Franco. The prefabricated “casa kits” have to be able to be loaded and transported on small boats, helicopters, or even on the back of a donkey. Each kit consists of lightweight steel frames that, like LEGO, can click together with minimal tool use, and coffee husk boards that can be attached to the steel frames without need for nails and screws. “The system worked perfectly considering that there was no energy supply, the soil was muddy, the airport damaged, no food, etc.—all the problems that you can imagine,” he said. “We think our houses are an excellent solution for the housing crisis there.” https://www.