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How One Architect Imagines The Future Of Sustainable Cities

Say hello to "oceanscrapers."
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By 

Senior Science Editor, The Huffington Post

If you think of the city of the future as being filled with impossibly tall skyscrapers, think again. Instead, we could one day become people of the sea who live in "oceanscrapers."

That's according to Paris-based architect Vincent Callebaut, who released a series of futuristic and delightful drawings last week showing what sustainable, floating cities of "oceanscrapers" off the coast of Rio de Janeiro could possibly look like.

He imagined that the 3D-printed villages would use water turbines on the ocean floor to capture energy, bioreactors to recycle organic waste, and biofuel production to neutralize ocean acidification, Discovery News reported.

"The people of the seas' objective? To explore the abyssal zones in a respectful way, in order to speed innovation and to democratize new renewable energies -- by definition inexhaustible -- massively," Callebaut said in a statement.

As of now, there are no plans to actually engineer these structures, but regardless, they're a fascinating idea about the faraway future. 

Scroll down to see the imaginary yet innovative "oceanscrapers."

Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut
Vincent Callebaut

Also on HuffPost:

Archi-future: 11 Green Buildings That Will Blow Your Mind
Zira Island Masterplan (Baku, Azerbaijan)(01 of11)
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Commissioned by Avrosti Holding, the Zira Island Masterplan is a zero-energy resort situated within the Caspian Sea near Azerbaijan's Seven Peaks. Designed to be a model for sustainable development, the resort utilizes wind, water and solar energy systems -- including naturally powered desalination and water treatment plants. Source: © BIG
Grontmij Spacescape (Stockholm)(02 of11)
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Conceived by architectural upstart BIG for Stockholm's Swedish Transport Administration, the Grontmij Spacescape's hyper-futuristic structures transform Stockholm's E18 and E4 highways in to a "pie chart park." The 30 percent of the sphere that faces the sun is covered in photovoltaic film, which produces enough energy to keep the sphere afloat -- in addition to supplying 235 houses with electricity.Source: © BIG
KAFD Conference Center (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)(03 of11)
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The KAFD Conference Center employs several profoundly innovative sustainability strategies, including an enclosure which locates areas of glazing where they are least susceptible to the harsh desert sun, a ventilation system incorporating a "solar chimney" that uses solar heat to move air through the main atrium spaces, and a roof which contains indigenous desert grasses to minimize irrigation requirements.Source: © SOM
Shenzhen Energy Mansion (Shenzhen, China)(04 of11)
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Another design from BIG, the Shenzhen Energy Mansion is a massive skyscraper that leverages natural climate conditions to regulate internal temperatures. The facade's folds shade the building from the sun, avoiding the overheating problems caused by traditional facades. The result is an energy-lean structure with minimal reliance on air-conditioning.Source: © BIG
Pearl River Tower (Guangzhou, China)(05 of11)
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The 2.3-million square-foot Pearl River Tower redefines what is possible in sustainable design by incorporating the latest green technology and engineering advancements. The 309-meter tower's sculpted body directs wind to a pair of openings at its mechanical floors, where traveling winds push turbines which generate energy for the building. Completion Year: 2012Source: © SOM / Crystal CG
Beach Road, Singapore, Singapore(06 of11)
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Occupying an entire city block between the Marina Center and the Civic District, the scheme will create a 150,000 square meter eco-quarter in downtown Singapore that continues the Singaporean ideal of the 'city in a garden' with its lush planting and sky gardens. Source: © Foster + Partners
Amagerforbraending (AMF) (Copenhagen, Denmark)(07 of11)
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We love BIG's conceptual transformation of Copenhagen's aging Amagerforbraending waste factory in to a combination renewable energy plant and ski resort. BIG's choice to build a sustainable, multifunctional structure around a decaying factory is a powerful symbolic gesture that brings renewal (and fun!) to the otherwise flat, un-ski-friendly terrain of Copenhagen. Source: Glessner + © BIG
Predator BLDG (Los Angeles, California)(08 of11)
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Developed by Form-ula in an effort to create a Zero-Environmental Footprint for the 300 North LA -- the Predator BLDG aims to minimize the distance between the occupant and the outside world. The building addresses the lack of day-lighting and natural-ventilation to eliminate the large mechanical dependencies usually employed to keep the space properly lit and cooled, a trend that can be found in many buildings from that era.The building also features a system for harvesting water for occupant use and building functions -- inducing the condensation of moisture and by filtering grey/black water via Living Machine.Source: Form-ula
Hualien Beach Resort (Hualien, TW)(09 of11)
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Located between two river deltas in Taiwan, the Hualien Beach Resort used to be the site of an industrial factory region. Low-angle, high-glare morning and evening sun is blocked by the striped design while favorable north-south light is let in to the unit. Green roofs further mitigate heat gain, creating a low energy masterplan.Source: Glessner + © BIG
Sculpture Building and Gallery, Yale University (New Haven, CT) (10 of11)
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This gallery and studio art building extends Yale University's extraordinary arts district one block west of Paul Rudolph's Art and Architecture Building and Louis Kahn's Art Gallery and Mellon Center for British Art. During its first year, the new structure will house the Yale School of Architecture while its own building is renovated and added to by the firm Gwathmey Siegel. Following completion of renovations to the Art and Architecture Building, the new structure will become the permanent home for Yale's world renowned Sculpture Department.Source: © Kieran + Timberlake
Atwater Commons Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vermont) (11 of11)
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The Atwater Project pays careful attention to site strategy, water runoff and material selection. The residence halls are naturally ventilated, incorporating through-floor suite plans, transom windows and ceiling fans in all rooms. Ventilation is supplemented by attic fans, which exhaust through rooftop "chimneys." The dining hall incorporates a planted roof, providing excellent insulation, protection of the roofing membrane, and, most significantly, reduction of impervious surfaces on campus. The green roof allows the college landscape to extend literally through and across the dining hall structure.Source: © Kieran +Timberlake

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