With water temperatures and sea level rising, Florida is starting to sink, placing the Southern tip in great danger within the next 100 year. Florida Keys is expected to be Underwater by 2100. Contributing to these conditions, Florida experience hurricanes ranging in categories, which sometimes bring flood surges up to 15ft. high. Even though Florida has its own building codes to help the buildings withstand hurricane conditions, by using airplane parts and great design, life on the Keys can continue during and after hurricanes and when the island sinks without evacuation.   

Life flocks to the keys, for relaxation, views, and minimal cares. The proposed design express concerns for the life that dwell on the East side of the Keys who have the hardest time when dealing with weather conditions. The design question focuses on how life on the Key can be extended by users continuing  to stay and enjoy the view while hurricane winds and waters directly hit the flat sides and surfaces of the homes?

In order to understand the form and structure of the design, I looked at a few building and vehicle  typologies, such as aero design, nautical design, and the Florida Shotgun House. Aero design focuses on the airplane’s movement in the air to determines its overall form, which in the end  helps the mass to withstand uncontrollable weather conditions. Since the Keys is dealing with water levels and flood surges, think of the new home as a boat. Similar to airplanes, boats take form based on their movement through water, making them also able withstand some uncontrollable weather conditions. Even though, as a designer, I want to make the Keys home more resilient, I believe the culture of the keys still should remain once the storm calms and the island sink. In hopes to extend the Keys’ culture, I analyzed the building typology of the Florida Shotgun House and dressed it with vibrant colors of the Keys, making a strong statement that the Keys and the culture will remain in spite of the storm and rising sea levels.

After researching and studying aero design, I became fascinated with the wings and fuselage of the airplane. I chose to use the wing of the 747 and 737 Boeing airplane for my design as the roof and structural support since the wing thin, lightweight, span long, carry huge loads, and redundant in safety. For the refuge piece on the second floor of the design, I used the fuselage since this is the only part of the airplane that supports life, filters air, and ventilates well. From these decisions, the structure of the wing, which is separating the second floor from the 1st floor, spiraled out to create a circulation path connecting the two levels. In certain areas on each level, the structure of the wing and fuselage act as a green wall for the resident to grow food even after the island sink. The rest of the house is made up of standard building materials, such as glass and 2x4s; therefore, when hurricanes occur the 1st floor will wash away while the second floor remains in tact and livable. In 2100, when the island sinks, the 1st floor will be essentially washed away, while the 2nd floor becomes the ground plane.