Architect Margot Krasojevics is building a beach house for South African surfers that will be partially powered by tidal action.
The house will be constructed of concrete bound to the coastline and with a floating aluminum layer. With a dual turbine system in an inner shell, the home will harness collect kinetic energy from tidal action. This electricity generation will complement solar panels on the home.
While tidal energy is not yet common in coastal homes, it solves the problem of unpredictability that solar and wind installations grapple with. The maximum energy produced from tides is easier to estimate and it creates coastal homes that interact with their marine ecosystem instead of create barriers to it.
This employment of renewable energy in directly in design acknowledges the increased opportunity for architects to work with engineers to adopt innovative strategies to make new homes that operate off the grid without sacrificing any element of style or aesthetics.
Read more about the house on Fast Company.
