Manila

It is the rainy season in 2100 Manila, and giant waves crash to shore with frightening intensity while rain pours down in torrential sheets, illuminated by occasional flashes of lightning. Hardly a peaceful place to live, but what if this natural power is harnessed?
How many cities can be powered on the strength of one storm? The Taguig-Manila outpost settlement in 2100 serves as a storm energy super center for the eastern part of the globe, while New York City’s Brooklyn outpost serves a similar function in the west. Since much of Manila is underwater in 2100, a new type of urban typology in the form of a linear elevated plinth was created in order to rise above sea level. The new typology’s main focus is sustainable hydro-energy generation, achieved by harnessing the power of the ocean’s tides, waves, currents and thermal differences.

A visitor to the settlement in 2100 sees an elevated superstructure in which are integrated housing and transportation, active fish farming, and a series of renewable energy installations, including solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal. There are algae farms for energy generation and carbon sequestration. The plinth itself is composed of several programmatic levels that interlock with one another creating a dynamic urban form.

The settlement is accessed by sea as well as via a high speed maglev train which is integrated into the superstructure, operating mainly during the dry season.

Energy generation infrastructure is embedded within the various levels of the plinth—wind energy and solar panels are on top of the buildings while tidal turbines and geothermal technologies occupy the lower levels. Energy production equipment is predominant on the outer edges of the plinth, where wind is the strongest. Open green areas and algae energy production façades4 characterize public spaces as well and provide environmental remediation to the once polluted site.

The main bioremediation6 technique consists of algae farming to absorb carbon in the air and water (a substantial amount), as well as mycoremediation, the use of fungi to clean heavy metals and other toxic chemicals from both the water and soil. Manila was once one of the world’s pollution hotspots, with Manila Bay being one of the major contributors to plastics pollution in the ocean.

In 2100, plastic waste is gathered from the sea and what the outpost cannot recycle on its own is sent to the recycling super center in Beijing. Groups of temporary residents, mainly from Manila’s sister city Wellington, New Zealand, can be seen returning to their residences from a day’s work at the outpost’s remediation and energy production facilities.

During the typhoon season, the scene transforms dramatically as the city shifts to a lockdown of its hardened infrastructure while storm energy equipment underneath the structure switches to maximum energy gathering. A gate system absorbs the impact of the rushing water on the underside of the plinth, mitigating the destructive force in order to protect energy generating infrastructure while also converting the surges into electricity through the use of piezoelectric technology.

Tidal water turbines work at full capacity to make use of the powerful bursts of energy from the storms. Lightning strike towers are installed across the top of the immense plinth structure in order to protect it. Tidal energy generators operate in the open waters, and are incorporated into a protective façade system which is lowered during flood seasons to encase the underside of the outpost.