Resembling some kind of spiky sea urchin from the future, Margot Krasojević’s conceptual Hydroelectric Tidal House is designed to sit on the edge of the ocean, harnessing tidal and solar energy to generate electricity.
The sculptural home is made of a fixed outer shell that has been cast in concrete, and a buoyant inner shell constructed from a lightweight, non-ferrous aluminium.
Energy producing solar cells line the outer shell, with Krasojević proposing that the home be anchored to a beach in Llandudno, Cape Town, where it could take full advantage of the abundant South African sun.
The Hydroelectric Tidal House also features an electromagnetic turbine system that uses neodymium magnets and copper wire coils to induce an electric current when waves flood a porous space between the inner and outer shells.
The energy is captured in a capacitor and converted into electricity, which is used as the primary power source for the house.
Courtesy Inhabitat
