Formosa Hub 

Master ︎ Integrated Building Design
Team ︎ Melicia Planchart, Melissa Santodomingo
Supervisors ︎ Hans Sachs, Daniel Arztmann
Tools ︎ Grasshopper
Place ︎ Faro, Portugal
Year ︎ 2019

With the task of creating a conceptual transportation hub for the year 2050, the emergent Hyperloop technology is merged with desalination and water transportation, to build a strategically positioned hub in Portugal that shoots both people and clean water where they need to go.

The transportation hub of the future must not only use the most advanced transportation technologies, but also be as sustainable as possible.

In 2050, water resources will be scarce and populations will compete for it.

The Formosa Hub is strategically located for two reasons: can be easily connected to european and african hyperloop routes; and is located partially in the water, in the coastal area of Portugal, where it can harvest salt water and desalinate it to send it through the hyperloop tunnels to countries in need.  

Besides the hyperloop, other innovative means of water transportation are explored: supercavitation submarines and water taxis - here called uberwasser.

And among the sustainable design solutions, the building presents an algae facade that produces energy for the building as the harvested biomass is burnt. With also helping to clean the air by absorbing CO2.