Boat Made From Plastic PET Bottles To Sail on 11,000 Mile Ocean Voyage

The Plastiki launches in Spring 2009 on a 7,500-mile route from San Francisco to Sydney

Plastiki Workshop GigaPan 1 | GigaPan 2

The Plastiki design brief calls for an off-grid habitation—a house in essence—that would function as the cabin for a catamaran. The middle of the Pacific Ocean is the ultimate off-grid site. At Architecture for Humanity (AfH), we are always searching for prototypes, systems and materials that have broad relief applications. As the Plastiki is literally composed of re-purposed materials and off-grid systems, anything we learn through the boat design/build process carries over into our housing and systems initiatives.

Innovation is challenging. The biggest challenge here was adapting a new material system (srPET) for what promises to be a demanding voyage. The Plastiki will literally float on post-consumer bottles nested within a re-purposed plastic panel system. The major challenge of naval design more generally is to reconcile the often contradictory demands of what makes a boat perform well and what people need on an extended voyage.

The adoption of the egg as a generative form is a clear example of ‘biomimicry;’ that is to say, looking to nature for design solutions. In this case, a strong shape was needed to handle wave and storm forces during the voyage. The design of the Plastiki cabin is informed by the shells of several long-term earth residents. Turtle shells, Horseshoe Crab armor, Dinosaur plating, and eggs all contributed to the overall form, fused plates and folds that comprise the cabin shell geometry.

Working with design team members, we are integrating waste and water systems into the cabin. The cabin shell is our primary source for collecting rainwater, which will be filtered and stored. Solar photovoltaic panels are arrayed on the shell roof. Other energy exhibits, such as wind, water, bicycle and possibly wave power are being situated on the deck along with a modern-day ‘canoe garden’ that echoes the on-board gardens of ancient Polynesian mariners who brought staple plants and animals on voyages to ensure their sustainability.

[CNN and Architecture for Humanity, gizmodo, thanks to Vahakn]