Скачать или смотреть Building With Ocean Waste: The Carbon-Negative Observatory Made From Fjord Materials | Norway

What if buildings could be made entirely from ocean materials and actually store carbon instead of emitting it?
The World Climate Observatory in Norway's Bergen region challenges everything we think we know about sustainable construction. Instead of concrete, steel, and industrial materials shipped from around the world, this building is constructed from what the adjacent fjord naturally provides: crushed shells, seagrass, and alginate gel.
This isn't just about reducing emissions. It's about creating architecture that actively removes carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in the walls.
INNOVATION:Traditional rammed earth uses soil as aggregate. We asked: what if we used what the site already provides?Blue Biomass Recipe:

Crushed sea shells (structural aggregate)
Seagrass (fiber reinforcement)
Sodium alginate gel (natural binder)
Paired with timber framework

Why This Matters:
Unlike conventional sustainable buildings that aim to be "carbon neutral," this building is carbon negative. The blue biomass walls actively store carbon, turning the structure into a carbon sink rather than just a low-emission building.

Computational Site Response:
We didn't impose a predetermined form. Using growth algorithms and environmental simulations (analyzing sun exposure, wind patterns, and view corridors), we generated the building's geometry organically. The architecture emerges from the site's specific conditions.The Living Facade:
Most buildings degrade over time. This one is designed to evolve. The rammed biomass walls can accept new layers as they age through a "cascading repair" strategy. The facade thickens and changes texture over decades, creating an architecture that improves with time rather than deteriorating.
Interior Experience:
Walking through the observatory is like moving through the ocean's geological memory. Wall textures stratify from pale crushed shell to deep seagrass green. Timber beams frame spaces. Natural light filters through, revealing the material layers. It's architecture that tells you where it came from.Full Circularity:
At the end of its life (50-100 years), the timber can be reused in new construction. The biomass walls can be dissolved and returned to the fjord ecosystem without waste. Zero landfill. Complete circularity.
THE BIGGER PICTURE:This methodology proves that the most advanced sustainable architecture doesn't require industrial materials shipped globally. Sometimes the most innovative solution is what's already next to your site.Computational design + hyper-local materials = architecture that is:
Regionally specific (can't be replicated elsewhere)
Carbon storing (not just low-emission)
Aesthetically resilient (improves with age)
Fully circular (no waste at end of life)

Project Details:
Name: The World Climate Observatory (Kelp Observatory)
Location: Bergen region, Norway
Material Innovation: Blue biomass (marine-sourced)
Structure: Rammed biomass walls + timber framework
Status: Design development
Environmental Impact: Carbon-negative construction

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