France – Architect Mathieu Collos has conceptualised Sea Stem, an earth-friendly travelling sanctuary that forecasts a future world where humanity lives on water.
Created as a solution to rising sea levels, Sea Stem harnesses solar, wind and wave power, making the habitat energy self-sufficient. Food growing takes place on board using a dome and permaculture principles to feed residents and visitors. Educational workshops are also offered, allowing visitors insight into Sea Stem’s sustainable solutions and opportunities to participate in harvesting food.
Designed to sit 14km off the coast of Montpellier, France, the submerged part of Sea Stem will house an artificial reef with variable geometry, which offers a suitable habitat for different species of aquatic life, depending on their stage of development. Collos deliberately chose this location as it suffers from significantly high sea levels and coastal erosion.
While Sea Stem provides a utopian solution for the climate crisis, we explore other floating residences in Ephemeral Hotels, in particular those that alleviate consumers' current concerns about their travel footprint.