Abstract:
By the end of the century, the island nation of Maldives will be completely submerged by the impending deluge caused by global warming and at no point does the nation’s elevation match the predicted sea level rise of 2 metres. Ironically, survival under such circumstances may lie beneath the very feet of Maldivians. Coral habitats have long been the economic provider and, as discussed in this thesis, could be the one thing that rescues the country from abandonment. The Last Resort is an hypothetical urban design proposal that explores the implications of fusing coral growth studies with steel space frame technology for the purpose of constructing urban replacement communities. This thesis proposition addresses the architectural design challenges of Maldives in facing a 2 metre submergence.
