One day there may not be another building lot available. In a world of bloated urban development, an exploding world population and a finite supply of land, the need for more space, or better use of it, is becoming painfully obvious. Time for floating a new idea.

The SeaScraper, designed by William Erwin and Dan Fletcher, is a concept for a self-sufficient floating city, designed to provide a low impact, sustainable living environment that reduces urban sprawl on land by allowing us to create dwellings in the ocean. The floating city will consist of homes, commercial space, and recreational areas and is envisioned as producing all of the energy needed for its operation.

SeaScrapers would be located where ocean currents, like the Gulf Stream, could provide an unending supply of energy. Hull-tethered turbines could reach far into the ocean’s depths to harvest the power of the ocean’s currents.

The structures photovoltaic skin would also capture solar energy. The SeaScraper’s concave shape would allow light to penetrate the lower levels and also incorporate rainwater collection and purification technology.

Freshwater will also be created in a desalination plant located in the lower industrial core. The city could also be designed to introduce nutrient rich water in the surrounding waters to  encourage the growth of phytoplankton and create an open-ocean reef-like habitat for fish and other organisms.

SeaScraper was submitted to eVolo’s Annual Skyscraper Competition by William Erwin and Dan Fletcher.