The City's Lungs
Astolabe
2085 Narrative
By 2085, AI and technology govern the world with hyper-efficiency, but at the cost of severe environmental collapse—skies are choked in grey haze. A catastrophic glitch crashes global systems, forcing a return to bartering. As pollution peaks, clean air, water, and food become the new currency. Amid the chaos, Papplewick emerges as a vital refuge. At its core lies a self-sustaining biosphere that produces pure air, enabling clean water and fresh food. Operating on a closed-loop system, visitors trade inedible waste for essential resources. Papplewick offers hope through self-sufficiency and renewal in a world undone by its own technological hubris.
Spatial Concept
My spatial concept is rooted in the movement of the astrolabe, which served as the initial inspiration. I began by modelling its 2D rotational motion, and when extruded, this formed a hyperbolic geometry that became the foundation for my biosphere structure. This central form represents "The City's Lungs"—the hyperboloid acting as a ribcage encasing the biosphere, which produces clean air. Radiating from this core, the partition walls symbolize circulation pathways, echoing the flow of air from the lungs throughout the body. Every spatial element in the design is purposefully linked to survival, responding directly to the challenges posed in my 2085 narrative. The symmetry of the scheme also reflects the astrolabe's precise movement and central axis, reinforcing conceptual and coherence.
