Team 136's Design Proposal for the Water As the 6th Borough: Open International Design Competition

We continue our exploration of the semifinalists of the Water as the 6th Borough: Open International Design Competition with Team 136's design proposal, a complex, responsive, adaptive, behavorial, and productive infrastructure which envisions to promote sustainable way of life in high density urban areas. Firstly, this competition aims at envisioning the Sith Borough of New York City, precisely, the NYC Blue Network and E3NYC, The World Largest Clean Tech Expo. Propositions include expanding waterborne transportation, linking the five boroughs with transit hubs, incorporating ferries, water taxis, bike shares, electric car-shares, and electric shuttle buses, as well as providing in-water recreation, educational events, cultural activities, pavilion halls, and climate resilience.

Now back to Team 136's proposal which aims at providing habitats for native species of animals and plants, healthy food production methods and Clean Tech solutions.

© Team 136
> Aerial View from the GAIA_Sky Bridge structure down the East River corridor with
Expo structures in Brooklyn and Manhattan on both sides.

First, the Gaia_Sky Bridge aims at connecting Manhattan, Brooklyn and Governors Islands. According to Team 136, this GAIA_Sky Bridge is an innovative solution to bridge design. It can act as an icon of the Cleantech Expo NYC.

© Team 136
> Brooklyn Science City Expo site and transport hub are interconnected
with Brooklyn Bridge Park that provides a green frame.

The Blue Network contains the Brooklyn Expo site and structures, the new transport hub and the GAIA_Sky Bridge floating base located at East River.

© Team 136

Team 136 proposes a new type of transportation, the Brooklyn Transportation Hub integrating options and inamovible sustainable energy productions methods such as this Shapeshifter, a multifunctional modifiable transportation unit, that is composed of a flow through propulsion system, a modifiable exoskeleton meshstructure and an energy harvesting skin. 

© Team 136

Morphological features and behaviors are the characteristics of this Shapeshifter, a range of trefoil-like inflatable units with no fixed shape and scale allowing for more flexibility and adaptability.

© Team 136

Both Clean Tech Expo NYC and Blue Network work as interconnected systems consist of various components that actively and passively respond to ever changing environmental, social and other needs and scenarios.

© Team 136
> Shapeshifter: a multifunctional modifiable transportation unit

© Team 136
> The Metamorphosis of the Shapeshifter from transportation pod to infrastructure: submarine - surface cruiser - wind powered catamaran - hoowercraft - sky bridge

As a problem-addressing strategy, Team 136's design proposal's goal is to redefine the water edge. It will be composed of innovative water purification systems.

© Team 136
> Plan of the Blue Network

© Team 136

© Team 136
> GAIA_Sky Bridge is the new icon of the NYC Clean Tech EXPO.
Formations of inflatable units form a new bridge connecting Manhattan-Brooklyn-Governors Island.
It is powered exclusively by solar, wind, hydro, thermal and bio energy and provides a hand
on educational experience for visitors interested in clean tech solutions and alternative
transportation methods.

© Team 136
> Detail section of Blue Network map showing the Brooklyn EXPO site and structures with the new transport hub,
GAIA _Sky Bridge floating base in East River and part of Manhattan

Source: One Prize