HOME Westminster
The Urban Lifeboat provides safety, security and sustenance for people who are cut adrift from 21st-century society.
Client: Building Trust International
Location: Westminster
Cost: $30,000
Staus: Unbuilt
Category: Homes, Competitions
The Urban Lifeboat provides safety, security and sustenance for people who are cut adrift from 21st-century society.
And like its nautical inspiration, it is moored on the water’s edge – although the Urban Lifeboat sits on the London River Wall rather than the coast.
The design takes advantage of the open spaces often found along metropolitan waterways. These spaces are preferable to brown-field and gap sites, which tend to be in undesirable locations where vulnerable people feel isolated or at risk. What’s more, the design can be used throughout Europe – Madrid is the only European capital without a central river. By projecting out over the river, and relying on existing pedestrian routes for access, the Urban Lifeboat can be centrally located without occupying valuable land.
The Urban Lifeboat is designed to be as energy-efficient and autonomous as possible. It is designed to Passivhaus principles, using recycled and recyclable materials throughout. High levels of insulation, breathable airtight construction and triple-glazing combined with a heat-recovery ventilation system in the hull means that very little energy will be needed to maintain comfortable temperatures inside in all seasons.