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Trilobis
65 Floating Home ccccccSee
Popular Mechanics November 2002 Article below
Trilobis
65 is a semi-submerged
dwelling environment. Reaching 20 metres in length designed by Giancarlo
Zema for habitation by six people at sea. It is ideal for living
in bays, atolls and maritime parks. The main aim of the project
is to allow anyone to live in a unique environment through a self
sufficient, non-polluting dwelling cell in unison with their ocean
surroundings.
Trilobis
65 has been designed on four separate levels connected
by a spiraling staircase.
The
top level is 3.5 metres above
sea level. The next level is at 1.4 metres above sea level and
hosts the daylight zone with all services and allowing outdoor
access. The third level is situated at 0.8 metre below sea level,
semi-submerged, and is devoted to the night-time zone. At 3.0
metres below sea level, totally submerged, there is the underwater
observation bulb, an intimate and mediative place.
The
shape of Trilobis 65 allows the annular aggregation
of more
modular units, creating island colonies.
This
special project refers to the Trilobiti, little creatures that
lived in the sea 500 milion years ago.
Contact
Underwater Vehicles Inc. for further details regarding custom
floating homes and Neptus 60 cliff-side dwellings with underwater
viewing compartments. All homes are engineered to meet strict
ABS and Lloyds certification requirements.
Maximum
length - 20 mt
Maximum width - 13 mt
Observation bulb - 3 mt o.s.l. Max Speed
- 7 knots
Accommodation - 6 beds
Power source options - Ballard fuel cells, solar,
wind, diesel
New
- from Giancarlo Zema Lake Washington
Commercial and Recreational Marine Park
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Article
from Popular Mechanics
- Cover Story November 2002
Written by Jim Wilson, Science Editor Popular Mechanics
Life,
say the experts, began in the sea. And if the way we spend
our vacations is an accurate indicator, there are few things
we enjoy more than revisiting our submerged roots. Cavorting
with dolphins, badgering sharks from the safety of steel cages
and photographing exotic fish through the portholes of tourist
submarines fascinates landlubbers from Prague to Peoria. For
those who find these forays into Neptune's realm too brief,
Italian naval architect Giancarlo Zema has the perfect dream
home, the Trilobis 65. Part yacht and part submarine, it could
convince Capt. Nemo to hang a "for sale" sign on
the Nautilus.
"The main aim of the project is to allow anyone to live
in a unique environment through a self-sufficient, nonpolluting
dwelling that exists in unison with their ocean surrounding,"
Zema tells POPULAR MECHANICS. At first glance, the Trilobis
looks as if it would be more at home soaring into the sky
than plying the waters of atolls, bays and maritime parks.
Looking at a computer image of the bow conjures up visions
of the flying saucers in 1950s science fiction films. The
Trilobis's blueprints, however, reveal a nautical heritage
that reaches back to the humble dugout while simultaneously
embracing 21st century technologies that include high-strength
composites and nonpolluting hydrogen fuels. |
| Circular
Living - Perhaps the most striking feature of Zema's
design is one that reflects his willing recognition of the
great unspoken truth about luxury yachts. Powerful engines
and sleek hulls aside, these vessels typically stick close
to home. Acknowledging the fact that well-heeled mariners
often prefer to keep their floating palaces moored inches
from the dock, Zema also designed a special type of marina
that will enable like-minded Trilobis owners to create their
own floating villages. The traditional rectangular dock will
disappear, to be replaced by a roughly 60-ft.-dia. circular
island in the shape of a 6-tooth gear, into which individual
yachts fit like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.Stepping off the
floating island, yachtsmen will ascend a few steps and find
themselves on an expansive circular deck. At this level, the
Trilobis resembles a deviled egg, measuring about 65 ft. from
stem to stern and 42 ft. from port to starboard. Zema has
divided the interior space into four functionally different
levels, connected by a spiral stairway that runs through the
yacht's centerline. The top of the stairway opens onto the
driving deck. Housing the helm, communications equipment and
navigation gear, it offers the best view of the sea from its
elevation of about 11 ft. above the waterline. The space is
dominated by a massive glass wall that begins above the stairway
and arcs gently over the forward seating area before disappearing
into the deck below. Ordinarily, so large an expanse of glass
would pose a heating problem, but this is no ordinary window.
It is a sandwich of two layers of tempered glass and an electrolyte
with a very unusual property. With the turn of a dial, you
can change the voltage flowing through the electrolyte material,
which is encased between the panes, altering the tint of the
window or blacking it out entirely. Power for the windows
and the ship's electrical systems comes from photovoltaic
panels, manufactured by Siemens, that are integrated into
a foam-reinforced fiberglass skin. At night and on cloudy
days, power comes from batteries, with an inverter converting
DC into AC for low-loss power distribution. |
| Day
And Night - Descending from the top to the craft's
third level, yachtsmen will enter what Zema calls the day
area. Its use of space is a reminder that spherical structures
are more efficient than rectangular ones. As with the space
above it, the day area is surrounded by self-shading glass,
offering a panoramic view from the gourmet kitchen, formal
dining area and three seating groups. On this level, the spiral
stairway serves a secondary function of separating interior
and exterior spaces. Sliding glass doors fully retract, opening
onto a teak deck.Returning inside and following the stairway
down one more flight leads to what is known as the night zone.
The Trilobis sleeps six, with a premium on privacy. The design
calls for two single and two double bedrooms, each with a
private bathroom. With the deck at this level beginning 3
ft. below the waterline, the wraparound window cuts off at
eye level.This level also houses the yacht's propulsion system,
which consists of two electric motors. Each is rated at about
300 hp. They are powered by hydrogen-fed Ballard fuel cells.
The hydrogen for the fuel cells will be stored in a pair of
240-gal. tanks located just aft of the single bedrooms. The
fuel supply is not intended for ocean crossings, but to be
sufficient for moving the yacht to nearby reefs to explore
seasonal changes in marine life and catch a true fish-eyes
view of unusual migrating species. |
| Ocean
Depths - The most distinctive feature of the Trilobis
is its fully submerged first level, the observation bulb.
Like the driving deck and day area above, it offers a commanding
and unobstructed view of the sea. Only here, that view begins
10 ft. below the waterline. This is the smallest of the levels,
just big enough for six chairs. Built to the same technical
standards as tourist submarines, it is a thick glass enclosure
that provides a 360° view. So that this area can be used
when there's no sunlight, the Trilobis has a ring of 200-watt
spotlights, angled away from the observation bulb, to illuminate
any sea life swimming directly in front of the viewers. The
second set of spotlights, placed just below the deck level,
lights the reefs below. Zema is several years from building
the first Trilobis. Most likely, it will be constructed in
Vancouver, British Columbia, where he has set up an exclusive
marketing relationship with Underwater Vehicles Inc. The location
may seem like an unusual choice, but the region has the two
essential ingredients needed to make the Trilobis project
a success. The first is its wealth of small inlets and bays.
The second is a pool of wealthy yacht owners, one of whom
may be willing to invest the $4 million to $5 million it will
take to launch yachting into the 21st century. Contact
Underwater Vehicles Inc. at www.sub-find.com. |
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