Living underwater seems like something that you could only see in the movies but Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut says it can be done.
Callebaut has recently unveiled his Aequorea project, a collective plan to build underwater structures including eco-villages that could accommodate 20,000 people each. These aquatic buildings would serve as science laboratories, offices, hotels and sports fields, according to CNN.
The project is named 'Aequorea' after the bioluminescent, light-emitting jellyfish. Its distinct attribute includes articulated, webbed tentacles that make it stable, and it is known to use its own energy. Much like the jellyfish, Callebaut plans to build an entirely self-sufficient underwater community by making use of underwater resources. Seawater will be used for drinking after going through desalination process, organic waste will be recycled by microalgae, and light will be drawn from bioluminescence, a trait that characterizes the actual jellyfish.
In their website, Callebaut's team presents their plan through an open letter to 'People of the Land.' The letter is from a fictional 'aquanaut teen' named Oceane, who is supposedly living in Aequorea. The letter goes to narrate the vision and purpose of the project. According to the fictitious letter, materials for building the eco-villages would come from the Great Pacific Garbage.
The letter is dated 2065, which is probably an admission that such a concept is too ambitious at this point. But the website's detailed and specific proposal also says that they are determined to execute it.
Aquatic activities are no longer limited to snorkeling or diving, which could make one think that Aequorea is possible. Underwater experiences are offered at the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant in the Maldives, where guests get the chance to dine or even spend a night 16 feet below the surface of the Indian Ocean. Also, several underwater luxury hotels are currently under construction in different part of the world.
