Lilian Männikust

• Global village – The path of a climate disaster
• Tutor: Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla, Kaja Pae, Jaan Tiidemann

What will life be like in 2100? Today it is unpredictable, but every wrong step
towards it is changing the future vision more appalling. Climate is changing and to
stop mass extinction we too need to change. According to the assumptions future
is definite until 2050, but everything that follows is dependent on the next steps
we take from now on.
By 2100, the average near-surface temperature is projected to be at least 1.5° C
warmer than at the moment. This means that sea levels have risen by ~ 2 meters,
desertification is reaching Central Europe and climate-induced human migration
has increased. Which in turn means that when such a large number of people
migrate, mainly to the northern hemisphere, conflicts also increase and there is a
shortage of a living space. Due to frequent migrations, there will be many asylum
seekers who have nowhere to be during the application process.

The asylum application process takes an average of six months, but can take
years. This period is exhausting and the applicants’ main activity is just waiting.
Due to the lack of a residence permit, it is not possible for refugees to work, but
in some camps, for example, drinking water is charged – perhaps the current
lack of a system favors new conflicts. The number of environmental refugees is
increasing, as a result of which this work seeks to alleviate the accumulation of
unorganized camps, while reusing obsolete forms.

In order to create a globally functioning system of refugee camps, the existing
network of wide-ranging oil platforms is suitable for their shells. When combining
the source of the global issue and the one most affected by it, a contrast is formed,
that sums up the entire global warming- simultaneous drought and flood.

There are a total of about 1470 oil rigs, which in turn are divided by function
such as accommodation, drilling rig, etc. In addition to shape, function and other
characteristics, they can be broadly considered in two groups – floating and fixed
leg.

The lifespan of the oil rigs is about 20 years, after which they must be dismantled
and the seabed restored to the pre-lease condition, but analyzes show that
dismantling is more hostile to the environment than abandoning the platforms.
If at the end of the operation of the floating ones, they are towed to a metal
handling point, the fixed-legged platforms must be detached from the sea
surface and blown to pieces, which in turn destroys the biota formed on that leg.
Consequently, this project deals with a fixed leg form.

The Global Village is a so-called unfinished mini-town, where climate refugees
will gather in 2100 for the duration of the asylum application process. It is an
environment that tries to please as many people as possible, is adaptable and
works together or on its own. Space has the ability to define us – so must the
platform’s mini-city, guiding the user to move, and supporting themselves and
others.
In order to reduce the feeling of waiting for asylum seekers, the artificial island
works as a team, where the resident does not wait three hours in a row for
food, but grows and prepares it by herself. When mixed with volunteers, there
is ongoing integration, referral and teaching, but time passes quickly, dealing
with self-sufficiency. If at the moment asylum seekers are not allowed to work
during the application process, then through some amendments to the law, the
island can be considered as a company and telework could be sent to them.

The concept of “Global village” by 20th century Canadian philosopher Marshall
McLuhan firstly meant uniting people then prolongation of consciousness, but
over time the meaning has changed through different approaches. This project
is also global because it is driven by a global problem and working as a future
platform aka “fresh start” for climate refugees from all over the world.
The main message that this thesis carries is to solve and revive the old before
creating a new one. Creation must be necessary as single-purpose monuments
are not sustainable in the long term and when designing anything new a potential
risk must be foreseen.