Lina Suarez contacted the Institute at the beginning of this year to apply her experience in naval architecture toward an ambitious month-long design project under the guidance of our Director of Engineering, George Petrie. Her assignment was to conceptualize a modular, adaptable seastead, complete with a top-side crane mechanism for re-arranging 300 cargo container-sized “modules.”These modules would primarily comprise residential real estate, and allow newcomers to customize their units before their installation. We value this feature, as it would give residents the ability to easily enter or exit a seastead (i.e., voting with one’s house). This would grant citizens freer choice while amplifying the competitive pressures on the governing body to innovate better laws and services. The design grew out of a previous concept envisioned by seasteading supporter and design competition runner-up Anthony Ling, whose modular seastead titled “Rendering Freedom” won for the “Personality” category.
Suarez’s design also incorporates all four of the Institute’s core tenets of engineering – i.e., that a seastead should be safe, economical, comfortable, and modular. The chosen semi-submersible base would provide both comfort and stability, while the stacked, reconfigurable topside units exhibit modularity and maximize the available square footage, providing economy for residents and business owners.

View Suarez’s research for more images and information on the platform specs and module.