This design concept by Bulgarian firm Morphocode predicts a future in which gigantic offshore wind turbines come equipped with fancy, futuristic housing for workers. Part of the inspiration for these lofts was a European Wind Energy Association report estimating that by 2030, there will be 300,000 jobs in offshore wind power. Since commuting to the middle of the ocean everyday isn’t exactly possible, maintenance crews and experts would live onboard the turbines, splitting their time between contemplating the vastness of the sea and keeping the generators running.
The concept draws from modern attempts to rehabilitate abandoned industrial buildings by turning them into loft residences. Skipping the “abandoned” stage, these lofts would make mechanical function and luxury living synonymous.
Unlike the swanky new lofts in a rapidly-gentrifying warehouse district, however, the turbine loft has an isolation more in common with the International Space Station, an arctic outpost, or an oil rig. The concept only addresses the aesthetic challenges of offshore life, which is fine. The logistics of supplying people at sea are much simpler than feeding them in space, and humans already have the latter challenge tackled quite nicely.