Cryptosphere

Our built environment quietly shapes how we live, yet the energy and systems that sustain us remain deliberately hidden—designed to be invisible for our comfort and convenience. We live disconnected from the true cost of our consumption, blind to its planetary impact. This concealment isn't accidental; it's embedded in how we design our spaces and infrastructure. The challenge is to reimagine architecture's role: can we create environments that reveal these hidden energy flows, empowering communities to understand and actively shape a more conscious relationship with our finite resources?

The Cryptosphere proposes an alternative economic model where energy itself becomes a shared currency. Governed by a Decentralised Autonomous Organization (DAO), a community-led blockchain mechanism, surplus power is managed collectively by local stakeholders and displaced workers. This shift moves control away from traditional investors, nurturing a modern, shared economy that champions social equity and sustainable resource use. Located off the coast of Hai Phong, Cryptosphere challenges conventional energy infrastructure by transforming hidden, utilitarian systems into celebrated public landmarks. Wave energy generators are reinvented as communal gathering spaces that evoke the warmth and inclusivity of a hearth, while energy batteries—reimagined through baroque aesthetics—feature glowing, translucent facades reminiscent of stained glass. Living spaces evolve organically to meet community needs, and tetrahedral modular structures, designed to float or anchor with minimal environmental impact, expand following algorithmic aggregation rules. The discrete modules aggregate using cellular automata, whose rules are voted by members of the DAO, with an additional layer to ensure propagation of the infrastructure does not exceed planetary boundaries, nor fall below social foundation. Envisioning a solarpunk future for 2050, Cryptosphere paves the way for resilient communities living in harmony with nature. This project redefines our methods of energy production and consumption, transforming the built environment into a living testament to a low-energy, equitable, and dignified way of life.