Mobile Ship-breaking Architecture

The project outlines a design proposal for a mobile ship dismantling facility, it explores ways to tackle the health and safety issues and environmental problems in the ship breaking industry in South Asia, particularly in Alang, India. The design can be an architectural catalyst for local development and subsequent permanent construction on the land.

The final design creates a mobile industrial working platform for shipbreaking workers in Alang. It follows the principles of environmentally sound methods of shipbreaking and improves local working and living conditions immediately once deployed. It is regarded as a medium of standard shipbreaking methods for developing countries. It is regarded as a mobile catalyst for local development and later permanent construction on the land. Mobile Shipbreaking Architecture is driven by the process of shipbreaking; a highly functional industrial facility is achieved by structural high-tech aesthetics. The platform is constructed of the steel structure with the concrete surface. Concrete working surface provides industrial activities a robust base and the heat is absorbed can be transferred to the water by the steel structure. The superstructure consists of a steel truss primary structure for sliding crane, secondary structures for creating free plan floor space and tertiary structures for membrane roof. Free floor plan spaces are created for specifically designed functional pods in order to achieve flexibility in terms of function and use. Overall integrated service and rainwater harvesting system can be connected to an individual component of each functional pod. All the pods are built by the modular structural system that could be assembled and disassembled on site. A movable floor lifting system allows modular structural components to be delivered free on each level. The constructions in the facility are steel structure, the recycled steel from dismantled ships can be melted down for producing new modular structural units. A cycle of deconstruction and construction can be achieved and a fully sustainable industry will be formed in Alang.