OFFSHORE LIFE - Alternative ways to decommissioning

The project takes place in the middle of the sea. In the Adriatic Sea, there are more than 100 offshore platforms which, once exhausted their, are destined to be removed. This intervention has to face tons of steel wasted and the destruction of marine life. Therefore the design makes its way through the protection of flora and fauna and scuba diving tourism.

The idea of the thesis was born from research about a local current issue. That of the decommissioning process of offshore oil extraction platforms once their life cycle has ended. These platforms have a period of production of about 30 year, after which the owners are required to remove them. However the huge cost of this operation, and the loss of ecosystems, underneath the platforms, has started a worldwide seek of alternative solutions.\nThe marine ecosystem which takes place on the pillars of the platform supports the thesis of creating real underwater gardens, artificial reefs, not only in order to repopulate marine flora and fauna but also to attract an ever-growing underwater tourism in this area. \nThis topic has been at the forefront of Italian Politics since last April. In fact, a referendum was held in order to remove all the offshore oil platforms closer than 12 miles to the coast at the end of their concession, and not at their resource exhaustion as it is right now.\nAfter an accurate analysis of the current extractions data, of the proximity to the coast, and the visibility of the structures from the land, a single platform was taken as a case study in which we could develop a project.\nThe two-part structure is composed of a smaller, 12 leg platform connected by a jetty to a larger platform that has 8 supporting legs. A further subdivision of this structure is between above and under the sea level and gives a better understanding of the project. The portion below water includes the courses for divers, the underwater gardens, and testing areas of lessons, which is all directly below the dive center. The Diving Center, above sea level, consists of all those functions and services dedicated to facilitate the divers in their excursions. \nThis model was designed so it can be applied to other platforms in the Adriatic Sea that, depending on the circumstances, can be upgraded from the first phase (where only the pylons are left on the bottom of the Sea) to the last, which consists in the whole platform dedicated to new purposes, like diving center, marine research area and accommodation for tourists.