5 Colonies, 5 Oceans Sculpting Future Living On and Below Water
Application Dates:
April 1st to July 1st, 2025
Apply now
Session Dates:
Online : July 6th & 13th, 2025
In-person : July 21st to 31st, 2025
Location:
Nice, France
Capacity
15-20 participants
Fees (euros):
1000 € (students)1,500 € (professionals / researchers)
Speculating, shaping, and Living the Next Frontier of Oceanic Habitats
“Each age demands its own form,” the Bauhaus architect Hannes Meyer wrote in his 1926 essay, “The New World”. We live in an uncertain world where the urge to explore, design, and inhabit the oceans is rapidly intensifying. As land-based resources dwindle, and environmental crises escalate, a radical rethinking of how we live with, on, above, and below the ocean is imperative to anticipate, adapt and prevent.
In response, IMREDD, chair UX & Future of Living Architectural Lab invites transdisciplinary professionals, researchers and students (architects, designers, engineers, & speculative thinkers) to embark on a 11 days experimental summer lab: a nomadic hands-on living laboratory, a place to explore, stimulate, simulate, and test disruptive ideas for the “Brave New World”¹ of future living where humanity thrives in extreme marine environments.
WHY NOW?
The Oceanic world is at a breaking point
- 410 million people will be at risk from rising seas by 2050.
- 50% of coral reefs could disappear by 2050 due to rising temperatures (UNEP).
- Plastic vs. Fish? By 2050, plastic could outweigh marine life (Ellen MacArthur Foundation).
- Ocean acidity has increased 30% since the Industrial Revolution and is projected to rise by 100–150% by 2100 (NOAA/IPCC).
- Deep-sea mining and biodiversity collapse are accelerating at an alarming pace.
- Growing awareness, backed by political and legislative bodies, is driving efforts to regulate and address ocean challenges. Key initiatives include: (i) the Political Declaration of the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference, (ii) UN SDG Target 14.2 on the sustainable management and protection of marine ecosystems, and (iii) the upcoming third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) 2025 in Nice, France
- The shift toward living in, with, and from the oceans is rapidly scaling up, as informed by the IMREDD User eXperiences for Smart Life Chair, Future Human Habitat Project scenario outcomes.
THE CHALLENGE
SCULPTING SPECULATIVE OCEAN COLONIES IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS & SURVIVAL CONDITIONS
THE PROCESS
A nomadic, hands-on summer school driven by non-formal, experimental, transdisciplinary process and guided by core thematic concepts. This summer school is not about conventional Architectural design—it’s about speculative, future-fiction experiments, and live-simulation workshops. Participants will have to go throughout the below:
- Future living, Extreme Environments & survival conditions understanding – Exploring social needs and cutting-edge technologies to design a fully self-sufficient colony
- Systemic Biomimicry – Learning from marine organisms to design regenerative architectural ecosystems.
- AI-Kitchen Tools – to explore designs
- Testing designs in physical oceanic conditions – using 3D printing & rain simulators
- Learning by doing, discovering & exchanging– field visits, encounters, & playful settings
THE PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Through hands-on learning, immersive experiences, exploration, observation, and knowledge exchange, the program is structured into two main phases:
Part 01: Online
- Two half-day sessions designed to provide participants with essential knowledge about AI Kitchen Tools.
Part 02: In-Person (July 21 – July 31, 2025)
- Incubation – Ideation, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Conceptual & Design Process – Developing visionary frameworks and prototypes.
- Development & Exhibition – Refining solutions and presenting outcomes in a public showcase.
DELIVERABLES (D) & KEY OPORTUNITIES (KO)
- A 1mn AI animated video, showcasing the project, its process & concept (D)
- An A0 summary Board showcasing the process & the final outcome (D)
- Public exhibition transforming the urban spaces of Nice, inviting citizens, policymakers, and global audiences to interact with visionary prototypes (KO)
- Biomim’expo 2025 (Marseille, Oct 28, 2025) – An opportunity to showcase at the expo the work developed during the summer school (KO)
- Prepare the ground for the 2025 International Architecture & Innovation Competition (Fondation Jacques Rougerie – Académie des Beaux- Arts) (KO)
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY?
- Hands-on expertise in systemic biomimicry & AI-enhanced Architectural design process
- Experimental design process in extreme environments & survival conditions
- Critical foresight, disruptive & regenerative design strategies for marine futures.
- Immersive interdisciplinary collaboration that redefines oceanic habitation.
- Qualitative exchanges with a transdisciplinary panel of expertise
- An opportunity to showcase and sculpt a debate around groundbreaking ideas.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Open to transdisciplinary speculative thinkers, professionals, researchers, and students from architecture, design, engineering, and related fields—this program is for those eager to break disciplinary boundaries, engage in extreme survival simulations, and push the limits of what’s possible.
To maintain the highest quality experience, only 15–20 participants will be selected.
- Application Period: April 1 – July 1, 2025.
- Apply now by filling out the application form, and we will respond within five business days.
COST OF PARTICIPATION
The program fee is €1000 for students & €1,500 for professionals and researchers.
Tuition may be covered through scholarships or third-party sponsorships.
For participants attending via the Ulysseus network, a scholarship will fully cover the summer school tuition.
Please note: The program fee does not include living nor mobility expenses during the 11-day in-person session.
