UC students win international underwater architecture competition

Three University of Cincinnati architecture and interior design students have won France's Archipelaego Competition, a global contest to design forward-looking underwater architecture.

Sarosh Ali, Jason Rohal, and Heather Vorst submitted designs for an eco-hotel/research center to be located on the Belize Barrier Reef that incorporated a skinned frame that would conserve divers' energy, a façade that was resistant to the growth of underwater organisms, and the use of tidal energy to supply the center's electricity.

The three will jointly receive the Jacques Rougerie Architecture of the Sea Award and will share a cash prize of about $2,000.

Archipelaego, which was open to both architecture students and professional architects, was held to encourage the public to preserve the oceans by increasing public awareness of the need for better management.

Read the full article here.