Alexandra Louise Sapte
Year 2 MArch
The
Shallows Of Lyoness
A Maritime
Settlement
Isle
of Scilly,
Tresco Channel, UK
The proposal is a maritime settlement and land-generation strategy located within the saline lagoon between the islands of Bryher and Tresco in the Isles of Scilly, situated 45 km off the coast of Cornwall. The proposal challenges conventional perceptions of land loss by questioning how architecture might actively participate in the generation of territory. Through the manipulation of hydrodynamic systems, tidal flow, and sedimentation, the project explores how environmental forces can become tools for architectural production.
At a territorial scale, the proposal tests land reclamation through the strategic deployment of hydrodynamic “heads” that redirect tidal currents to encourage sediment accretion and gradually form new land. At an architectural scale, a phased sequence of interventions unfolds, beginning with sediment capture and land stabilisation through sand-composite shell structures, before supporting a series of maritime programmes including small-scale shipbuilding, marine repair, visitor facilities, worker accommodation, offices, and cultural spaces.
The scheme presents a regenerative approach to climate adaptation, where architecture emerges only after environmental systems establish stable conditions for occupation. By combining computational design, CFD and FLIP simulations, additive manufacturing. The project proposes a new model of adaptive maritime urbanism, positioning land generation as both an infrastructural and cultural act that strengthens community resilience while responding to the growing challenges of sea-level rise and coastal instability.
Hydro dynamic profile studies - CFD simulation exploring how different geometries perform within a tidal flow and which geometries create the slowest moving water.
Simulation study of site tidal flow - this FLIP simulation demonstrates the water velocity after the installation of the head.
Masterplan methodology - FLIP simulation utilised to position each island on site in response to the water flow changes in order to promote maximum sedimentation accumulation and controlled waterways in the lagoon.
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