Tabbi Harvey-Crowe

Year 1 MArch

Zostera Centre

An architectural application of seagrass logic
Isle of Scilly, St. Mary’s Island, UK

Zostera Centre is an educational seagrass conservation hub and diving centre located in the Isles of Scilly. Its name derives from Zostera Marina, the latin term for the seagrass species found throughout the archipelago, meaning “belt of the sea.”

The proposal consists of a series of modular units resting upon a buoyant structure. Surrounding and anchoring it is a field of tensioned fibrous filaments, bundled and shaped by circular belts of varying sizes. These vertical filaments mimic the behaviour of seagrass meadows by reducing flow velocity and promoting sediment accretion. Beyond their physical function, they act as spatial and ecological devices; revealing hydrodynamic flows, tracing sedimentation processes, providing a scaffold for future development, and supporting seagrass colonisation.

Over time, the proposal is intended to create zones suitable for natural seagrass regeneration. The building footprint has been parametrically shaped to avoid shallow seabed areas, where the meadow may naturally thrive.

Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tab_arch/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tabbi-harvey-crowe-107321219/