The San Francisco Maritime Park’s waterfront presents an excellent opportunity to create a new landmark that captures the beauty of San Francisco’s water. Being close to the open water, the site is humid and dewy in the morning. This condition presented the opportunity to create a self-sustaining project that transforms morning dew into clean water. In addition, the site receives direct sunlight through the day, supporting incorporation of “artificial leaf” technology, which transform sunlight into chemical fuel and wireless electricity.

An initial pattern was generated by experimenting with the “Teslay Toy” iPhone application. Further development of the pattern produced a “fish gill” shape that was incorporated into the building form. The buildings also capture and filters condensed water from the air, providing clean water, just as gills function for fish. The solar-paneled roof also contributes to the self-sustaining nature of the project. The project as a whole becomes the “gill” of the sea, acting as a filter that utilizes the natural conditions to create self-sustaining architecture.