Together with the Maldives Fund Management Cooperation, Foster + Partners has developed a vision masterplan for Gaafaru, an inhabited island of Kaafu Atoll in the Maldives. With six key principles, the project aims to ensure a highly sustainable and resilient future for the island. This forward-looking approach will safeguard the inhabitants of the tropical island against rising sea levels.

Working closely with the Maldives Fund Management Corporation (MFMC),Foster + Partners has developed a vision masterplan for Gaafaru, an inhabited island of Kaafu Atoll. Foster + Partners

The architecture firm Foster + Partners works on large projects and buildings, but also on masterplans. These are not always urban in nature: In the case of Gaafaru, they are focused on an entire island and its chances of survival in the face of rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions. A mix of protected habitats, reclaimed land, luxury resorts and floating platforms for farming and infrastructure, as well as the following six key principles, make up the sustainable and resilient masterplan:

1. Adapting to rising sea levels and extreme conditions
2. Minimising damaging dredging and land reclamation practices
3. Nurturing ecology
4. Enhancing prosperity for all
5. Unifying communities
6. Establishing net zero energy, water and waste

“Climate change and the resulting rising sea levels have brought the existential struggles of communities in archipelagos around the world into sharp focus. Future sustainable developments on island habitats – such as Gaafaru – must embrace ideals of resilience and harmony with nature, offering a forward-looking approach that serves the futures of its inhabitants”, said Luke Fox, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners.

Environmental protection zones as green buffers

In close cooperation with local partners, Foster + Partners have been working on protecting the low-lying archipelago of Gaafaru, which is already suffering from the effects of global climate change. Rising sea levels in particular are a severe risk, threatening flooding in the next century for about half the land of the inhabited Maldives island. The effects of pollution and rising sea temperatures also threaten its rich biodiversity. Furthermore, social inequalities create disparity between local residents and visitors. The Maldives’ economy is reliant on tourism and has a high dependence on imports for energy, food, and other goods.

Together with the sustainability team and the in-house ecologists at Foster + Partners, the architects developed a masterplan that holistically addresses the island’s challenges. The base was an environmental analysis to understand rising sea levels over the next century. In order to adapt to extreme conditions, they recommend the tropical island to sustainably reclaim land with low impact building techniques, building at a higher level to decrease the risk of flooding for 100 years. Another suggestion is the creation of environmental protection zones with native planting that act as a green buffer and provide resilience.

Bringing locals and visitors together

The island’s ecology is one of its greatest assets. To protect Gaafaru’s natural wealth, the architects suggest Marine Protected Areas that preserve habitats, species, and processes. A marine institute will be established to provide education for visitors and locals, to encourage international researchers to visit the tropical island, and to explore new restoration initiatives that benefit the ecology.

Another aspect that the masterplan considers is how to provide prosperity for all. It suggests an integrated tourism project with private islands and ultra luxury resorts that would diversify the economic opportunities in the Maldives while also leveraging Gaafaru’s population growth. The resorts will create new employment opportunities for local people. Similarly, floating platforms with modular units for energy and local food production will stimulate the local economy.

In addition, to meet the goal of unifying communities, the architects plan to provide a mobility network that connects local areas with the new resorts. Guesthouses within existing local communities will also attract visitors to these areas and provide more employment opportunities. At the same time, the floating platforms could host recreational parks where locals and visitors can relax and socialise together.

Resilience for the next 100 years

Establishing net zero energy, water, and waste is the last of the six main ideas of Foster + Partner’s masterplan for the tropical island. The idea is to significantly reduce the island’s reliance on imports. Local farming, hydroponics and greenhouses on the new floating platforms will produce all fruit and vegetables, as well as energy from photovoltaics. Local passive design measures will reduce energy consumption by as much as 30 per cent. Grey and black water will be collected, treated and reused on-site for irrigation, outdoor cleansing and toilet flushing. This circular economy approach will ensure that byproducts from the treatment of waste and water are reintegrated across the masterplan.

Tony Miki, Partner, Foster + Partners, said: “A significant part of this project has been about identifying and understanding the various challenges – and then working out how to tackle them in the most holistic way possible. Our masterplan seeks to embed resilience into the built fabric for the next one-hundred years, providing ecological protection, social equity, and preserving Maldivian cultural heritage.”

Read more: Creating models for future-proof island developments is a challenge for all island nations. Oceanix Busan, designed by BIG, is another example of a floating city off the coast of South Korea.