A London-based architect has been making waves in the design industry with her design of a stunning home powered by hydroelectricity. Margot Krasojevic’s concept, Hydroelectric House, aims to harness the consistent and powerful movement of waves to generate energy. Inspired by the shape of a sea urchin, the Hydroelectric House harnesses tidal and solar energy to generate electricity. Conceptualized for Llandudno, Cape Town, the sculptural building comprises two shells: a fixed, outer shell that anchors the home to the beach and a free-moving interior unit buoyed by the waves. Thus, the inner floating shell is made from a lightweight non-ferrous aluminum structure; electrical energy is captured in a capacitor. The living area is composed of three modules that can be easily altered depending on the client’s functional requirements. The inner section, which will be made of aluminium, will move in cohesion with the tide. The section will float within the external structure as the tide rushes through it. As tides are more predictable than solar energy, Ms Krasojevic has included a two-part turbine, which, reacting with waves, will compress air to create an electrical current – similar to a wind turbine.
