HESTIA
Construction & Housing
Augury will constantly be growing, built and maintained by Hestia. This department is not only responsible for interior structures but also the greater exterior superstructure of the city itself that keeps out the ocean. In the event of a breach, Hestia works closely with Poseidon to contain the water and seal the leak.
Hestia is divided into two primary categories: vital and nonvital. Vital construction includes the high pressure resistant exterior walls of the city, the load-bearing interior support struts, and the joints in between, which include entrances and airlocks. Hestia constantly maintains the structural integrity of these components to prevent breaches and failures before they happen. As new structures are grown from Biorock, Hestia tests them extensively for leaks and weak points long before anyone moves in.
Nonvital construction includes all interior structures, from housing to offices to the facilities for the other departments. This includes building new structures, maintaining existing ones, and demolishing obsolete structures. Rubble is sent to Hephaestus to be recycled.
An eligible candidate to head Hestia would be a structural engineer, architect, civil engineer, or another individual with relevant proficiency and qualification. The Hestia department will employ a team of any combination of structural engineers, civil engineers, architects, technicians, surveyors, welders, metalworkers, general contractors, and laborers as necessary.
Step 2; Hestia Phase 1: Superstructure
In 1976, an architect named Wolf Hilbertz discovered that by passing electric currents through saltwater, over time a thick layer of various minerals including limestone will accumulate on the cathode, and he patented this process under the name "Biorock” (also referred to as Seacrete, Seament, and Mineral Accretion Technology). “Biorock materials are the only marine construction material that grow, get stronger with age, and are self-repairing.” This process of mineral aggregation can form walls of limestone thick enough to withstand ocean pressure around a frame of any electrically conductive material (like rebar) using nothing but an electric current (which can be generated by the ocean itself). In addition to being inexpensive, passive, and mechanically simple, Biorock also cleans ocean water from dissolved minerals, adds hydrogen and oxygen to the water which encourages marine life, repels sharks due to its electric field, and is self-healing as long as the electric current remains active. Furthermore, Biorock is currently used to restore coral reefs because the surface of the aggregated minerals is perfect for coral growth. Therefore, the entire surface of an accreted structure will eventually grow into a coral reef, further encouraging the health of the surrounding ocean, preserving marine life by serving as an artificial marine nature preserve, facilitating tourism and marine biology (the possibilities of this will be further explored in Part 2, Step XXIII and Part 3, Economy, Tourism). Using this method, the exterior structure of Augury can be grown as a self-healing, monolithic, limestone-like structure with nothing more than an electric current and a metal frame. This framework can be manufactured on the mainland, then transported offshore, sunk, and attached to a foundational mooring platform. Using these methods we can generate a large metal-in-stone superstructure over a time period of 3-5 years (depending on electricity supplied) with relative ease.
As construction in the open ocean is dangerous, we should consider making use of drone technology to assemble the exterior framework using remotely piloted submarines. However, given our proclivity for building offshore oil platforms and the relatively low depth, this may prove unnecessarily expensive.
A full team of architects and engineers will be needed to properly design the superstructure of Augury, but in the meantime, I propose the following design as a starting point:
Note that the structure is widespread and sprawling, rather than clustered under a central dome. Though domes are a common feature for underwater habitations in science fiction, they bring a risk of critical failure. Augury should be constructed in sectors, each of which can be sealed off at bulkheads in case of a breach. To reduce pressure variation, the overall structure of Augury should be sprawling, covering horizontal space rather than rising very high. Note also that sections are color-coded (though this will be difficult to perceive if your version of this manuscript is in black and white). Office space and municipal facilities (blue) are clustered at the center, with commercial and industrial facilities (yellow) on either side (connecting to the side submarine/airlock bays). On the top and bottom are thin residential areas (red) wrapped around wide open atriums, which will primarily be green spaces. Residential areas are narrowly designed to give either views of the ocean or an atrium, to reduce claustrophobia. Main concourses are in white.
One critical feature this design lacks, however, is an absence of sharp corners— round shapes are far better at withstanding pressure than corners, so all the outermost walls should be curved and smooth. The relatively low pressure gradient and thick walls should not mandate exclusive use of spherical and cylindrical structures.
My blueprint may come with other issues I haven’t noticed—I would defer to a professional firm of architects for the final design. Overall, however, Augury should be designed in the style of large hotels, airports, and shopping malls, which are made to make an enclosed structure feel open and airy (which will reduce claustrophobia). Shown below is a photo (courtesy of The Arcade Providence) of a former shopping mall converted to apartments that reflects this intended style.
Consider the layout style of an indoor shopping mall from this example of the Post Oak mall in College Station, Texas: wide walkways (made for foot traffic, but usable by small vehicles if needed) with compartmentalized spaces on the sides, easily navigable, high ceilings, usually including food courts and entertainment facilities, and ample sitting space. These buildings are designed to keep you comfortably inside as long as possible; as such, they are perfect for our purposes.
The final example below represents the ideal layout style for interior structure in Augury: the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, which uses multiple cavernous atriums to enclose sprawling green spaces and even smaller buildings on a series of islands, bordered by hotel rooms overlooking artificial ponds and rivers. Features like these will minimize discomfort in an underwater facility. Natural light would stream in from the surface through skylights, and ample plant life will improve general mental health and air quality.
The last phase of this step should be to assemble the basic interior structure, including interior support pylons and major load-bearing structures like arches, pillars, and support framing. Building these structures as an extension of the exterior structure will make the entire superstructure stronger and establish a foundation on which to build the interior architecture in Phase 2, Step 10.
Primary Induction Lighthouse
At first, the only direct access point into Augury from the surface will be the Primary Induction Lighthouse, which will be the only part of Augury not completely submerged. Eventually, visitors, citizens, and shipping will all go through this point, and as such, it will operate as both a welcome center and a thoroughly monitored security checkpoint. At this point, it will be the center for receiving ships carrying building supplies and workers, and house the freight lifts that will carry them down into the structure. Until Augury is self-sufficient, the lighthouse will also be an umbilical structure for air, solar/wind/wave energy, satellite communications, and more. It will also house emergency egress facilities.
The lighthouse will not be directly above the main structure, but a few yards away. Though the pressure disparity will be low, the lifts that carry people down into Augury need to be slanted rather than directly vertical to allow time for decompression. Lifts carrying exclusively freight can travel faster.
Utility Shafts
Incorporating central shafts that run along the main axes of the structure could make installation and maintenance of basic utilities far more convenient. To reduce pressure variation, the overall structure of Augury should be sprawling, covering horizontal space rather than rising very high—so utility shafts could run horizontally as well as vertically. Basic utilities like electrical wiring, water pipes, ventilation shafts, data cables, and elevators/trams could be routed through these shafts.
Underwater Lift Pylons
One would think building underwater is considerably more difficult than building on land—it comes with its challenges, but isn’t without its advantages. One of those advantages is buoyancy. Not only does the water resistance make heavy objects easier to maneuver and fall slower, but buoyancy gives us the opportunity to build support pylons in reverse.
Usually, when you want to support an arch, beam, joist, or a ceiling within a building, you have to build columns or load-bearing walls to hold them up off the ground. If you tried to support them by suspending them from above, like with a crane, you would still have to support the crane—back to square one. If you tried to use something like a helium balloon, the buoyancy gradient with air would mean you would need 1,449 cubic feet of gas to lift every 100 pounds. Underwater, however, is a different story.
When divers need to lift a submerged object from depth, whether for equipment, rescue, salvage, or entire boats, they use something called underwater lift bags. Air is far more buoyant in water than helium is in air (less than 2 cubic feet to lift 100 pounds), and capable of lifting loads of several tons without being excessively large. Reinforced air-filled bladders could be connected from the outside to load-bearing elements of the city structure, reducing the overall dead load of the structure. This could result in an otherwise impossible architectural style, which would require far fewer supporting structures (and mitigate the challenges of larger superstructures). No building on the surface could make use of this system; it would be unique to Augury.
These lifting bags could also be outfitted with turbines to harness power from ocean currents.
Step 3; Hestia Phase 2: Pressure Vessel
Though domes are a common feature for underwater habitations in science fiction, they bring a risk of critical failure. Augury should be constructed in sectors, each of which can be sealed off at bulkheads in case of a breach. To reduce pressure variation, the overall structure of Augury should be sprawling, covering horizontal space rather than rising very high.
Though Biorock is a tested, simple, and reliable technology, it is yet untested at such a scale. Doubtlessly it will be strong enough to be used as a load-bearing structure—but to my knowledge, it has never been used to construct a watertight vessel. I am confident that the structure itself can withstand the interior/exterior pressure difference (especially at such a shallow depth) but I am concerned about porosity. Will the water be able to push through the stone? If so, will the pressure inside the structure of the rock be enough to stress or fracture it? Unlikely—but we will still need to perform thorough testing at increasing scales before proceeding with inhabitation. A more likely concern is that the structure will be watertight but not airtight, and our local atmosphere may slowly bubble through and escape. However, if the interior air pressure is made equal to the exterior water pressure (which will depend on the effect of a hyperbaric environment on our health), neither will leech through the barrier. The stone will provide a structure for the water to support itself through surface tension—in fact, this phenomenon may exhibit similar qualities to the bubble formed by water anoles and act as a rebreather if oxygen and carbon dioxide can diffuse through the barrier.
If water does leach through, if it is at a slow and controllable rate, it may be most effective to simply divert the water to the base of the structure, where it can be pumped out or somehow reused (to drive a steam turbine? Concerns about salt/mineral deposit buildup). If not, the interior surface of the exterior walls may need to be sealed with something like concrete or clay. They should not be sealed with something petroleum-based, as the harsh chemicals will undoubtedly leech into the local ecosystem.
Windows
Building a pressure vessel to withstand the aforementioned ~75 psi of water pressure is easy enough—when building with solid stone. Windows, however, add a challenge. I have not been able to calculate a minimum thickness for a window material, partially because the thickness depends on the area of the window, and partially because it would take someone with a better mind for engineering than mine to compare the variables and determine the best option. Suffice to say, ordinary glass isn’t strong enough to be viable. There are a few other options each with their own advantages and disadvantages, and I’m confident that one or some combination will give us breathtaking ocean views without sacrificing much strength. From what I have found, the most promising materials (aside from the typical acrylics) are transparent wood composites, synthetic sapphire, and Star Trek-inspired transparent aluminum oxynitride ceramic (ALON). Exterior windows should be layers of both rigid and flexible materials, with intent for repair in mind. Once an exterior window is damaged, we can’t take it out and put in a new one without flooding the area around it. Perhaps windows can be designed in panels of a standard size, so that a special compartment tool can be laid over it to contain flooding if the panel needs replacing. Consider also including railings in front of all exterior windows, so citizens can enjoy the view while minimizing risk of any collisions.
Drainage
No matter how well we seal the structure, water will eventually, inevitably get inside the city—whether from spillage, breaches, leaks, airlocks, or just splashing. The superstructure should be designed to divert water along dedicated channels (perhaps coated in moss to reduce erosion) beneath each floor and drain into a collection cistern at the lowest point of the structure, where it can be filtered then reused or automatically removed by sump pumps. The use of permeable pavement as a subflooring/paving/foundational material will be a useful filter to allow water to drain to lower levels without allowing solid pollutants through. We could consider utilizing an exterior and interior shell with a small space (of maybe 1-2 feet) in between, so that any water which leaks through the exterior wall can run down the inside surface, instead of running into the interior and causing water damage. Windows could extend through the shells.
Sublevel
Like the cellar/basement/crawl space of a house, the lowest level (or sublevel) of Augury’s superstructure should be a utility area, used only for storage and maintenance. In this section can be stored emergency supplies and surface air tanks (not pure oxygen), preserved food, spare parts and building supplies, and more. The floor should be graded to direct water (which drains down from upper levels) into a system of repositories with sump pumps. The sublevel should be divided into sectors which can be sealed off in case of emergency flooding. If subterranean structures are ever needed, they can be constructed and accessed from this sublevel. If subterranean structures are ever intended to be inhabited by people (for an emergency bunker, mining, etc.), the rock should be colonized with lichen and moss with full-spectrum lighting to start building the ecosystem. However, this is inadvisable, as isolation from any sunlight would be detrimental to the inhabitants.
Step 12; Hestia Phase 3: Interior Architecture
Inside the mineral aggregate shell, Hestia workers will be free to construct bespoke structures as needed. Support beams can be embedded directly into the exterior stone, so interior walls, ceilings, and floors can be made of relatively weaker materials. Importing construction materials from the mainland will be expensive, so using locally sourced materials will be preferable. With a reliable local supply of prefabricated parts from Hephaestus, Hestia should be able to furnish interior structures and spaces with ease. Utilities (pipes, wiring, vents, etc.) should either be mounted inside the walls where they can be easily accessed, or behind wall panels with enough space to make maintenance and repair convenient. The vast majority of interior architecture in Augury should be made using stock prefabricated parts (manufactured by Hephaestus), such as wall panels, windows, and building blocks all designed to fit together easily with little effort or design, so as to make repairs and replacement easy.
A full team of architects and engineers will be needed to properly design the interior of Augury, but in the meantime, I propose the following design as a conceptual starting point:
Note that the structure is widespread and sprawling, rather than clustered under a central dome. Though domes are a common feature for underwater habitations in science fiction, they bring a risk of critical failure. Augury should be constructed in sectors, each of which can be sealed off at bulkheads in case of a breach. To reduce pressure variation, the overall structure of Augury should be sprawling, covering horizontal space rather than rising very high. Note also that sections are color-coded. Office space and municipal facilities (blue) are clustered at the center, with commercial and industrial facilities (yellow) on either side (connecting to the side submarine/airlock bays). On the top and bottom are thin residential areas (red) wrapped around wide open atriums, which will primarily be green spaces. Residential areas are narrowly designed to give either views of the ocean or an atrium, to reduce claustrophobia. Main concourses are in white.
One critical feature this design lacks, however, is an absence of sharp corners— round shapes are far better at withstanding pressure than corners, so all the outermost walls should be curved and smooth (if the internal pressure is equivalent to the external pressure, however, this will no longer be an issue).
My blueprint may come with other issues I haven’t noticed—I would defer to a professional firm of architects and engineers for the final design. Overall, however, Augury should be designed in the style of large buildings such as hotels, airports, and shopping malls, which are made to make an enclosed structure feel open and airy (which will reduce claustrophobia). Shown below is a photo (courtesy of The Arcade Providence) of a former shopping mall converted to apartments that reflects this intended style.
Consider the layout style of an indoor shopping mall from this example of the Post Oak mall in College Station, Texas: wide walkways (made for foot traffic, but usable by small vehicles if needed) with compartmentalized spaces on the sides, easily navigable, high ceilings, usually including food courts and entertainment facilities, and ample sitting space. These buildings are designed to keep you comfortably inside as long as possible; as such, they are perfect for our purposes.
The final example below represents the ideal layout style for interior structure in Augury: the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, which uses multiple cavernous atriums to enclose sprawling green spaces and even smaller buildings on a series of islands, bordered by hotel rooms overlooking artificial ponds and rivers. Features like these will minimize discomfort in an underwater facility. Natural light would stream in from the surface through skylights, and ample plant life will improve general mental health and air quality.
If funding will not allow the construction of such a large structure all at once, the structure can be built in stages according to this building plan. Proposed facility layouts reflecting these stages are displayed in illustrations.
The first facilities to be fully developed within Augury should be a fully-outfitted hotel, equipped with all the facilities included on a cruise ship (which, like Augury will be at first, is essentially a hotel in the middle of the ocean). This will include facilities such as an exercise room, medical facilities and morgue, a dining area, a pool, movie theater, entertainment facilities, laundry facilities, and so on. As soon as these facilities are built (and the overall structure is confirmed to be safe), we can start accepting guests and building national revenue. If funding is tight, the living quarters for guests can at first be constructed in the style of “glamping.” I imagine many people would pay well for the opportunity to camp in the world’s first underwater city as it is being built. Tours exploring the construction progress could be offered as a perk or additional revenue stream.
Everywhere in Augury intended to be accessed by the general public must be wheelchair accessible, without exception (except for maintenance areas).
In no case should the faux rock style of architecture (which typically uses shotcrete sprayed on a wire form, commonly used in zoos and amusement parks) be used to give the illusion of natural rock in atriums. This looks cheap and sloppy. Likewise, walls and ceilings should not be painted to “give the illusion” of extending towards a forest or field or the open sky. Murals are one thing, but pretending an enclosed room is bigger than reality is quite another. Everyone in Augury will know they are indoors; there is no need to pretend otherwise. We should embrace walls and ceilings where they are and make them beautiful through good architecture, not pretend they aren’t there. As an alternative, use stonework designed to resemble ancient temples and civilizations for plant-heavy areas, especially around water features. This style ages well and can handle the weathering.
Use of Art Deco
In the early 20th century, the Art Deco movement combined modern styles with fine craftsmanship and rich materials, and represented luxury, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress. I think we benefit from these sentiments in our culture, and propose we make extensive use of the Art Deco (and recent revival, Neo Deco and related style, Streamline Moderne) style in the design of Augury. The dramatic Art/Neo Deco style is characterized by use of jewel tones juxtaposed with metallic colors (usually gold and brass), use of glass next to polished metals and leather, amber lighting, dramatic vignettes, long horizontal lines, smooth and curving surfaces, gentle curves next to crisp corners, and occasionally nautical elements to represent the Transatlantic culture. Aside from being visually beautiful, the style is timeless, ages well, translates into a great variety of mediums, and the strong lines and use of geometry pairs well with industrial arts, which serves to celebrate the utility machinery we rely on rather than hiding it in closets or in the ceiling. The style applied to not just architecture and furniture, but to machinery and tools as well.
Of course, though I believe Art Deco should be Augury’s primary interior style, it should not be exclusive—there should be neighborhoods and districts which showcase other beautiful styles, like Victorian, Tudor, Gothic, and so on—perhaps consider stoneworking in the style of the ancient civilizations of the world, which age beautiful and take to moss and other plants. It’s important also that whatever style we use, we use it intentionally, and for the sake of our mental health consider building as a medium of art in architecture and interior design, rather than simply out of utility. The styles we use should have visual appeal and personality. Avoid neutral tones and brutalist design styles. Our surroundings are an expression of who we are and how we see ourselves. The spirit of the Art Deco movement is in the name, which is short for “arts decoratif,” or “decorative arts.” By decorating and designing decoratively rather than purely for practicality, we make the world around us more beautiful. Let’s surround ourselves with intentional beauty.
Furnishings
Insisting upon matching furniture and furnishings throughout Augury would be prohibitively expensive and unnecessary. How would it serve us, to present a unified front of conformity? Instead, we should have minds for upcycling, making use of recycled furniture, repairing and recycling it when possible, not vainly obsessing over coordination and matching with interior design. Augury’s interior spaces should look organic, lived in, not flawless and sterile. Every corner of Augury should be distinct, unique, with its own personality. Avoid use of colors in the taupe family; life is too short for neutral tones. Interior design in Augury should avoid the modern minimalist neutral style that is so tragically popular right now.
Step 16; Hestia Phase 4: Finishing Work
At this stage, Hestia can begin the finishing stages of construction. This includes facing, plastering, woodworking, wallpapering and glazing, the installation of most interior walls and windows, insulation, finishing wall panels that can be painted, plumbing and electrical/lighting fixtures, flooring and carpeting, furniture, and so on. This stage also includes infrastructure for later phases such as support structuring for Hermes transport networks and building up landscaping structures for Demeter. Hestia will also complete the hotel facilities at this stage, so that Augury will now be fully equipped to receive guests. If possible, consider building a convention center, as this would be another significant national revenue stream.
After the hotel is completed, permanent residents can begin temporarily inhabiting the rooms while residential sectors are being constructed. Apartments in Augury should be comfortably sized—not small or cramped, but modest enough to use space efficiently. Cabinetry should span floor-to-ceiling to make the most effective use of limited space, and kitchen appliances should be multi-function. Walls are thick enough to block out all the sound from neighbors and equipped with effective and locally controlled HVAC units.
Remember: everywhere in Augury intended to be accessed by the general public must be wheelchair accessible, without exception beyond maintenance areas.
Step 24; Hestia Phase 5: Auxiliary Space
Expansions to the city should be built in the same stages as described in this plan, staggered, so that as a section is being finished, another section is in progress. As Biorock walls take years to grow, the unfinished watertight sections of the city should be outfitted with utilities but kept empty until the next section can be sealed. These empty sections can be used for construction equipment storage, supply stockpiles, and emergency refugee lodging.
As Augury expands, it’s important to plan for long-term sustainability with longevity and future growth in mind. Good civil engineering and planning is paramount. Just as Joseph William Bazalgette insisted on doubling the proposed size of London’s sewers in the 1850s to accommodate the growth of the city, Augury should be built to handle a higher capacity than necessary. New facilities can follow the same protocol as outlined in Step 2, or whatever refined version is used. Structures should extend outwards along the paths of mass transit like spokes from a wheel, leaving room for ocean life and views in between. Facilities should never be constructed too densely; all living quarters should have a window into the ocean or into an atrium. Facilities of all kinds should be wrapped around central atriums. A section of Augury should always be empty (stop at around Step VIII) for storage and to accommodate emergency refugee camps. Not all new facilities need to be built as expansions on to the main structure; separate buildings will reduce the risk of cascading system failure and can be connected by “bathyducts” (like an underwater skyway). Some “suburban” communities in smaller compounds can be constructed in the outskirts of the city to have a more direct access to agricultural interests like kelp forests and seagrass fields; this may appeal more to some people who prefer a more small-town or village dynamic.
Augury’s community should not be allowed to grow too large; human beings have demonstrable limits of social capacity, and significant research points towards a concept similar to Dunbar’s number, which “is a suggested cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships (around 150; anywhere from 100-200 depending on the person)—relationships in which an individual knows who each person is and how each person relates to every other person.” The larger Augury or any given community grows, the less functional its social health will be.
If the population grows beyond 5,000 or so, a “sister city” of sorts should be established nearby—however, Augury’s population should always grow slowly, to ensure sustainability. Smaller communities are healthier, as anonymity is reduced and people can more easily form relationships with their neighbors. Additionally, smaller communities are friendlier to small businesses, less expensive, and have lower crime rates. Higher population density strains our capacity for empathy and our capacity to effectively and fairly govern.
If Augury’s systems are well-designed enough and produce a significant surplus of vital resources, they can be exported around the world as humanitarian aid. If the concept of Augury proves itself in time to be fully viable and fulfills my expectations, more underwater or floating colonies like it may be built. The ocean has far more livable space than the surface, and if enough of the human population eventually relocates to the ocean, the surface environment may be able to recover from overfarming, pollution, and deforestation to pre-industrialization conditions.