Architectural designer Margot Krasojevic is working on a seafront home that runs on energy from tidal waves and the sun.
The design for the concept structure, called the Hydroelectric Tidal House, is inspired by oddly-shaped sea creatures, like sea urchins and starfish, according to Discovery News.
The house would let water flow through multiple channels between an inner and outer shell so it would be able to absorb tidal energy. The outer shell would be anchored to the shoreline, and the inner shell would push and pull waves.
An electromagnetic turbine system is also used in the Hydroelectric Tidal House for producing electricity, Architecture and Design reported. Neodymium magnets and copper wire coils are used to transform energy from waves into an electric current. The house would use a capacitor to convert the energy into electricity, which would be used as the structure's primary power source.
Krasojevic designed the house to be built for a beach in Llandudno in Cape Town, South Africa so it would be able to use the South African sun to stay powered for long periods of time.
Extra power would be provided for the house through solar cells lining the upper and outer parts of the concrete structure, Discovery News reported. The large boulders on the beaches in Llandudno would also let the house anchor itself and flow with the tide.
The Hydroelectric Tidal House is the latest of Krasojevic's nature-inspired projects, which include an electric coral reef station, a cliff-hanger hotel and a 3-D printed lamp that is shaped like a seashell and powered by wind energy.
