Taiwanese designer Sheng-Hung Lee and his partner Wan Kee Lee might have a solution. Known as the TetraPOT, this concrete structure was designed as not only a replacement to the tetrapods which occupy our beaches, but to subsequently instill a symbiosis between artificial and natural sea defense systems.
“TetraPOT is a sea defence sustainable system made of concrete, organic materials and plants. It comes with plant seeds in a decomposable pot. Randomly distributed TetraPOTs along coastlines will eventually interlock to create a long-lasting sea defence of growing trees and roots that help keep the blocks in place. As plants grow inside out from TetraPOT, the roots will intertwine and gradually become a natural sea defence.”
– Sheng-Hung Lee and Wan Kee Lee
Photo Credit: Sheng-Hung Lee and Wan Kee Lee
This intertwining effect will help create a structured web, thus further enabling the stability of the TetraPOTs’ interlocking, increasing their lifespan. If you’d like to see more photos of these artificial structures, be sure to click here.