An Overview of Artificial Islands Growth Processes and Their Adaptation to Sea-Level Rise

The increase of artificial islands and land expansions in the water in the last years is significant. Approximately, 33,700 km2 of land has been reclaimed in the last 30 years. However, with climate change threatening these newly developed structures, it is crucial to understand the impact of architectural design in the adaptation of these lands to sea-level changes. In the fields of architecture and planning, the design of the land in the water not only concerns the adaptation to environmental conditions but also adaptation to people’s needs and the ecosystem. Yet, there is limited research concerning the design concepts of growing land in the water and their impacts on both the environment and the people. This research compares twenty-three case studies of artificial island growth processes, including the methods that have been used to develop the islands and the environment that they have created. The outcome of this research is an overview of artificial island growth processes and their adaptation to sea-level rise that can be used as conceptual design methods for the architectural design of land in the water.