THE SEEPING CITY

by Helen Windsor

Permafrost is a hidden phenomena that exists at the earths polar regions. It is defined as soil, rock and sediment that has been frozen for at least two years. My work highlights thawing permafrost as a key contributor to and indicator of global warming. The Seeping City is an infrastructural proposal that harvests methane seeps from thawing permafrost beneath lakes that would otherwise contribute to global warming. It consists of a power plant, greenhouse, town centre and housing communities. Methane is cleaned, combusted, and converted into a new form of renewable energy called perma-power. Residents of the community work and live in the carbon neutral city, that is designed to adapt to the unpredictable landscape that is a consequence of permafrost thaw.