NAUTIC HACKATHON: Designing the “marina of tomorrow”

8 January 2020

08/01/2020

This year’s Paris Nautic boat show saw the second edition of the NAUTIC HACKATHON where over a period of 24 hours, 25 designers, architects and boating enthusiasts outlined their propositions and services in designs for tomorrow’s marina.

The event was run by the innovation agency Okoni, with participants divided into 5 small work teams and given tools and materials to create their models. Julian Lebas, harbour master of the Port du Plaisance du Havre, was chosen as a member of the 7-person jury whose task it was to evaluate the projects and select a winner.

Last year’s inaugural event, aimed at exploring concepts for what water-sports centres would look like in 2030, produced concepts related to facilitating public access to water-sports, encouraging off-season engagement via activities such as nautical workshops, courses, stargazing and exhibitions,  and creating water-sports  and related leisure jetty complements within marinas in order to soften public perceptions of marinas as outdated or elitist.

The 2019 event’s visions for tomorrow’s marina embraced dominant themes of ecology and well-being. Other elements included intergenerational skills transmission, information-sharing, the circular economy with revaluing and reusing materials, participative workshops and the use of new technology such as augmented reality to engage younger visitors.

The eventual winner was “Mon port, un quartier circulaire”, although the jury agreed that each of the 5 projects had produced ideas worthy of being incorporated in the marina of tomorrow.