Ocean Architecture: Disciplinary Connotation, Boundaries, and System Construction

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Ocean Architecture: Disciplinary Connotation, Boundaries, and System Construction

Chibiao Hao ^1,2 , Xudong Xie ^{1 ,*} , Xuepeng Shi ¹

1 . School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266033, Shandong, China
2 . International Academic Union of Oceanic Architecture (IAUOA)

* Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Published in Coastal Human Settlements ( Volume 3, Issue 1 )

Received: 17 February 2026 Accepted: 06 May 2026 Published: 17 May 2026

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Abstract

As marine development accelerates, coastal urbanization increases, sea levels rise, and human activities expand from land to ocean, the built environment must adapt to dynamic marine conditions rather than stable land settings. Existing research covers floating architecture, offshore structures, resilient coastal cities, marine spatial planning, underwater habitats, and ecological restoration. However, these studies are scattered across fields like architecture, ocean engineering, marine science, environmental planning, and ecology. They have not yet formed a unified discipline capable of defining Ocean Architecture's objects, methods, knowledge, and education system. This paper aims to clarify what Ocean Architecture is, define its boundaries relative to related fields, and propose a systematic framework for its development. Methodologically, it combines literature review, comparative analysis, synthesis, and theoretical framework development. It defines Ocean Architecture as an interdisciplinary field focused on planning, designing, constructing, operating, and inhabiting marine environments. The core features include environmental adaptability, dynamic spatiality, human-centered habitation, ecological integration, technological coupling, and multi-scalar marine spatial organization. The paper distinguishes Ocean Architecture from traditional architecture, ocean engineering, and coastal science, emphasizing its focus on marine habitation and built environments rather than solely engineering or natural processes. It proposes a disciplinary system comprising a theoretical foundation, research objects, technical methods, practical applications, and talent cultivation. The paper argues that Ocean Architecture is an emerging but essential interdisciplinary discipline for land-sea integration. Its importance lies in expanding architectural theory beyond land-based assumptions and providing a human-centered, ecologically informed, and technologically grounded framework for future marine civilization.

Published in	Coastal Human Settlements (Volume 3, Issue 1)
DOI	10.65736/chs03011
Page(s)	15
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s). Published by Open Access Press

Keywords

Ocean Architecture, marine-built environment, marine spatial habitation, interdisciplinary discipline, coastal resilience, floating architecture

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APA Style

Hao, C. C. , Xie, X. X. , Shi, X. X. (2024). Ocean Architecture: Disciplinary Connotation, Boundaries, and System Construction. Coastal Human Settlements, 3, (1), 1. https://doi.org/10.65736/chs03011

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ACS Style

Hao, C. ; Xie, X. ; Shi, X. Ocean Architecture: Disciplinary Connotation, Boundaries, and System Construction. Mach. Learn. Res. (2024), 3, (1), 1. doi: https://doi.org/10.65736/chs03011

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AMA Style

Hao , Xie , Shi . Ocean Architecture: Disciplinary Connotation, Boundaries, and System Construction. Mach Learn Res. (2024);3(1):1. doi: https://doi.org/10.65736/chs03011

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