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Feadship Unveil the Brand New Feadship Future Concept: Breathe
We spoke to Head of the Feadship Design Department, Ronno Schouten, about the unveiling of Breathe – the brand new concept released at the 2010 Monaco Yacht Show.
Feadship and its in-house design team at De Voogt Naval Architects revealed a stunning new Feadship Future Concept at the 20th edition of the Monaco Yacht Show. This innovative design takes the science of biomimicry as a starting point, designed to imitate some of nature’s finest ideas in superyacht form.
Biomimicry studies the best creations in nature then copies and processes the designs in order to tackle human challenges. Feadship have designed a superyacht which not only lends from nature but also pioneers eco-friendly technology on-board. Examples include natural ventilation and cooling, the ultra-efficient wedge-like hull shape with a slender bow and wave damping aft body, the use of exterior paint that reduces resistance, the way the stabilizer blades generate more lift, the deployment of solar cells based on natural materials, and the application of light tubes to channel daylight.
Feadship’s previous Future Feadship concept was the Aeon, released at the 2009 Monaco Yacht Show, proving a motor yacht with a minimal effect on the environment is possible. Breathe continues in the eco-friendly direction, showing how sustainable development can also reduce costs.
The early sketches of Breathe were based on the simple and repetitive shapes found in nature. Her designers specifically sought a look that radiates unity and peace while dispensing with unnecessary elements.
The glass shells on Breathe serve as an animal skin to protect the yacht and her guests against the weather, by regulating temperature, absorb sunlight and offer the transparency required to stay in contact with the surroundings.
The name Breathe refers to the natural ventilation on board, which take the black and white stripes of a zebra as a reference point. These stripes create variations in air temperature just above the surface of the skin.
Breathe uses the air between the shells as an insulation layer between the warm surrounding air and cool climate inside. The shells have an additional role as solar cells to capture and use the energy of the sun.