< Previous70 commercialinteriordesign.comWorld ViewAugust 2025 IN THE HEART OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN, far from the bustle of any coastline, a new architectural marvel quietly prepares to transform how we think about buildings, survival and the environment. Margot Krasojevi ’s Tsunami Submersible Emergency Hotel is a profound testament to how architecture, marine engineering and environmental ethics can shape a more resilient world. Positioned fty miles from Taiwan and 150 miles from China’s Eastern volcanic arc mainland, the hotel comprises three vertical structures that have the astonishing ability to submerge beneath the waves at the threat of a tsunami. Drawing on marine engineering principles typically reserved for submersible vessels, tension-leg oil platforms and even the anatomy of sleeping humpback whales, this project is as scienti cally grounded as it is visionary. At the core of the design are reinforced acrylic pods wrapped in in atable marine salvage jackets, an ingenious adaptation of life- saving technologies. These in atable facades expand to stabilise the hotel against turbulent seas, keeping the structures a oat. When danger approaches, the facades de ate, allowing the ballast tanks to ood and gracefully lower the hotel beneath the water’s surface, where the energy of a tsunami’s wave is less destructive than onshore. In essence, it is architecture that knows how to breathe with the ocean, rather than stand de ant against it. This pioneering typology is not con ned to hospitality. It is a prototype for habitable structures in an age where climate change renders coastlines ever more fragile. With rising sea levels and the increasing frequency of extreme weather, Krasojevi ’s work insists that architecture must become as dynamic and adaptable as the planet itself. She reminds us that the environment is not static, and neither should our buildings be. The hotel’s design is laced with layers of ethical foresight. In an age where hyper-tourism is pushing ecosystems and communities to the brink, locating this oating hotel miles offshore offers an alternative to the overburdened coasts. It provides a lesser-known destination, inviting travellers to experience the majesty of the open ocean while 7071 commercialinteriordesign.comWorld ViewAugust 202572 commercialinteriordesign.comWorld ViewAugust 2025 alleviating pressures on traditional tourist sites. Each hotel room is equipped with a hyperbaric chamber, accommodating pressure changes with clinical precision, a homage to both marine science and human comfort. The presence of photonic turbines, equipped with bre-optic sensors, ensures sustainable energy production, optimising performance in real time while reducing environmental impact. Even the balancing mechanism between the hotel structures, inspired by the stabilising reach of giant squids, is a remarkable fusion of biology and engineering. Krasojevi ’s profound impact lies not just in her technical ingenuity but in her insistence that architecture must evolve through cross-disciplinary strategies. Educated at the Architectural Association School of Architecture and The Bartlett at University College London, she honed her craft at Zaha Hadid Architects before launching her own practice dedicated to renewable energy, sustainability and environmental ethics. Her projects, ranging from hydroelectric homes to hotels 73 commercialinteriordesign.comWorld ViewAugust 2025 that double as power plants, re ect a relentless commitment to rede ning architecture in response to ecological realities. This hotel, commissioned by China’s Ministry of Environment and Ecology, is a natural extension of her portfolio. The air ow patterns of sleeping whales helped inform the distribution of ballast chambers, demonstrating her ability to extract profound lessons from the natural world and translate them into life-saving design. She is, at her core, an architect of empathy, designing not just for human luxury, but for planetary survival. Krasojevi ’s in uence is global. She is currently developing hotel designs in Qatar and Jeddah, in collaboration with NEOM and continues her research on carbon-negative building materials like hempcrete. Her numerous accolades, including the LEAF Award and WAN Gold Awards, and her exhibitions at institutions like The Futurium in Berlin and the Smithsonian, signal not just recognition, but a growing urgency to adopt her philosophy at scale. Ultimately, the Tsunami Submersible Emergency Hotel is a message. In its depths lie the wisdom of the ocean, the precision of engineering and the ethics of environmental stewardship. It rede nes not only how we build, but why we build. As climate threats intensify, it is architects like Margot Krasojevi who will lead us toward structures that do not merely resist nature, but move with it, structures that, like the ocean itself, endure by adapting.74 commercialinteriordesign.comAugust 2025What's on my desk? WHAT’S ON MY DESK? Hamdi Adam, Partner and Co-founder of XYZ Designers Behind every bold concept and built space lies a desk often cluttered, sometimes curated, always telling. For the design community, a workspace is more than functional real estate. It’s a re ection of priorities, pace and personal taste. This month, Commercial Interior Design steps into the daily orbit of Hamdi Adam, partner and co-founder of XYZ Designers. From analogue sketches to high-spec gadgets and sentimental keepsakes, his desk is a microcosm of his evolving design language. Hamdi talks us through what’s on his desk, one object at a time. 5. Extended monitor Design is detail and details need screen space. While I work on my Surface, I also use an extended monitor. It gives me a clearer view of technical drawings, helping me check dimensions and finer points more ef ciently. One screen for sketching, the other for reviewing. It’s a setup that works. 4. Sketch roll Let’s start with one of the most essential tools for any architect or designer: the sketch roll. It’s where every project begins. Before anything digital happens, I take a pencil to paper to explore the concept, the form, the idea. I use it almost every day, it’s how I get my thoughts moving. 3. Microsoft Surface and stylus Tech plays a huge role in my process. I use a Microsoft Surface with a stylus, which allows me to sketch directly onto drawings, make notes and quickly mark up plans. It gives me exibility, blending the feeling of drawing by hand with the precision of digital tools. 2. RAL colour palette Colour is always a key element in architectural storytelling. On my desk, you’ll always nd the RAL colour palette. I use it to select the right tones and shades for our projects and to retrieve the exact colour codes. This helps ensure our designs translate perfectly from vision to reality. 1. My cup of coffee Every morning starts the same way: black coffee. This cup is always by my side. The moment I walk into the of ce, the rst thing I do is make myself a strong coffee. It’s a ritual, it gives me the energy and focus I need to start my day, whether I’m checking emails, sketching or meeting with clients. 1 2 3 4 5Next >