• A Washington-based architectural firm is studying the possibility of repurposing cruise ships.
• The ships could be turned into affordable housing, architect Abe Desooky told Insider.
• The concept aims to combat the oversupply of cruise ships and provide affordable housing in Miami.

The cruise industry has faced many challenges in recent years, primarily due to the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the issues that has yet to be resolved is the increasing number of ships that have been decommissioned due to interrupted voyage.

In September 2020, Carnival Cruises announced plans to sell 18 less efficient ships. This would have generated a 12% reduction in capacity, according to its press release.

According to Reuters, cruise ship dismantling activity also increased by 30% in 2020 in Aliağa, Turkey, as ships were dismantled for the sale of scrap.

However, CallisonRTKL, a Washington-based architecture firm, may have found an opportunity to reuse these idle ships for a larger purpose: affordable housing.

Architectural designer Abe Desooky told Insider that he conducted a recent study to explore the possibility of taking advantage of the oversupply of decommissioned ships as a primary housing structure in Miami.

“Right now we’re seeing cruise ships being decommissioned at one of the highest rates in history, and simultaneously there’s a growing lack of affordable housing in the Miami area,” Desooky said.

As part of the research study, Desooky said 362 Miami residents were surveyed about their interest in living in a coastal housing scenario. According to their findings, 88% of respondents were interested in the concept, with people between the ages of 41 and 50 being the most interested.

According to Desooky, Miami was already quite expensive for residents’ incomes in 2020, fueling the need for affordable housing. According to the results, 53% of Miami’s population pays more than 30% of their monthly household income in housing costs.

“The problem is only growing, not diminishing over time,” Desooky said.

When designing the vessel, Desooky said it was important to keep certain conveniences in mind. This included parking infrastructure, since Miami is a busy city with cars, which would be under the bridge.

A notable finding from the survey was respondents’ preference for natural light in their bedrooms on cruise ships, rather than a living room. This prompted the inclusion of a courtyard amidships as part of the design.

The inclusion of plants would be welcome for residents, he added.

Each room, called units, would be designed for one person, Desooky explained. But it is possible to combine rooms to accommodate families.

About 900 units could fit in the ship, and each unit would cost $1,250 per month.

Desooky said the company has spoken to major cruise lines about the concept. “They were thinking of housing construction workers who work on private islands and need accommodation – they could use decommissioned ships to dock there and create temporary accommodation.”

As it stands, the plan founded by CallisonRTKL is not a business proposition but rather a research study. “Maybe this concept could eventually come to fruition,” Desooky said.

“As we get closer to environmental degradation and climate change, cities like Miami need to start coming up with atypical solutions and so I think taking decommissioned ships and not just using them for hospitality is something which should happen now,” added Desooky. .