Project: Salty Bastard : WHAT IF AMPHIBIOUS MOBILITY WASN'T JUST A CURIOSITY, BUT THE NORM?

Abstract: Planet Earth is moving rapidly towards a point of no return in the climate crisis currently experienced, and while the debate is still raging on wether it is naturally occurring or not the temperature steadily increases - causing melting icecaps, expanding seas and rising oceans. It is the author's view however, that wether the change is man-made or not is irrelevant; as there is no other planet to conduct an experiment on. Therefor it needs to be treated as a problem generated by our species to best ward for the future generations. With rising seas come new problems, many problems that have accidentally been solved by developments in other fields. Take the development of artificial islands on the coast of Norway leading to the creation of entire floating civilisations in South East Asia. It easy to believe the coast lines among the nations of Earth will expand to take advantage of the additional space and comforts of newly created islands - and from this a new lifestyle will be born. A type of life where water plays a bigger role than ever before, and the need for mobility is greater than ever calls for urgent development in the nautical vehicle department. For what kind of vehicle would best be utilised for a life between the land and the sea in the future year of 2050? Throughout the often messy creative process many twists and turns have led the project forwards and backwards. Artistic exploration through sketching has been coupled with critical analysis of brand aesthetics and target markets. Conceptual evaluation and finalisation in 3D software and many, many loops back and forth generated visual material in both 2D and 3D to effectively communicate proposed solutions and artistic expression. The support from Scania and working out of the studio provided valuable insight for the brands future targets, but also the possibilities to collaborate and evaluate concepts along the process with engineers and modellers to ensure a believable final result. The feedback from the design team has strengthened the visual appeal of the vehicle, while the project in turn has helped the brand push its marque into the future in a visual sense. The final result is the Scania SNEKKJA, an amphibious vehicle capable of both land and aquatic travel in one single package adapted for most weather conditions. Pushing Scania further into the field of public transport, this vehicle retains the quality touch of the trucks currently delivered by the brand. It presents a new form language that stays true to the core values and roots of the manufacturer with a modern touch and offers a service provided by the brand as a personal mobility solution for people that want a more premium on demand service. A system that is always available and where convenience is the name of the game.