by Sean Levinson

The worlds first floating， self-sustainable[可持续的] office pod[小舱] was launched recently in an estuary[河口湾] of Southern Englands River Beaulieu. It is called the Exbury Egg， and it is the product of a group of revolutionary artists， engineers and architects[建筑师] who first put this idea into action two years ago.

The lucky inhabitant[住户] of the floating office is artist Stephen Turner， who plans to stay in the office for the next 12 months studying the marine[海洋的] life in a tidal creek[潮沟].

Along with Turner， the two who had the most involvement in the pods construction were boat builder Paul Baker and naval[船的] architect Stephen Payne. Measuring 20 feet long and nine feet wide， the Exbury Egg is mostly made of cold， molded plywood[胶合板] and timber[木材]. While it is capable of sustaining itself through 730 tidal changes， Turner will probably spend most of his time floating at high-tide and resting on the river floor at low-tide.

The shape of the Exbury Egg was inspired by nesting seabirds local to the Beaulieu River， and its exterior[外部] will weather[（经受风雨而）变形] and visually attest[证明] to its contact with the tides， wildlife， rain， and sun. Though not exactly bursting with home comforts， the snug[温暖舒适的] space does provide the basic necessities[必需品]. The interior[内部] contains a desk， hammock[吊床]， and kitchen， which itself sports[设有] a paraffin[煤油] stove and sink. However， theres no running water， so Turner makes use of a nearby hosepipe[软管] back on land. Access to the Egg is afforded[提供] via a small pontoon bridge[浮桥]. Theres no electricity on-board， so Turner will rely on solar chargers to keep his cell-phone， digital camera， and laptop juiced-up[保持活跃的].

In addition to serving as Turners workspace and occasional home， the Exbury Egg will also be used as an educational tool， and local students have been invited to observe the design， building， and installation of the Egg. They will monitor Turners findings during his time in the pod and learn how the project can further our understanding of certain ecosystems[生态系统]， while acting as a representation[代表人] of our research capabilities[能力] in the fields of architecture and environmental science.

全世界第一个自给自足的漂流办公舱近日在南英格兰的比尤利河口起航。这个“埃克斯伯里蛋”由一群富有革新精神的艺术家、工程师以及建筑师共同构建而成——他们两年前就开始动手，要将这个构思变为现实。

入住这个漂流办公室的幸运儿是艺术家斯蒂芬·特纳。在接下来的一年中，他打算在这个办公室里研究潮沟里的海洋生物。

除了特纳以外，还有两人也是这个工作舱建造工作的主要参与者——他们是造船家保罗·贝克和造船技师斯蒂芬·佩恩。埃克斯伯里蛋长20英尺（约6.10米），宽9英尺（约2.74米），主要由冷成型胶合板以及原木构成。尽管该工作舱可以适应730种潮汐变化，特纳大多数只会在高潮时漂流，低潮时则在河床上停歇。

埃克斯伯里蛋的造型灵感源自在比尤利河上筑巢的本地海鸟。船身会受到风雨的侵蚀，其外观会留下日晒雨淋、野生生物和潮汐起落的痕迹。尽管无法像住家那样舒适，这个小小的蜗居依然可以满足基本生活所需。室内设有书桌、吊床以及厨房——厨房里居然还有煤油炉和水槽呢。不过这里没有自来水，特纳要利用附近岸边的胶管（供水）。走过一段小小的浮桥就能登上这个蛋型建筑。舱内没有电力供应，所以特纳的手机、数码相机以及笔记本电脑都得依靠太阳能充电器才能保持运作。

除了作为特纳的工作室以及偶尔的居所，埃克斯伯里蛋还将用于教学——当地的学生被邀请上船，观察这个蛋型建筑的设计、建造与安装。学生们将记录特纳在舱内生活期间的研究发现，了解这个项目如何加深我们对特定生态系统的认识：埃克斯伯里蛋体现了我们在建筑学以及环境科学领域的研究水平。