MASK Architects are opening a new branch in Houston, Texas along with Nancy Villatoro, founder of YZ Builders LLC, bringing yachting and cruising to the USA. A visionary decision made by a visionary firm. We interviewed Öznur Pınar Çer and Danilo Petta, co-founders of MASK Architects. Before moving on to our interview with Çer and Petta, we must make a premise: MASK Architects used artificial intelligence to design the ONYX H2-BO 85, the first 85 metre superyacht in the world that will use hydrogen made on board by using ocean water for electrolysis.

The brand, founded in Turkey in 2014 by Çer, started working in Italiy in 2020, co-founded by Çer, lead architect for 37 years, and by Petta, designer and architectural designer for 44 years, design manager and lead designer. Çer not only designs yachts, but also cruise ships, resorts, and buildings where science, architecture, technology and the environment meld together adapting to a changing climate. The team includes young architects and designers coming from Italy, Turkey, Nigeria, Israel and Germany, coordinated by Öznur and Danilo in the art of providing design services that range from micro-mechanics to large works.

The ONYX H2-BO 85 yacht has for retractable arms equipped with turbines, which is where the electrolysis process begins by using desalinated ocean water. The hydrogen produced can be stored safely on board as energy reserves to be accessed when cruising at low speeds or at anchor. MASK Architects has been awarded the “Europe 40 under 40” award from the European Center for Next New Talented Generation, in 2020-2021 and 2023-2024, and is registered with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the World Design Organization (WDO).

You have said that Houston will be a milestone in your mission to supply visionary architecture and transformative design to the world, a hub that will allow you to contact clients from the around the country and foster meaningful collaborations in one of the world’s most dynamic markets. What was the main incentive for this choice?

In short, the American market is a strategic choice aimed at quickly attracting investors in prefabricated luxury, a technique that is well known to Americans. This idea was actually put forward by a group that is already working in Texas in construction.

You design cruise ships, resorts and buildings. How does yachting and pleasure boating fit in with all this?

Ships and yachts are luxury goods and we have plenty of experience in precision watchmaking, so we can say that, even though it uses a different design scale, ships and yachts should be considered precious gems. The approach to their design does not change from that of a luxury watch. Certainly there are different skills required, but design is design on everything and that means it can be designed by designers and architects.

In each of your projects, science, architecture, technology and the environment blend together and adapt to a changing climate. How does this translate to these two sectors?

Firstly, we work on books, we study, document ourselves on the problems of the world and people. Then, once we have found the most important on which to work, we grab our pencils and try and resolve them using design and technology, assisted by specific consultants depending on the project design.

ONYX H2-BO 85 seems to be an excellent example of micro- and macro-mechanics, architecture and technology, or am I mistaken?

The H2-BO projects is a concentration of many different subjects, from physics to naval engineering, design and hydro-dynamics. To manage its development, we had to set up another management business, AQH Srl, which has two aerospace engineers as partners. We can’t say much more for now, but soon we will be in a place to present the system in a clear and defined manner.

What artificial intelligence tools did you use to design the ONYX H2-BO 85?

Specifically we used two different types of software, but we cannot share the names at the moment as they are in beta version and do not belong to us. One was used to calculate ocean currents, calculating the movement of the flows with projections based on location, over weeks. The other, Kreo, allowed us to integrate the aesthetics of certain apparatus to the yacht design.

Do you use artificial intelligence in all of your designs, or in some more than others?

At the moment we believe that writing software helps us the most in writing project reports. We have a perfect virtual assistance which writes and translates in all languages, knows all the subjects, and is free. What else?

In just a few years, you have collected a number of international awards. What project do you think represents you the most, and is close to your heart?

The one we still need to make. The best is yet to come.

Donatella Zucca

By Daily Nautica