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School of Fish Floats to Make Fine Cuisine Sustainable

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An elegant floating outdoor dining room just big enough to top a small platform made buoyant by 1,700 plastic bottles turns some scrounged-up lumber into a little bit of magic for an instructive 6 course meal in Vancouver, Canada.

The project is a fundraiser for the School of Fish Foundation. Founder Shannon Ronalds wants to raise the money and awareness needed to change worldwide culinary education to require a comprehensive sustainable seafood course for graduation.

No builder, nevertheless he battled through permitting and had his idea built off-site of re-used lumber and a born-again plastic roof, and hired a crane to place the finished structure.

Loki Ocean Marine Surveyors and Yacht Designers helped him figure out just how many plastic bottles he would need for flotation, which in turn determined the maximum size and weight of his exclusive floating dining room.

It floats on almost 1,700 plastic bottles – each one individually rescued from the sea – visible through a glass floor. These are used for flotation, but also, they serve as a constant reminder underfoot that there is no “away” any more – a visceral education and reminder to future restaurateurs that the food industry is the source of plastic waste. Change begins with them.

The idea is to empower the world’s up and coming chefs to change the restaurant industry worldwide.

Not tired after his construction project, School of Fish founder Ronalds will serve as sommelier and host for all 60 nights (through the end of September 2010) for the delectable sustainable fundraiser.