I'm designing the $900 million Storylines MV Narrative cruise ship for residents to live permanently at sea. It has an anti-aging clinic, 2 farms, and a hospital.

• Paul Read, a project manager, is heading the design process for the $900 million MV Narrative ship.
• The residential ship will let people live permanently at sea in apartments costing up to $8 million.
• The features he's designing include a pickleball court, vertical farms, and an anti-aging clinic.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Paul Read, the project manager for Storylines' MV Narrative cruise ship and the CEO of the marine consultancy Gelen Marine. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I've spent 25 years working in the shipbuilding industry, but I've never been involved in a project like this.