Floating Homes - 2 types

Flooding is a natural function of rivers. Sea levels are predicted to rise. There are two types of floating homes, permanently floating homes and homes that float only when flood waters swell, but sit on the ground during the dry season. Requiring the later on new construction within floodplains, and considering same for threatened shorelines, is one way to plan for the future. Although floating homes near the coast need protected waters, wave attenuation through wave walls and dykes (as used in Europe) are a future possibility. Inaction is costly. Some inspiration for those on waterways...




Lake Huron, Great Lakes -- Lake Huron's water levels vary dramatically from month-to-month, year-to-year. MOS Architects www.mos-office.net Photos by Florian Holzherr.





Lake Huron, Great Lakes. House was built on a steel platform structure with steel pontoons. www.mos-office.net Photos by Florian Holzherr.





On the Mississippi, the easiest homemade solution, foam blocks under your home. The 4 guide posts keep the house in place as it rises, just like a floating dock. www.buoyantfoundation.org






The Buoyant Foundation Project -- Dr. Elizabeth English explains the necessity of buoyant homes. A steel frame that holds the flotation blocks is attached to the underside of the house. There are four 'vertical guidance' poles not far from the corners of the house. The tops of the poles are attached to the steel frame. The poles telescope out of the ground, allowing the house to move up and down. Please visit www.buoyantfoundation.org





The Float House, designed by Morphosis Architects and students from UCLA collects its own water and generates its own electricity and is capable of floating as high as 12-feet on rising flood waters. Flotation is a single unit of expanded polystyrene foam coated in glass fiber reinforced concrete. The panelized walls, windows, interior finishes and kit roof are prefabricated and assembled on-site. The screens slide in front of glass for hurricane winds. Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation, which is dedicated to building affordable and green housing for New Orleans residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina, has built 50 LEED homes in New Orleans Lower 9th Ward so far, with 100 more under construction. He has built them all for under $150,000. www.makeitrightnola.org  Pic by Iwan Baan





Holland -- Green roofed SchwimmHausBoat by German architects Confused-Direction -- is a permanently floating home. Note that the floatation itself is not very bulky. www.schwimmhausboot.de





Maasbommel -- The Netherlands is readying itself for future flooding. The Dutch have realized that building higher dikes to keep out the sea is no longer the solution. Here's a community of 37 homes near the Maas River dyke, a river which is known for its seasonal flooding. These homes cost less than 5% more than the cost of conventional construction. Picture above is during a swell. Designed by Factor Architecten





Maasbommel, Netherlands -- Amphibious homes that rest on land but are built to rise when waters rise. When the river swells the house will float as much as 18 feet. Floats back down as the water subsides. Designed by Factor Architecten





Maasbommel, Netherlands. Houses sit on hollow concrete foundations that are attached to six iron piers. The fat posts in between the houses are the guides that keep the homes in place as they glide up and down. Factor Architecten





IJburg district of Amsterdam floating neighbourhoods with docks and jetties instead of roadways... Architectenbureau Marlies Rohmer www.rohmer.nl





Amsterdam, IJ Lake. Lightweight 3 story steel homes are supported by concrete “tubs” submerged in the water to a depth of half a story. Bedrooms are on the lowest floor. Architectenbureau Marlies Rohmer www.rohmer.nl Photo: Roos Aldershoff.






Amsterdam, IJ Lake. The neighbourhood has docks and slips instead of roadways. Architectenbureau Marlies Rohmer www.rohmer.nl






Amsterdam IJ Lake -- Seventy-five floating homes and waterside dyke houses. Architectenbureau Marlies Rohmer. www.rohmer.nl






Netherlands -- Regenboogkade -- Drive the cars inland during floods...better yet imagine green transport. Plus 31 Architects www.plus31architects.nl





Borneo-Sporenburg, Netherlands. A new interpretation of traditional Dutch canal houses. For more info and pics see here: www.west8.nl Pic: Room 19 www.flickr.com





Ladner, British Columbia, on the Fraser River. There are 500 floating homes in San Francisco, another 500 in Seattle, 500 in Vancouver, 3,500 in Portland, Oregon, 99 on Latsch Island on the Mississippi River in Minnesota and 40 in Yellowknife Bay, NWT.
Pic by Brett www.flickr.com





Oregon. Tomahawk Moorage.
portlandfloatinghomeinfo.com





Scarborough Bluffs, Ontario, Canada. Instead of racoons at your back door - ducks.
Pic: Somewhere in Toronto www.flickr.com





Floating Homes in Lake Union, Seattle from the air.
tenaschuck.org





The Floating Homes in Yellowknife Bay, Northwest Territories tend to be colorful.
Photo by Arctic Man www.flickr.com





Seattle Cottage on Union Lake.
residencehousedesign.com





Thames River near Hampton Court: Taggs Island, UK. Everyone on Taggs Island lives on a floating home; there are 40 hugging the perimeter and 20 in the central lagoon, all attached to piles driven into the riverbed. More info: www.taggs-island.com Pic Grahamsjz www.flickr.com





Minnesota. Every year the river homes become locked into the ice in the Latsch Island Boathouse Community on the Mississippi River. The extra weight of thick ice and snow needs to be removed from the roofs and decks of floating homes. The residents of this community also tie their homes to the trees during the spring swell. Pic: Floatin Winona Project www.fotovisura.com





Lake Union, Seattle. Exterior shots for the 1993 "Sleepless in Seattle" movie where shot here. Seattle Daily Photo www.flickr.com


 

Floating House Street in Esquimalt, British Columbia.
Pic: Ruth Anderson www.flickr.com






Lake Union, Seattle, Washington. Aluminum panels (polluting to manufacture) and rain screen cladding with fiber cement panels sheath the exterior. Vandeventer and Carlander Architects. www.vc-arch.com





The kitchen of above home. Hydronic in-floor heating utilizes an energy efficient heat pump system and the ventilation system utilizes a heat exchanger. www.vc-arch.com





Lake Union Float Home
by Northwest Architects
More pics: designsnw.com





gh3 Architects designed this boathouse for the photographer’s studio ‘Williams Studio’. The boathouse is located on Stony Lake, Canada. gh3.ca






Portland, Oregon, Fennell Residence -- Robert Harvey Oshatz Architects.
Pictures: Cameron Neilson, lots more here: www.oshatz.com





Lake Union in Seattle, Washington
en.wikipedia.org





Lake Austin in Austin, Texas. Lake Flato Architects
Lots more here: www.lakeflato.com





Lake Union, Seattle. New Craftsman style.
seattle.olx.com





The most famous of the Sausalito houseboats, the "Taj Majal", a miniature version of the Taj Mahal in India. For the last four decades it's been a private home, although it was a bed and breakfast for a few years, now it's a private home again. www.flickr.com





Sausalito floating homes have a history that stretches over a century. This home made from an old tugboat. A double sense of security. Picture Source





Houseboats in Kashmir.
Not homes but rentals for 135. + a night.
www.kashmirhouseboats.com





Vietnam, Ha Long Bay, where people have been living in floating homes for centuries... Pic: Mikel Bilbao © 2010 mikelbilbao.photoshelter.com





Powell Lake, British Columbia floating cabin on log raft. See a picture of the log flotation raft under construction here. tinyhouseblog.com More pics here: powellriverbooks.blogspot.com





A custom-built floating cabin in Perry Creek, nearby the island of Vinalhaven, Maine. Builder unknown. The photograph was taken by Marcus Peabody who submitted the image to a Tumblr site, Cabin Porn.




Holland. This is a two level home. The bedrooms and bathrooms are below sea level. www.plus31architects.com





Holland. Plus 31 Architects, see their website for many more floating home designs. www.plus31architects.com Photo: Iwan Baan






The Last Resort -- The design recently won a competition, and with funding in place the team expects to begin fabrication soon. Roof-integrated solar panels generate electricity for the two electric engines that propel the home. RAFAA Architecture & Designs www.rafaa.ch





Netherlands -- ‘New Water‘ will be the world’s first floating apartment complex, The Citadel. They will use 25% less energy than a conventional building due to the use of water cooling techniques. Architect: WaterStudio www.waterstudio.nl





Floating Island Seoul -- The world's largest artificial 'floating island' on Seoul's Han River is a 20,400 square-meter development, housing three inter-connected cultural centers. It was privately funded at a cost of about $88 million. It is scheduled for completion September, 2011. www.miceseoul.com





Floating Hotel -- The connecting bridge is planted with trees, giving the impression of land projecting into the sea. Designed by the Giancarlo Zema Design Group for an Arabian commission. www.giancarlozema.com





Floating City planned for 2015 completion in the Maldives. The green covered star-shape building symbolizes the Maldivian innovative route to conquer climate change. This will become a location for conventions about climate change, water management and sustainability. Architect Koen Olthuis--Waterstudio.NL. Developer Dutch Docklands--www.dutchdocklands.com






Lilypads: floating eco-cities. Each 50,000-person pad is a designed as a zero-emission floating community that uses solar, wind, tidal and biomass power to generate energy for its inhabitants. vincent.callebaut.org





Floating Stadium. Travels to the venue via a blend of hybrid energies using water, wind and solar power. German design firm, Stadium Concept. www.stadiumconcept.de via www.evolo.us






Solar panels and roof garden. Equipped with an incinolet toilet which burns waste instead of creating more sewage. Drinking water is collected from rainstorms and filtered into a glass partition wall inside. The inner temperature of the boat is regulated by a geothermal pond loop which runs from the bottom of the water source through a piling supporting the dock and into the floor of the boat. By Wyatt Little -- Houston, Texas www.coroflot.com



Starting around 18,000 years ago, when the last ice age began receeding, till present day, sea level has risen by around 125 metres (about 400 feet) Source. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts a rise of up to 1 metre by 2100. Source. About 120,000 years ago, during the previous interglacial, sea level was for a short time, about 6 meters higher than today. Source.


Kinds of Flotation Systems being used -- issue most not yet green:
Log floats, solid styrofoam encased in rubber, foam filled steel pontoons, positive concrete, concrete pontoons, concrete and foam, wood and foam, polyethylene shell with solid core polystyrene block molded inside, fiberglass and envirofloat...


Waste: Incinerator toilets, compost toilets or a hook up to sewer services along the dock.


In Lozman v. City of Riviera Beach, Florida, U.S. Supreme Court, No. 11-626, a decision was rendered that floating structures be treated as land-based homes, not as a vessel subject to maritime laws.



We can now reimagine this scene.



How it Works/ How to:

www.buoyantfoundation.org


More Videos:

Bamboo Floating Homes
www.youtube.com

Floating Mega Cities

www.youtube.com

www.floodproofhousing.com
www.youtube.com



Builders of Floating Homes:
As mentioned above and

Vancouver - work with numerous architects
www.floatinghomes.com

Seattle - Floating Homes
www.seattleafloat.com


 

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Eddy Gudadi
Posts: 16

floating houses / settlement
Reply #17 on : Sun March 03, 2013, 21:00:17

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Since the first time I was traveling in Kalimantan ( Borneo ) in 1973 my mind kept wondering why in other place of Indonesia people do not adopt this method of living , namely floating houses on huge log. Eventhough at that time I felt what a pity of those huge and valuable timber used as a floater while there are other substitute. Here in Jakarta where I live just a month ago there had been flood due to the monsoon and also that the upstream area is heavily deforested. Now the issue is to do reclamation which I assume is not " ecological ". Rather than reclamation it would be better to make floating settlement , which is following the nature rythm. Perhaps your idea and expertise would be valuable for the other parts of Indonesia and the other part of the world as well

Ron Swaren
Posts: 16

Flood risk on river
Reply #16 on : Mon November 26, 2012, 22:24:32

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This article says that Portland, Oregon has 3500 floating homes. Most would be on the Columbia River, and frequently are on wood pilings. In the winter of 1996-97 there was a bad flood and many of the floating home communities came within literally a foot or two of floating off the pilings. Once the river crested there was also a fear that winter winds would come up, and snap the pilings. This was a very scary week ---and insurance probably would not have covered the losses, had they occurred. Plus numerous yacht moorages were also at risk. Could have been hundreds of millions $$ in losses!! Some of the houseboats were moored to dolphin type pilings and nearly reached the top of those. Even the steel pilings were nearly breached, but the marinas welded extensions on the following summer. Many houseboats, however, are still on wooden pilings.

IMF
Posts: 16

http://www.floatingstructures.com/
Reply #15 on : Fri November 16, 2012, 18:46:47

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These are some of the most unique floating home photos I have seen anywhere on the internet. I don't know where to start...certainly the Netherlands seems to be an innovator and design, probably out of necessity due to the need for land reclamation (and the floating home alternative). I was also unaware that Portland had such a large floating home community!

saulius
Posts: 16

Vilnius Port Project
Reply #14 on : Fri November 02, 2012, 17:34:08

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Do You build concret project realy? That about prices?
Thanks

Nona297
Posts: 1

@ Gladys
Reply #13 on : Sun September 30, 2012, 10:05:34

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A bamboo floating home sounds like a great idea (I suppose other than in a hurricane prone area).

It looks like Simon Velez does some small scale works, I see a treehouse even, check out his website, www.deboerarchitects.com. If you write to him, maybe he would come up with a floating bamboo design! Worth a try.

Gladys Gutierrez
Posts: 16

Bamboo floating homes
Reply #12 on : Sat September 29, 2012, 15:36:13

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I'm very impressed with this architecture and the durability and strength. I know of another site for the building of bamboo homes (pre-fab), but was wondering if there's a possibility of a floating variation for an average person to build. Is the architect Simon Velez available for small scale construction? Maybe in construction with another company as a consultant?

Jessica Cano
Posts: 16

Congratulations for your job.‏
Reply #11 on : Wed September 26, 2012, 03:48:34

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I thank you for doing things as beautiful.

It's LITERAL my dream come true, knowing that this exist, i know that what I dreamed for 3 years, it has come true., and knowing that someone finally it did REALITY, motivated me in ways unimaginable.

My English is very bad, as you may have noticed, but try to write what else I can, because it is true, THE DREAMS EXIST.

THANKS FOR DO THE FLOATING HOUSE.

P.S. Thank you so much and greetings from Xalapa, Veracruz, México.


I hope one day to make it happen

Star Quinn
Posts: 16

replacing floats
Reply #10 on : Mon September 03, 2012, 00:56:37

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Hello All
I have purchased a floathome and am currently living in it. I am looking to replace the floats. I need any help anyone can provide.
Ideally I need to know where I can purchase foam and if there is anyone who could foreman the operation. I have lots of friends and family for labour with skills and tool but no boat nohow. Budget is also a main concern.
THANKS!!!

G.GABY
Posts: 16

Voluntary
Reply #9 on : Wed June 20, 2012, 02:56:16

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Anyone out there, who needs a hand, to help Build, renovate one of these.

Holland, Summer months, until September'12.
Would need accomodation

Voluntary, Wood machinist, part-time Electrics..
Available.

G.Gaby
08:53 a.m.

G.GABY
Posts: 16

NEW LEARNING
Reply #8 on : Wed June 20, 2012, 02:48:03

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Thank you for this wonderful insight, into what can be achieved, with a bit of Imagination.

And it keeps the depression away, one gets, when floods & disasters arrive.

Hope to own one sometime.

G.Gaby
08:45 a.m.

ducancelle jean michel
Posts: 16

maison flottante
Reply #7 on : Sun January 29, 2012, 01:31:52

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Bonjour,
je vous signale qu'il manque anthenea, maison flottante à vision sous marine autonome, dont plusieurs exemplaires ont été réalisés.
ducancelle.com. Le projet certainement le plus futuriste et réaliste francais.
cordialement
Jean Michel ducancelle
Hello,
I would point out that lack anthenea house floating autonomous underwater vision, many copies were made.
ducancelle.com. The project certainly the most futuristic and realistic french.
cordially
Jean Michel Ducancel

Kesara
Posts: 16

Can a floating house be built on ground?
Reply #6 on : Fri October 28, 2011, 01:14:47

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I'm interested in floating house. I would like to know whether it can be built on ground so that when the land is flooded the house can float.

Looking forward to your reply.

Kesara
Posts: 16

Can a floating house be built on ground?
Reply #5 on : Fri October 28, 2011, 01:12:44

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I'm interested in floating house. I would like to know whether it can be built on ground so that when the land is flooded the house can float.

Looking forward to your reply.

Margy
Posts: 16

Thanks
Reply #4 on : Thu August 18, 2011, 02:11:37

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Thanks for including my float home on Powell Lake BC in your collection. If you would like to read more about it visit my blog http://PowellRiverBooks.blogspot.com

Margy

lucy
Posts: 16

floating Homes
Reply #3 on : Tue August 16, 2011, 02:29:19

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Moden Green House

Keiren
Posts: 16

Yellowknife
Reply #2 on : Wed May 25, 2011, 11:16:00

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Thanks for the tip!

Bill Tobey
Posts: 16

Float Homes
Reply #1 on : Tue May 24, 2011, 23:01:25

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You need to add the float homes from Yellowknife Bay, Yellowknife, NT, Canada.

Theyhave midnight sun in the summer & freeze in during the -40C winter temperatures when satalite TV starts to work.