Tag Archives: floating house

House made from flax fiber may be the floating home of our future

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We are not fully anticipating that there will be a day when water will fully cover the earth and we need to be floating around, living our lives amidst all that. But that is really a distinct possibility because of climate change, so inventors, product designers, architects, and other creative people are coming up with things that will enable us to live a possibly different kind of existence by that time. How are houses or living conditions going to look like in the future? This may be one of the solutions we can live with.

Designer: Institut auf dem Rosenberg and SAGA Space Architects

The Blue Nomad is a floating house designed by students, who may very well be the inhabitants of those very houses in the future together with a forward-thinking architectural firm. It is designed to be a permanent home for those that will travel and live on the water, specifically what may be known in the future as “modern nomads”. Other designers previously came up with concepts for houses living on the water but they’re more for those who will be staying in a permanent, single location.

The students who helped create the concept got their inspiration from the Outrigger, a boat made from organic materials used by Polynesian nomadic communities from centuries before. This new concept will be able to house two people and allow them to have two temporary guests. It will be made mainly from flax fiber and is more or less shaped like a small boat. The units can be connected together so neighborhoods or communities can also be built despite the nomadic culture.

The house would run on solar energy for all its needs including propulsion, electricity, and even food production and fresh water. The concept was brought to life through the help of artificial intelligence and the full scale prototype sis expected to make a 3000km voyage across Europe to test its viability.

The post House made from flax fiber may be the floating home of our future first appeared on Yanko Design.

This concrete floating home in Ho Chi Minh City is designed to mitigate the effects of flooding

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Architecture studio SDA designed a concrete-frame home called the Floating House. Perched on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, the Floating House has been raised above the ground, to protect the home against the effects of flooding. The home is located in the Thu Duc district, which faces flooding quite frequently due to a nearby river. By elevating the home one meter above the ground, the studio was able to mitigate the adverse impact of flooding.

Designer: Studio SDA

The home is marked by its exposed concrete framework, which provides protection to the house from the elements. About 70 percent of the home is filled with spaces that are quite open to the outside, through the integration of cantilevered balconies and a rooftop terrace. This creates a serene indoor-outdoor connection. The rest of the home is closed off to the outside with the help of wood-framed windows.

“We composed the house as three slabs floating above the ground. The gap between each floor creates a diversity of spaces indoors and outdoors. Each slab is extended toward the garden, cantilevering in multiple directions, and serves as a terrace or outdoor space, an eave for an opening, and a roof to cover an outdoor staircase,” explained Studio SDA. The home features three levels, which are connected via an external staircase that is sheltered overhead by overhanging floor plates. The interiors of the home are enclosed by folding glass doors with dark-wood frames. This enables the spaces to be deftly interconnected to the balconies. However, the bathroom is fully enclosed and private.

The lower level of the home includes the bedroom. The bedroom is linked to the kitchen, living room, and dining area on the upper floor by an internal spiral staircase. A rooftop terrace is placed atop the home, and it holds seating and outdoor cooking spaces. “In Vietnam, where everything is packed tightly together, including people and things, we believe it is essential to design outdoor spaces that serve as ‘blank spaces.  This house focuses on the active outdoor life in Vietnam, with a new frame and structural design to realize it,” the studio concluded.

The post This concrete floating home in Ho Chi Minh City is designed to mitigate the effects of flooding first appeared on Yanko Design.

This concrete floating home in Ho Chi Minh City is designed to mitigate the effects of flooding

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Architecture studio SDA designed a concrete-frame home called the Floating House. Perched on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, the Floating House has been raised above the ground, to protect the home against the effects of flooding. The home is located in the Thu Duc district, which faces flooding quite frequently due to a nearby river. By elevating the home one meter above the ground, the studio was able to mitigate the adverse impact of flooding.

Designer: Studio SDA

The home is marked by its exposed concrete framework, which provides protection to the house from the elements. About 70 percent of the home is filled with spaces that are quite open to the outside, through the integration of cantilevered balconies and a rooftop terrace. This creates a serene indoor-outdoor connection. The rest of the home is closed off to the outside with the help of wood-framed windows.

“We composed the house as three slabs floating above the ground. The gap between each floor creates a diversity of spaces indoors and outdoors. Each slab is extended toward the garden, cantilevering in multiple directions, and serves as a terrace or outdoor space, an eave for an opening, and a roof to cover an outdoor staircase,” explained Studio SDA. The home features three levels, which are connected via an external staircase that is sheltered overhead by overhanging floor plates. The interiors of the home are enclosed by folding glass doors with dark-wood frames. This enables the spaces to be deftly interconnected to the balconies. However, the bathroom is fully enclosed and private.

The lower level of the home includes the bedroom. The bedroom is linked to the kitchen, living room, and dining area on the upper floor by an internal spiral staircase. A rooftop terrace is placed atop the home, and it holds seating and outdoor cooking spaces. “In Vietnam, where everything is packed tightly together, including people and things, we believe it is essential to design outdoor spaces that serve as ‘blank spaces.  This house focuses on the active outdoor life in Vietnam, with a new frame and structural design to realize it,” the studio concluded.

The post This concrete floating home in Ho Chi Minh City is designed to mitigate the effects of flooding first appeared on Yanko Design.

This modular housing concept floats on water and is made from recycled plastic

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Some people are already fantasizing about setting up colonies on the Moon and Mars, but we have barely begun to understand and conquer our own seas and oceans. Granted, we might already be killing off these bodies of water because of your carelessness and neglect, but a large portion of the planet’s maritime territory remains unharnessed. Hopefully, however, we can be smarter about how we use this invaluable resource, especially when it comes to building homes below or on top of our waters. There have already been numerous ideas about how houses and even whole communities can be built to float on water, but this more sustainable concept not only respects the marine environment but even creates potential habitats for the creatures of the sea.

Designer: MAST

Although it will definitely require more thinking and resources, it would probably be easier if these new aquatic buildings were made using traditional materials and methods. Of course, that would also mean destroying the very environment that we’re building our new lives on. That’s nothing new as far as what we’ve been doing so far on the ground, but we already should know better by now. A new environment also means being able to start anew using the lessons we’ve learned over the past millennia, and this “Land on Water” vision is exactly that.

The literal foundations of this modular building system actually find their roots in ancient times. It inverts the typical gabion cage design, which is usually filled with rubble to create low-cost foundations and is instead filled with locally sourced, up-cycled floatation support to hold whatever structure is built on top. The flat-packed cages themselves are made from reinforced recycled plastic, making it easier to transport these sturdy modules and assemble them on location.

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In addition to avoiding the toxic anti-fouling paints used on steel and concrete foundations, these modules can potentially become new habitats for fish and crustaceans, as well as anchor points for mollusks and seaweed. In other words, Land on Water won’t just be building homes for humans but also homes for marine life that could help support the human community above in turn.

The modular cages can be used to build anything from floating houses to campsites to even pools and saunas, as odd as that might sound for structures built to float on water. Land on Water can even become the blueprint for a new kind of dynamic, off-grid floating community of the future instead of the grand structures painted by some visionaries that still embrace the traditional and harmful practices that are killing off the planet. It might not be a scalable design for supporting large and heavy buildings, but that’s exactly the point of creating smaller, more agile structures that are also more respectful of the environment they’re built on.

The post This modular housing concept floats on water and is made from recycled plastic first appeared on Yanko Design.

This luxury holiday home is every grown-up & child’s dream with an architecture designed to deliver ultimate fun!

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If you have ever dreamed of having a treehouse, a pool, a slide, and more in your house but gave it all up because grown-ups can’t have fun, then do I have good news for you! PLA2 is a luxury house is made to incorporate the most fun activities – both indoor and outdoor – into its architecture and interior design. It is an extension of the Z9 resort in Thailand and therefore the holiday vibe is continued with PLA2. The floating villa lets you enjoy water rafting, karaoke, laze by the pool or sleep in the giant net over the water while still living in a modern structure.

PLA2 is close to the Z9 resort so all necessary supplies come from there. The slides and sloped stargazing beds are perfect for people of all ages to have their dream camping night. The team also plans to include a large movie screen for private screenings at the villa. The theme was inspired by active elements and words like dynamic, moving, energy, and vitality which resonates through the structure.

The exterior is inspired by the local fish which can be seen in the rounded curves of the cladding. The shape has two abstract volumes that echo the anatomies of a male and female snake-head fish swimming together. Males are smaller in size, and fresher in color, while females are larger and darker – hence the differences in tone and size observed in each spatial block. The main structure has a balloon frame to make the construction more dispersed and lighter in weight. It includes a water storage system a tugboat, and a backup generator for electricity in case the Z9 Resort can’t be accessed for supplies.

Just like the fish that swim together, the space is designed to blend in with each other in a harmonious flow both internally and externally. The rooms can be all opened up into one space during the day to make most of the natural light and wind while at night they can be separated to create sleeping zones and privacy. Nautical details inspired by submarines can be seen in the door handles or circular windows.

Wood and steel are the main materials used for construction. There are two different shades of wood – reflecting the female/male distinction. Each wooden volume is then punctuated by rusty-looking etched steel frames on the front façades, evoking the gills of the snake-head fish when its mouth opens up. To further illustrate freshwater life, the outdoor pool stands out with its light blue tone while darker and more sandy colors accentuate the interiors – from the bedroom suite to the entrance hall and gathering space. PLA2 incorporates all the fun activities while paying tribute to the local ecosystem beautifully!

Designer: Dersyn Studio

The post This luxury holiday home is every grown-up & child’s dream with an architecture designed to deliver ultimate fun! first appeared on Yanko Design.

The world’s first solar-powered luxury yacht is actually a floating villa worth $10.5 million!

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Do you also think about living in a modern luxury villa that is also a yacht powered by solar panels so you can lead the ultimate sustainable lifestyle of your dreams? Me too, and lucky for us (if being lucky also includes the $5.5 million base model cost) Waterstudio.NL and a Miami-based shipping company called Arkup have designed this insane dreamboat – literally! Called the Arkup 75, this flagship product combines luxury with off-the-grid living.

Arkup 75 lets you live in comfort and luxury in total autonomy – enjoy life between the sea, the sky, and the city. The 75 feet long yacht has a total living space of 4,350 sqft!

Arkup is a game-changer for the hospitality market when it comes to self-sustainable, blue developments. floating and overwater eco-resorts a reality with the versatility to scale, configure, even relocate. “We are revolutionizing life on the water. We leverage Arkup products and expertise for fast deployment, modular, floating communities that you scale according to market demands,” says the team.

The livable villa has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, a giant living space, a spacious kitchen, and a sliding deck all divided between two levels. It also has a rainwater harvesting system and solar panels so let you live off the grid comfortably!

Arkup livable yachts combine the best attributes of yachts, floating houses, and waterfront villas, with the added benefits of being self-sufficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. The Arkup livable yacht was conceived to be “future-proof”, from its ability to withstand or avoid extreme weather events to its self-contained systems that allow fully off-the-grid living.

The base model will cost $5.5 million and will come with the core amenities as well as the furniture but if you want a fully specced out version, the Arkup 75 can go well up to $10.5 million!

It is built to be energy efficient and incorporate a sustainable lifestyle with technology and systems in place like multiple solar panels on the roof and an intricate rainwater harvesting system with two 4000 gallon water tanks.

It also is modular and has stilts in case you want to dock your luxury home in the shallow waters of a remote island instead of drifting along the skyline of a big city.

The 2,300 sqft roof collects the rainwater and is covered with 36 kW solar electric panels which generate sufficient green energy to live off-the-grid. Live ecologically while being self-sufficient with water and electricity. Enjoy living off the grid and feel the satisfaction of minimizing your carbon footprint.

The smart communications system including satellite TV and WI-FI antennas, LTE, and VHF to stay connected at all times.

Rainwater is collected from the roof, then stored in the hull and purified to ensure freshwater full-autonomy. The hull also accommodates separate technical rooms for hydraulic, electrical, and storage room.

The 2,300 sqft roof is covered with 36 kW solar electric panels which generate sufficient green energy to live off-the-grid.

Two noise-free electric thrusters of 136 hp each rotate 180° for the best maneuverability to propel the yacht up to 5 knots.

The four 40ft long hydraulic legs allow to anchor in up to 20ft water depths and lift the livable yacht above the sea level.

Arkup 75 is also designed to be resistant against category 4 hurricane winds and have high insulation so that you can choose to live your best remote/flexible lifestyle in different climates while being safe.

The 456 sqft retractable terrace adds plenty of outdoor space and is surrounded by shock resistant glass railings. The sun deck located at the stern can be immersed, turning into a sea pool.

Designer: Waterstudio.NL

The post The world’s first solar-powered luxury yacht is actually a floating villa worth $10.5 million! first appeared on Yanko Design.

This shipping container has been repurposed into a floating home that adapts to changing sea levels!

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When you are apartment hunting in New York City, one of the common phrases used is “it’s the size of a container” to indicate how tiny the home is. But what if when you say “container” you actually mean a floating modern home off the Rockaway peninsula in Jamaica Bay? Or you could call it Kairu House! This two-story home crafted from shipping container materials and sapele wood is designed to rise and fall with the natural changes in sea level as we battle climate change. Kairu is a variation of the Japanese word for frog which is an homage to the water-based home.

The area is still recovering from Hurricane Sandy even after a decade and could use innovative reconstruction. That is where Kairu House comes in as an affordable, sustainable, and resilient home. It will become the primary residence for the founder and principal architect of Rekstur and his family. The main building is made of two 40-feet-tall shipping containers. The repurposed containers are cut in half (diagonally) and stacked on top of each other to make separate floors. The two steel sectional barges were welded together to create a single platform for the house which is docked at a local marina. It is spacious on the inside and the interiors are contemporary, modern, and bring in natural light and add a playful aesthetic with colorful accents.

The 470-square-feet home includes a bedroom, bathroom, and living space on the first floor. The second floor is where you will find a kitchen, dining room, and two gorgeous decks that overlook the bay. The awning windows have been made from repurposed doors while the staircase and framed front door are custom-made from steel. I personally love the stone bathroom sink which is a fun accent piece and also other details like the black granite kitchen counters and the kitchen backsplash made from handmade turquoise tiles!

“The goal of the project was to build a resilient, sustainable residence that responded to the needs of the environment but didn’t sacrifice the comforts of modern living. Building and living on water has been an incredible experience. Architecture on water has a more immediate need to be in tune with natural surroundings, and I’m grateful that this project has put me in closer touch with the local environment,” said Rekstur’s principal architect Adam Wiesehan. I, for one, would move in to a floating house in New York City in a heartbeat because rats cannot swim and I would have incredible views!

Designer: Rekstur

This houseboat was designed to blend in the natural landscape & encourage sustainable travel

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A young couple who were living in a modest apartment in Budapest reached out to architect Tamás Bene to design a small houseboat on Lake Tisza which would be their summer getaway home. They only had one ask – the structure would allow them to be immersed in nature so they could express their love for the region. The houseboat was a perfect concept that fulfilled their wishes without being fixed or grounded just like the river Tisza which is the source of lake’s thriving ecosystem.

The compact houseboat gives the residents an opportunity to spend time closely in the natural environment and even move their location if they feel like. The floating cabin has been designed to blend into the existing landscape so the residents get a chance to experience the surroundings on an intimate level. Bene drew inspiration from traditional cabin fishing boats for the form while optimizing the small space to include a small kitchen, dining table and sleeping area. For a nautical aesthetic, circular windows were added and the interior features warm timber finishes. The essence of the structure will remind you of the organically shape the waterside huts, dinghies and boats.

“The movement of this compact living space intends to enable its occupants to approach the atmosphere of their natural environment as closely as possible – insofar as nature has an ‘atmosphere’. The boat gives us an opportunity to spend time, eat, drink, sleep and awaken nearly anywhere, while blurring the boundaries between our personal selves and nature itself. This region has a special character not only in terms of its wildlife, but also because of the human-built environment that connects the river and the lake,” adds Bene. This houseboat is minimal, cozy and a seamless part of the lake without disturbing the ecosystem – perhaps in future Bene can team up with local communities and design more cabins that promote sustainable traveling!

Designer: Tamás Bene

A solar-powered floating Airbnb that lets you be a sustainable traveler!

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Unprecedented circumstances where we are all cooped up in our houses during summer just means one thing – bookmarking Airbnb houses and organizing your Pinterest board by what vacation would you like to take in all four seasons. Why a different board for a different season? Because summer is likely to be canceled and we must be prepared with holiday homes, like the Lilypad, that can provide an exclusive experience at any time of the year. I am sure you have seen this before – traveling is canceled (for now) but dreaming isn’t, so with all this extra time I encourage you to join me in daydreaming of a recovery weekend in floating Australian Airbnb.

The Lilypad is a luxury villa designed by Chuck Anderson and is anchored just north of Sydney’s Palm Beach. Anderson is a boat enthusiast so it is no surprise that he created a floating house! This beautiful Airbnb is also eco-conscious, it is completely solar-powered and is slowly helping us pivot towards sustainable travel. The exterior of the house is made from timber and includes an open living area, a wine cellar, a sleeping loft and, of course, a bathroom (for all that wine that we will consume post quarantine on our holiday!). To feel fancy, you have an al fresco dining (means you can eat your food while enjoying the breeze and sun when going outside is cool again) and sunbathing area on the lower level which also boasts of an expansive terrace.

“Lilypad Palm Beach was born by breaking the mold of traditional boating design to create the most unique sustainable escape with uncompromised luxuries,” says Anderson. The white interiors are a soothing contrast to the blue waters and make the natural light that comes in glow more. It’ll also be fun to have a paddleboard race on the waterfront as this Airbnb comes equipped with paddleboards, fishing equipment, and a tender to take to the beach nearby. To add a cherry on top of this dream vacation, the property also comes with a 24-hour concierge who can arrange for on-site massages. Go on, check out, I am going to stay here in my daydream for now.

Designer: Lilypad by Chuck Anderson