The sounds of the jungle catch me off guard on my first morning waking up in the SeaPod, a futuristic overwater bungalow off the Caribbean coast of Panama that is now open for overnight stays.
Hidden in the lush surrounding terrain, southern house wrens croon their scratchy wake-up call and whistling kiskadees compete with bellowing Howler monkeys. It’s quite the juxtaposition: my ultra-modern accommodation, complete with Starlink internet, touchscreen controls, and more than 100 sensors that measure everything from wind factor and lightning strikes to the SeaPod’s power and water consumption—and the primordial world at its doorstep.
The SeaPod, of which I’m among the first guests, is completely unlike the traditional thatched roof overwater bungalows I’ve visited elsewhere in French Polynesia and Jamaica—not least because it operates almost entirely on solar power, and harvests rain water on its roof. But unlike typical bungalows that rest permanently atop pillars wedged into the sand or rock, it floats on the water’s surface, temporarily tethered to the seabed with anchors that leave a far smaller footprint on the ocean floor.
“You don’t need to destroy the environment to place them there, since they’re truly floating,” says Laura Fernandes de Barros Marangoni, a post-doctoral researcher with Panama’s Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. “Bungalows and standard coastal resorts do touch the seabed—and tend to be more damaging to the local ecosystems.”
It’s this distinguishing feature, in part, that allows it to act as an artificial reef—not only minimizing damage to its environs, but actually restoring it. The invention of the high-tech ocean-innovation company Ocean Builders, the 845-square-foot SeaPod—whose open, circular design accommodates a kitchen, a small living room, and a bedroom and bathroom—is supported by air-filled steel tubes that rest beneath the water’s surface. Using the solar power it collects, the SeaPod generates a mild electrical current that works to attract calcium carbonate—a substance that not only protects the structure from corrosion and rust, but that also happens to be the building block of another crucial material: coral.
A rendering of the land-based GreenPod Eco and GreenPod Flagship, which Ocean Builders is also currently in the process of developing.
Ocean Builders
“Calcium carbonate is the best possible substrate for new coral recruits to settle themselves,” says Ronald Osinga, Assistant Professor in Marine Animal Ecology at Wageningen University in The Netherlands, who advises Ocean Builders on reef restoration projects. “So in this way, natural development of coral biodiversity is enhanced. The SeaPod is likely to become a source of a large variety of coral materials for reef renewal.”
Ocean Builders’ founder, Grant Romundt, became convinced of that while testing a prototype for the SeaPod offshore from Phuket, Thailand, in 2019. Within two months of launching the bare-bones beta version, he was amazed to see coral colonizing the structure’s steel tubing.
“Everywhere you looked there were thousands of fish,” Romundt says. “I was really excited. I realized our houses can restore sea life in the ocean as opposed to a house on land, where you cut down nature to build it—then put a potted plant in the corner to replace what you cut down.”
Romundt, who is Canadian, also has Panamanian residency. (The country’s Panama Residence by Investment Program, also known as the Panama golden visa, offers residence to foreigners willing to make a substantial investment into the country.) He chose Panama to launch the project, he told me, not only for its “beautiful marine environment and attractiveness for on-the-water-living,” but because it lies below the hurricane belt, making it a good place to test the concept’s initial viability. (Down the road, he plans to build hurricane-proof SeaPods to put in places like Florida, where there’s been much interest in the project.)
Romundt had originally conceived of the SeaPod as a residential structure, to expand coastal living options in an eco-friendly way. But the idea to turn the SeaPod into a hospitality project came naturally, he says.
“Giving people an amazing experience of what living in a floating home is like is the best way of growing and expanding our vision globally,” he says. “The steps we are taking here in Panama will be the basis for the future expansion of floating resorts in other parts of the world.”
Here, a dedicated concierge can stock your kitchen with local pineapple and lobster, and arrange experiences like in-pod dining with a personal chef, or excursions with Ocean Builders’ partners to visit other eco-restorative projects.
One morning, on a scuba diving adventure into Portobelo National Park with Jean Carlos Blanco, Executive Director of Reef2Reef Restoration Foundation, I donned a scuba tank to dive within a coral nursery, where some 750 individual corals are growing as part of a project with Panama’s Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. The goal, Blanco tells me, is to eventually outplant 5,000 corals within the national park. His organization is also testing 3D-printing with Ocean Builders to develop coral to add to the SeaPods’ submerged steel tubing, another potential generator of marine life.
During another excursion—a hike and kayak trip into Portobelo National Park—my guide, Jason Ashcroft of Portobelo Adventures, shuffles a patch of leaves to reveal a green poison dart frog, and guides me to an island abloom with wild orchids.
Beyond Panama, says Romundt, one of the places Ocean Builders has set its sights on is the Maldives, a destination known for overwater bungalows—although none as tech-forward and eco-restorative as the SeaPod, which is the only project of its kind.
The project, which has already been approved by local partners, will “take the over-the-water bungalow concept that is so popular in the region and build out a fully floating resort based on SeaPods,” Romundt says, adding that more details will be available later this year. Ocean Builders is also in talks with partners in Dubai for a project that will mix residential- and hospitality-oriented SeaPods. They’ve also had inquiries from major hospitality chains, he says, who are “interested in how this can change waterfront vacationing and living”—though he can’t currently specify which ones.
For now, this Panamanian SeaPod—accessed through the fishing village of Puerto Lindo, where a floating dock extends out from Linton Bay Marina—is the only one that guests can book, for two-night minimum stays. Others are under construction in the marina, including a deep-sea version that will have an underwater viewing room, as well as the SeaPod Flagship, crafted with a split-level design. The plan for the near future, permits pending, is to move them to a location deeper within the bay to make them feel more remote, says Romundt.
On the last night of my stay, I untie a stand up paddle board tethered to the SeaPod’s dock. Atop water as smooth as glass, I paddle out into the bay, past mangroves where night herons stalk minnows, to a small island covered with the busy silhouettes of ibises in courting mode.
“Living in a SeaPod is like having a glimpse of what life in the future will be like,” Romundt had told me. “Every week there are upgrades and improvements.”
Right here and now already feels pretty magical to me.
De kans dat de aarde met meer dan 1,5 graad opwarmt, wordt steeds groter. Dat is een drama voor de Malediven, waar veel eilanden dan onder water dreigen te verdwijnen door de stijgende zeespiegel. Nederlandse bedrijven werken samen met de lokale overheid aan een drijvende stad, waar 20.000 mensen kunnen wonen. “De stad bestaat uit een netwerk van 5.000 drijvende gebouwen.”
Met sleepboten werd in februari een klein blok met daarop vier kleurrijke gebouwen van de haven in hoofdstad Male naar een plek op het water gesleept. Het is het eerste bouwblok van iets wat uiteindelijk een compleet eiland met winkels, woningen en scholen moet worden.
Zelfvoorzienende stad
“Verschillende wooneilandjes zijn verbonden via bruggen. Als je op het drijvende eiland woont, merk je eigenlijk niet dat het drijft. Er zijn zelfs zandwegen, zandstranden en bomen die in grote potten staan”, zegt architect Koen Olthuis van WaterstudioNL.
De stad komt in een lagune te liggen, met daaromheen op de ondiepe lagunerand kleine eilanden, die als golfbrekers fungeren en waar onder meer energievoorzieningen staan.
“De stad is zelfvoorzienend, met zonnepanelen. Van een paar kilometer verderop halen we op 700 meter diepte koud water uit de zee, dat gebruiken we voor koeling van de panden. Verder kunnen we de zeewind gebruiken voor ventilatie.”
Olthuis houdt zich al twintig jaar bezig met drijvende woningen. In 2007 stond hij op plek 122 in de lijst met meest invloedrijke personen van Time Magazine. In Nederland vind je verschillende drijvende woningen van zijn hand, onder meer in Dordrecht, Zeewolde en in Amsterdam.
Waterstudio kreeg de opdracht om een drijvende stad in de Malediven te ontwerpen van de eveneens Nederlandse projectontwikkelaar Dutch Docklands.
Fundering van piepschuim en beton
Olthuis: “Drijvende woningen bouwen is eigenlijk niet moeilijk. De fundering bestaat uit een enorm blok van piepschuim en beton. Dat blok is 2,5 meter dik en daar zitten zaken als elektra en riolering in weggewerkt.”
Onder een aantal pleintjes waar drie straten bij elkaar komen, zitten afmeerpalen die zorgen dat de stad niet wegdrijft.
De Malediven bestaat uit bijna 1200 eilandjes. Die zijn zo plat dat ze hooguit een meter boven de zeespiegel uitkomen. Klimaatwetenschappers vrezen dat aan het einde van de 21e eeuw het land verdwenen is, zonder ingrijpen.
Nu de Wereld Meteorologische Organisatie (WMO) gisteren bekend maakte dat de kans stijgt dat de aarde meer dan 1,5 graad opwarmt, is het alle hens aan dek. Het land vreest de klimaatverandering. Op de 26e VN-klimaatconferentie in 2021 zei de Malediviaanse president Ibrahim Mohammed Solih: “Het verschil tussen anderhalve graad Celsius en twee graden Celsius betekent een doodvonnis voor de Malediven.”
De Malediven bestaat grotendeels uit beschermd natuurgebied. Dat zorgde voor vertraging van het bouwproject, legt Olthuis uit. “We moesten aantonen dat we geen schade aanrichten. Zo’n project is ook compleet nieuw voor de lokale overheid.”
Kunstmatig opgespoten eiland
Diezelfde lokale overheid gaf rond de eeuwwisseling uit angst voor klimaatopwarming wel opdracht voor de bouw van het kunstmatige eiland Hulhumale, gecreëerd door miljoenen kubieke meters zand op te spuiten. Op het eiland ligt een internationaal vliegveld en inmiddels wonen er 92.000 mensen.
Olthuis: “Bij het opspuiten van zo’n eiland, creëer je veel meer schade. Je moet bijna 15 meter zand opspuiten om boven het water uit te komen. Bovendien is Hulhumale eigenlijk te laag opgespoten. Het is niet veel hoger dan de andere eilanden. Als de zeespiegel twee meter stijgt is het weer weg. Bij een drijvend eiland maakt het niet uit hoeveel het water stijgt. Het eiland stijgt gewoon mee. Zelfs een tsunami zou geen invloed moeten hebben.”
Vanaf 250.000 dollar
Op het drijvende eiland staan huurwoningen en koopwoningen, waarbij de prijs bij 250.000 dollar start. Over de bouwkosten kan Olthuis niets zeggen. “‘Maar de totale ontwikkelkosten zijn vergelijkbaar met ontwikkelkosten op land. Voor bouwen op water heb je duurdere drijvende funderingen nodig, maar bouwgrond op land kost meer. Het heft elkaar op.”
Olthuis verwacht dat er veel animo is om in de drijvende stad te gaan wonen. “In Male is eigenlijk geen plek meer. Hele gezinnen wonen daar in één kamer. En de bevolking van de Malediven groeit ook, zo keren er veel Maldivianen terug uit het naburige Sri Lanka.”
Project VN
Het idee van drijvende steden is niet nieuw. De Azteekse stad Tenochtitlan dreef al. Via een programma van de Verenigde Naties (VN) wordt aan een drijvende stad bij Zuid-Korea gewerkt. De drijvende stad is 75 hectare groot en biedt plaats aan 12.000 inwoners. De stad moet rond 2025 klaar zijn.
Oplossing voor Nederland
Van New York tot Shanghai, wereldwijd kampen steden kampen met dezelfde problemen. Overbevolking en angst voor overstromingen. Drijvende woningen zijn het antwoord op waterspiegelveranderingen, meent Olthuis.
Als het aan hem ligt, komen er in Nederland ook meer drijvende woningen. “We hebben nu een paar honderd drijvende woningen in ons land gebouwd. De markt is nog klein. Dat terwijl er weinig ruimte meer is om op land te bouwen en we ook hier last hebben van de stijging van de zeespiegel.”
‘Drijvende stad op het IJmeer’
Minister De Jonge wil vanaf 2024 100.000 woningen per jaar bouwen om de woningnood te bestrijden, zo staat in plannen die in maart 2022 gepresenteerd zijn. Maar zeker de Randstad is al bomvol.
Olthuis: “Waarom zou je geen drijvende wijk of stad bij het IJmeer tussen Amsterdam en Almere bouwen. Daar is genoeg plek en we hebben de technische kennis. De politiek moet vooruitstrevender denken. En zo’n drijvende stad kun je ook weer afbreken en naar een andere locatie slepen als het moet.”
Escrito por Claire Brodka | Traduzido por Walter Gagliardi
Seguindo as descobertas de um estudo publicado na revista científica Nature Ecology & Evolution em abril, tornou-se conhecimento público que a ilha artificial de lixo plástico conhecida comoGreat Pacific Garbage Patch (uma área de mais de 1,6 milhões de quilômetros quadrados entre a Califórnia e o Havaí) serve como lar de um ecossistema costeiro inteiro. A vida marinha está usando a enorme área aglomerada de resíduos plásticos humanos como habitat flutuante, e os cientistas ficaram chocados com o número de espécies que conseguiram estabelecer vida nesse ambiente hostil.
A notícia mais uma vez traz à tona não apenas questões urgentes de mudanças climáticas e poluição do oceano, mas também a questão da migração induzida pelo meio ambiente, mesmo em nível microbiano. A arquitetura está se movendo cada vez mais para reinos experimentais quando se trata de considerar locais para as comunidades do nosso futuro. O aumento do nível do mar colocou a água ao topo da lista desses locais. Mas essas deliberações não são tão recentes quanto se poderia pensar: cidades flutuantes existem há séculos e casas na água são comuns em áreas do Benin, Peru ou Iraque, entre outros.
Mergulhamos mais fundo no que a evolução dessas habitações parece e mostramos 5 projetos residenciais de nosso catálogo ArchDaily que exemplificam uma vida inovadora na água.
Ao considerar a construção futura e recém-construída que se inspira em comunidades como a Ma’dan no sul do Iraque ou os Uros no Lago Titicaca do Peru, que têm criado casas a partir de fibras naturais há séculos, a ênfase em materiais locais e também em eficiência energética emerge como dois dos princípios orientadores.
O Estúdio de Arquitetura Marítima Dinamarquês MAST entregou não uma, mas duas propostas para habitats flutuantes no último ano: o projeto ” Land on Water” imagina uma solução para a migração ambiental que assume a forma de residências individuais com fundações flutuantes planas para fácil transporte e montagem; e uma proposta ainda mais recente para um parque público em Milão, Itália, visa abrir um lago construindo uma série de ilhas e píeres que conectam os visitantes ao continente. Materiais leves e obtidos localmente, como a madeira, são essenciais em ambos.
O Bairro Flutuante Schoonship em Amsterdã, no Canal Johan van Hasselt, projetado pelo escritório de arquitetura holandês Space&Matter, amplia a ideia para um grupo de 46 moradias totalmente equipadas com sistemas de energia, água e resíduos descentralizados e sustentáveis, que já serve como lar para mais de 100 residentes. A opção mais recente, e luxuosa, é uma “cápsula viva” flutuante criada pela empresa panamenha Ocean Builders. Em construção ao largo da costa do Panamá agora, com mais locais a seguir, as casas individuais são criadas em pilares que se estendem para fora da água e vêm em duas iterações diferentes criadas pelo arquiteto holandês Koen Olthuis e sua equipe na Waterstudio: o modelo SeaPod, construído para viver na água e o GreenPod, criado para uso na terra. Ambos são projetados para uma vida ecológica com energia solar e sistemas de casa inteligente. Os SeaPods, em particular, também visam atrair a vida aquática e fornecer sombra para o crescimento de novos recifes de coral.
Mas não precisamos olhar tão longe para ver exemplos de vida futurista na água. Mesmo agora, há muitos exemplos de arquitetura aquática moderna estabelecida em todo o mundo. Esses cinco exemplos oferecem uma visão de diferentes abordagens para a casa flutuante.
Semelhante às cápsulas da Ocean Builder em seu estilo futurista, este projeto do estúdio tcheco atelierSAD desafia as noções contemporâneas de casa flutuante ou casa na água. Composto de módulos individuais que se curvam em um formato C contínuo em direção à água, representa uma fusão inteligente de materiais leves de alta tecnologia e naturais. A maior privacidade na doca permite grandes painéis de vidro na extremidade oposta da estrutura, recebendo luz natural e calor, mesmo durante os meses mais frios. Fácil de expandir e rápido de desmontar, as unidades de construção individuais permitem flexibilidade, independentemente da situação em casa que possa ser necessária.
O que há em um nome? Neste caso, muito. Exemplar das casas flutuantes populares em grande parte dos Países Baixos (e incorporadas no DNA do país), este cubo moderno no rio Spaarne de Haarlem, criado por vanOmmeren-architecten, é positivo energeticamente, ou seja, produz mais do que consome. Emprestando-se fortemente do design industrial, a linguagem estilística da barca consiste principalmente em alumínio, vidro, madeira e aço, contrariando seu interior aconchegante. A temperatura é mantida através de painéis fotovoltaicos no telhado, combinados com uma bomba de calor no casco de concreto que coleta energia da diferença de temperatura da água com o interior para criar um fluxo natural de energia sem fim.
Ficamos na Holanda para um projeto que foi convocado pelo Fórum Econômico Mundial de 2022: The Float, do Studio RAP, de Roterdã. Entre as casas mais sustentáveis desta linha, ela usa processos e materiais renováveis, como cortiça e madeira, para ajudar a reduzir as emissões relacionadas à construção do início ao fim. Para evitar a aparência mais aerodinâmica das casas flutuantes tradicionais, os arquitetos escolheram uma estrutura em zigue-zague totalmente realizada em Cross-Laminated-Timber e inteiramente em cortiça respirável. Para adicionar um crédito ecológico extra, a casa é coberta com um telhado verde exuberante em camadas.
Montado em um catamarã flutuante que funciona como um píer privado, o escritório de arquitetura brasileiro SysHaus oferece múltiplas variações de suas lilliHaus prontas. Mais uma vez, seu estilo ecoa linhas modernas e claras feitas de vidro e madeira e o interior possui móveis minimalistas que podem ser entregues junto com a casa. A pegada ecológica da casa é controlada por um inteligente sistema de ventilação natural, bem como por um mecanismo de tratamento e extração de água que se adapta ao ambiente natural. A energia é obtida através de painéis solares e um sistema de bateria embutido, enquanto o consumo é monitorado por meio de tecnologia.
O enigmaticamente nomeado DD16 nos leva mais a leste para Moscou, na Rússia. Os arquitetos da empresa local BIO-architects viram o projeto como um exercício de minimalismo com apenas 16m2 de área total e dois módulos. Muitos dos mesmos materiais foram usados em toda a casa para reduzir o desperdício, como folhas de alumínio compostas tanto para a estrutura externa quanto para a fachada da cozinha. Apesar de seu invólucro compacto e resistente às intempéries, o interior da casa oferece calor e parece maior do que sua pegada graças ao grande vidro. Sistemas autônomos são usados em toda a casa (energia solar para eletricidade, água do lago e um banheiro ecológico) e a fácil montagem por uma pessoa a torna a casa flutuante moderna mais versátil da nossa lista.
Construction has begun on the Overwater Villa Braasemermeer, a stunning architectural masterpiece situated on the picturesque Braasemermeer. The first beams have been put in place, and this unique house is sure to leave a lasting impression on your mind.
Featuring a distinctive design, the villa boasts a shell-like facade, floor, and roof made of zinc, with ample glass and wood elements offering unparalleled views of the lake. The main living area is spacious and luxurious, thanks to its double-height ceiling, while the bedrooms and bathroom are discreetly tucked away behind the wooden facade, ensuring privacy and comfort.
From the villa’s vantage point, you can soak in the breathtaking views of the serene lake and its surroundings. A one-of-a-kind dwelling that seamlessly blends nature and modern architecture.
CNN A city is rising from the waters of the Indian Ocean. In a turquoise lagoon, just 10 minutes by boat from Male, the Maldivian capital, a floating city, big enough to house 20,000 people, is being constructed.
Designed in a pattern similar to brain coral, the city will consist of 5,000 floating units including houses, restaurants, shops and schools, with canals running in between. The first units will be unveiled this month, with residents starting to move in early 2024, and the whole city is due to be completed by 2027.
The project – a joint venture between property developer Dutch Docklands and the Government of the Maldives – is not meant as a wild experiment or a futuristic vision: it’s being built as a practical solution to the harsh reality of sea-level rise.
At the rate things are going these days, the effects of climate change may show up sooner than we think. Those in territories with land that is below or just slightly above sea level need to consider their options. With experts predicting rising water levels in the years to come, the Maldives Floating City is a clever solution.This is similar to the Oceanix Busan concept we featured before. Waterstudio is coordinating with the Republic of Maldives to come up with this visionary project. For years, researchers have been pointing out that the archipelagic country is one of many that will experience the aftermath of melting polar ice caps.Although there is still a chance to stop climate change, the Maldives Floating City is a remarkable backup plan, nonetheless. The architecture group’s proposal will build hexagonal floating platforms that will interconnect to form an artificial island city in the shape of a brain.Approximately 5,000 low-rise structures will become homes for up to 20,000 locals. Maldives officials are apparently accepting foreigners who want to live in a tropical paradise. The location is a 200-hectare lagoon in the middle of the Indian Ocean.From the capital of Male, tourists can visit the Maldives Floating City by boat. All it takes is a 10-minute ride. The studio states, “this first-of-its-kind island city offers a revolutionary approach to modern sustainable living perched against a backdrop of the azure Indian Ocean.”For now, predictions indicate that if climate change continues, the country will be uninhabitable by the year 2100. Those behind the Maldives Floating City project claim that people can move in by 2024. Are any of you willing to relocate here as well?click here for source websiteClick here for source pdf
Waterstudio’s founder, Koen Olthuis, gave a compelling presentation “Blue Cities, building beyond the waterfront” at ARCH:ID the most awaited architectural event in Indonesia.
In his talk Dr. Olthuis discussed Waterstudio’s innovative initiatives to create floating buildings, parks, and structures in urban planning, and how they can lead to the development of a floating city, contributing to a sustainable future of living.
We are proud of our team’s dedication to exploring new solutions for urbanization and climate change, and we remain committed to creating innovative and sustainable designs for our clients.
A holland Waterstudio – ahogy a neve is mondja – a vízen lebegő épületekre szakosodott, de szerencsére nemcsak olyan megaprojektekkel foglalkozik, mint az elmúlt hónapokban bejelentett hipermodern úszóházak Panama északi partjainál vagy a Maldív-szigetekre tervezett, emberi agyat idéző úszó város.
Szerencsére tehát foglalkoznak kisebb léptékű épületekkel is, mint például az idén év elején átadott úszó színház Lyon 7. kerületében, a Rhône partján, a Gallieni híd és a Leclerc sugárút találkozásánál.
A színházat a L’île O kulturális egyesület számára tervezték, a Patadôme Théâtre d’Irigny támogatásával, elsősorban próbákhoz és a fiatalabb korosztálynak szóló előadásokhoz.
Önmagában is extravagáns a geometrikus burkolati elemekből felépülő külső homlokzat, de talán még meglepőbb, mennyire tágasnak tűnik a nézőtér belülről – legalábbis a fényképek alapján.
A Waterstudio tehát továbbra is aktív, és teljesen biztosak vagyunk abban, hogy találkozunk még a terveikkel, akár a legváratlanabbakkal is.
Exciting news, the first island of the Floating City in the Maldives has arrived near Male!
The first island of the Floating City in the Maldives near Male. Inspired by traditional Maldivian sea-faring culture and developed in close cooperation with Maldivian authorities. MFC homes will eventually be joined by hotels, restaurants, stylish boutiques and a world-class marina. Maldives Floating City is the first of its kind across the globe – developed to equally embrace sustainability and livability
