How should architects and designers seek to build homes for the future with climate change and rising water levels in mind?
It's a question that was much discussed in the immediate aftermath of the devastating floods that hit parts of the UK earlier this year. A huge amount of debate was devoted to how we should plan for the future, with experts citing various housing design solutions that might potentially provide a robust answer to climate change. In particular, a lot of people argued that rather than seeking to defend our homes against water we should shift our way of thinking and instead seek out more harmonious ways of living alongside it.
Building homes on water is not a new idea. The Dutch have been doing it for years, as have communities in other countries including Thailand where villages are built on stilts, but it still remains relatively uncommon in the UK. With riverside and coastal areas under increasing threat from rising water levels however, floating homes look set to become increasingly popular. It's easy to see why. As well as offering an appropriate housing design solution for areas that are prone to flooding, building new homes on water is also an attractive option in overcrowded cities like London where house prices are increasing at an ever alarming rate.
This one bedroom floating home on the River Thames in West London was designed by Hertfordshire based company Ecofloat. Bright, modern and stylish, the home is part of a pre-designed range which aims to provide affordable water based living and is built from sustainable, low maintenance materials.
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Thursday, April 24, 2014
