Floating modular houses may be the answer to rising sea levels

Living in direct proximity to water is not only nice, but may be a necessity for many in the future. British architecture studio Grimshaw and Dutch Concrete Valley responded to the challenges of rising sea levels due to climate change by designing floating modular dwellings. The homes floating on concrete pontoons seem like a quite viable solution.

According to the calculations of IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sea levels could rise as much as 1.1 meters by the year 2100. This will pose severe challenges to many coastal settlements, so it’s definitely worth starting to tackle the issue already at this point.

This is what British architecture studio Grimshaw and Dutch concrete manufacturer Concrete Valley did: they proposed the concept of Modular Water Dwellings, an exciting alternative housing option. According to the plans, the modular dwellings would be placed on concrete pontoons filled with air.

Both the houses and pontoons made of concrete would be prefabricated in factories, therefore, they could offer a cost effective and rapid solution not only to problems arising from rising sea levels, but to issues resulting from the housing difficulties of densely built-up cities, too.

According to the designers, the concrete and glass frame would be able to last for decades, and by attaching solar panels to the exterior, the Modular Water Dwellings could function in an even more environment-friendly manner. The two companies are currently working on developing the prototypes.

Source: dezeen

• architecture
• climate change
• housing
• modular