FLOATING ARCHITECTURE

Floating and Moving Houses: A Need of Tomorrow

"Floating" term in the foundation engineering is used when the soil beneath the footing does not
experience any extra load, as the load of the structure is equal or less than the soil displaced.
Floating houses are similar in concept and can be defined those houses which are constructed on
water in a way that the load of the structure is equal or less than the uplift force of the water which
helps in floating the house on water. Traditional houses like houses on boats have mobility while
now floating houses are considered those houses which are used as living spaces on water that are
minimally mobile other than moving vertically with the tide. Unlike a houseboat, a float house is not
self-propelled though some smaller float houses can be propelled by attaching an outboard motor to
them. Holland has many float houses as they have started using water as a resource for construction
of houses.

Traditional floating houses, normally houseboats, were built in various countries in the places prone
to floods, near coast lines and on the lakes and rivers. In Australia, especially on the Murray River
and the sunny coastline of Queensland, there are many motorised pontoon based houseboats with
two or more bed rooms, some of them even have multi-storeyed structure. Houseboats are also in
Lake Eldon in Victoria and in Hawkesbury River near Sydney. Similarly floating houses/houseboats
are available in Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Laos, New Zealand, Serbia, UK, USA, Thailand and
India. In India, houseboats have been traditionally constructed in Kashmir, Kerala and in Assam.
Houseboats are also very popular for recreational activities for groups of people of all ages but for
residential purposes, it is Holland where houses are designed, constructed and are in high demand.

Floating houses are now constructed which float only during floods. Thus, there are two types of
floating houses, one which permanently float and other that float only during flood waters else get
placed on ground, particularly during dry season when there is no water. Some houses which were
constructed on stilts or piles due to safety requirements during floods in many parts of the world
and in India too, like in West Bengal, Assam and other parts, are not actually floating houses in true
sense. Floating houses are in true sense are those which do not require foundation and are based on
the principle of buoyancy thus are also called buoyant homes. Thus the base of the structure needs
to be such that it helps in floating as well able to take the dead load of the house, live load and other
loads to be encountered by the house. Thus the house may be constructed on boats, hollow pipes,
light weight pads and similar materials which help in the floating as well taking up loads. Flotation
Systems now being used include log floats, solid Styrofoam encased in rubber, foam filled steel
pontoons, positive concrete, concrete Ferro cement pontoons, concrete and foam, wood and foam,
polyethylene shell with solid core polystyrene block moulded inside, fibreglass etc.

Houses which get uplift during floods and move down during conditions when no water is there are
guided vertically, telescopically. 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.

Need of Floating Houses in India

India has a huge coastal area as well as large flood prone areas like Bihar, Assam and in many other
states where almost every year, public face difficulty due to floods and loss of lives and property
takes place. In case, the principle of construction of floating houses is adopted in which the houses
would rise during floods and subside down during dry conditions, loss of lives and property can be
avoided. Simple techniques based on telescopic arrangements should be designed for requirements.
Therefore, research and development can be taken up as model projects for developing such
designs. In the starting, life line buildings in the flood prone areas can be constructed with such
techniques. These buildings will function even during period when they remain cut off due to floods
and have no external electricity and water.

In the islands and coastal areas, such houses will certainly be adopted sooner or later and thus
Indian architects and designers should start getting expertise in this field to design such houses.

Floating houses can also be built for tourists who would love to stay in such houses and India can
generate considerable revenue from the same.

Basic Principle of Construction

Generally there are two basic principles for making floating houses. First is the pontoon principle in
which one makes a solid platform, lighter than the water and the other based on the ship in which a
hollow concrete box is created which is open on the top. The pontoon principle has the benefit of its
use in shallow water, compared to the hollow concrete box while the concrete box has the benefit of
higher space utilisation within as a part of the building. Both type of floating houses are connected
with a flexible connection to the quay, so the houses can rise with the water when the tide changes.
When needed the floating system can be moved elsewhere at short notice without leaving any scar
to the environment. Instead a new house can be placed in to the old situation which makes it the
most sustainable and durable way to build. The floating houses built by +31architects are based on
the hollow concrete box.

The house is sited within a wet dock comprising retaining walls and base slab. When flooding occurs
the dock fills with water and the house rises accordingly. Similarly when water subsides, houses
come down. All the pipes, ducts and wires for water, gas, electricity and sewage disposal in such
"amphibious" homes are flexible, designed to remain functional even when the house rises several
metres from its usual position. Amphibious homes that rest on land are also built for rising
conditions. As per the designers, Factor Architecten, when the river has the flooding conditions,
their houses will float as much as 18 feet and floats back down as the water subsides.
Providing services in a floating house is a challenge which includes water supply, electricity and
toilets. Therefore, green building concept has to be followed in the floating houses which use non-
conventional resources for energy, make use of waste products, and recycles the water. Net zero
energy buildings are more useful as they do not require additional energy from external source and
total energy demand is met from onsite generation power. Normally solar panels are provided for
the energy requirements. Due to aesthetic requirements as well energy efficiency, roof garden is
also becoming popular. Other measures like incinolet toilets to burn waste, geothermal pond loops
into the floor, and filtration unit for drinking water collected from rainstorms. 'New Water',
Netherland planned for using 25% less energy than a conventional building due to the use of water
cooling techniques.