These half-million-dollar floating villas can withstand Category 4 hurricanes

pulse

December 5, 2017 7:41 PM

Construction on nine floating homes in the Netherlands will finish this month. Designed by Waterstudio, the villas are designed to withstand storms.

The nine villas will range in price from $471,550 to $530,600, depending on the amenities. Construction began in June.

One home will feature a large floating terrace next to its living room, while the other eight will have roof decks.

Each 1,216-square-foot, two-story villa will feature a living room, kitchen, parking space, and three bedrooms including a master suite with a walk-in closet.

The original design featured a white facade, but the architects later changed it to brown. Pieces of each home were fabricated off-site, and they were assembled on-site.

The villas will be partially powered by solar energy. Four shared solar arrays will sit in the backyards.

Olthuis calls these homes "amphibious," meaning they touch both the land and the water. Their concrete foundations are buoyed to cables that attach to the ocean floor. If sea levels rise, so do the homes — similar to boats.

Waterstudio is known for its floating structures, which it has exclusively built for over a decade. In November, the firm debuted this design for a solar-powered floating home that will go on sale next summer.

In Dubai, Waterstudio expects to also complete 33 villas on floating islands by the end of 2018, Olthuis said.

Olthuis believes that as cities begin to seriously grapple with the effects of climate change, floating neighborhoods will become more mainstream.

“It’s not about technology — It’s about re-thinking cities. We should start building for change," he said. "Most cities, like Miami, Tokyo, and New York City see water is a threat. We see it as an asset."

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