Location: Bergen, Netherlands.

Architect: Grimshaw.

The reality of climate change presents us with growing risks of flooding and an imperative to design with the smallest ecological footprint possible. Living on the water offers an opportunity for flood-resilient and sustainable housing, but it is expensive to develop and built examples often lack quality and durability. We propose to approach the water-dwelling design and production with an assembly line approach, with standardised components and optimized spatial design. The plan will be tested and refined through 1:1 scale prototyping, with the aim of bringing the modular water dwellings to the market as a high-quality product available to all. The Water Dwellings are balanced through their central axis to make optimal use of materials and avoid unnecessary ballast.

They use durable and non-corroding materials such as concrete and glass to ensure a long design life. Efficiency is achieved by building the whole dwelling in the factory waste is minimised and can be recycled directly. Quality control is managed and quality is controlled throughout, resulting in a higher quality product for an affordable price.

Initial infrastructure on the site is minimised thanks to low energy requirements and allows plugging in the dwelling at any point of site development. The water-dwelling can be adapted to different needs, such as transport, community, low energy, solar roof, heat exchangers, and a communal food and energy supply. It can also be reused and recycled, allowing for a reduced ecological footprint and a strong sense of community.