Ever thought of living in a floating home that could potentially safeguard you when the river bursts its banks? Well, although the idea sounds too much of an innovation, some ingenious researchers and designers have actually added a tinge of realism to the whole idea. Pretty interestingly, a team of creative designers recently sketched out an avant garde Amphibious Housing technology project for a residential development which helps protect people from the ever increasing risk of flood in Thamesmead.
Although the project integrates a whole host of future growth possibilities in green living, Amphibious Housing anticipates creating a sustainable development that not only protects against floods, but also reconnects the fragmented areas of the town. In fact, the concept has meticulously been designed to rise as waters fill the foundations and to provide utmost protection during yearly inundations across the United Kingdom.
The floating home, which is presently under construction on the banks of the Thames, aims at endowing unprecedented safety to people who experience more frequent floods when the river bursts its banks. So basically, the green housing project will steer clear of the construction of future defenses by restoring the natural floodplain in a manner that helps alleviate the flood risk to a wide area.
To get into the details, the project essentially enables each property to seamlessly float up to an altitude of four meters while being adhered to its firm position by anchored masts. Since there is always a high water level in the Thames during floods, Amphibious Housing helps harness such pressure and kinetic energy of the tidal flow by the virtue of tidal turbines (instilled within the project) and a prior warning system.
At the same time, the design enables residents to move their vehicles safely to a well-planned, remote parking location. Once the excess water subsides, the floating home would allow it to flow out of the site naturally by a network of canals and swales. Although there’s still some time for the project to walk into a reality, designers hope to render a high level of self sufficiency for the amphibious houses in the years to come.
However, as far as the construction of Amphibious Housing goes, researchers have carefully devised the roadways to each street – which would be cul-de-sacs with little road definition but no pedestrian separation on this level. As per the layout, these roadways will flood with water and go under the residential houses to create the buoyancy needed for them to glide (during floods) – which undoubtedly sounds quite impressive as a reliable solution to protect against the yearly inundations.
Though presently under construction on the banks of the Thames, the innovative Amphibious Housing further provides streets with an access for refuse collection and emergency vehicles.
