Amphibious Houses - The Answer To Flooding, page 1

posted on Sep, 29 2005 @ 12:14 AM

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The Dutch live under constant threat of floodings. They are experts on this area and they might have found just the perfect solution to this problem. Amphibious houses - houses that swim. They are not built into the earth but on a platform which works in the same way as the hull of a ship. When the water rises the houses "swim", and when the water level sinks the houses sink back down again.

Dutch Answer to Flooding: Build Houses that Swim (Spiegel.de)

Model of a "swimming city." Could this be an answer for New Orleans, too?

The Dutch are gearing up for climate change with amphibious houses. If rivers rise above their banks, the houses simply rise upwards as well. Such innovation could be good news for hurricane and flood-stunned America.

There are 37 houses strung along this branch of the Maas like a row of beads. At first glance, they seem quite unremarkable. Two storeys high, semicircular metal roofs and yellow, green or blue facades - hardly any clues let on that these are The Netherlands' first amphibious houses. The cellar, in this case, is not built into the earth. Instead, it is on a platform - and is much more than a mere storage room. The hollow foundation of each house works in the same way as the hull of a ship, buoying the structure up above water. To prevent the swimming houses from floating away, they slide up two broad steel posts - and as the water level sinks, so they sink back down again.

"The columns have been driven deep into solid ground," explains Dick van Gooswilligen from the Dura Vermeer construction company. "They are even strong enough to withstand currents you would find on the open seas." Gooswilligen is currently busy guiding dozens of journalists from the United States through the watertight settlement in the Maasbommel district, close to Nijmegen. "As global warming causes the sea level to rise, this is the solution," he explains into a microphone. "Housing of this type is the future for the delta regions of the world, the ones which face the greatest danger."

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

This is a brilliant idea. It´s genius. If they are ever to rebuild New Orleans again, this must be the way to do it. Instead of fighting the water, learn how to live with it. These houses could be the solution all over the world where flooding is a problem or a threat.

[edit on 2006/4/30 by Hellmutt]

djohnsto77

posted on Sep, 29 2005 @ 12:18 AM

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I saw a documentary about this, it sounds very cool. It should be considered for rebuilding N.O.

Here's a Washington Post article about what we can learn from the Netherlands about living in an area like that:

Washington Post

WyrdeOne

posted on Sep, 29 2005 @ 12:21 AM

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Assuming they function as designed, I'll second that. Genius.

I think a dome shape would be more economical and wind resistant though.

Brilliant idea though, but one could substitute a landlocked boat house just the same. I wonder if this technology will be adapted quickly enough to help the people along the gulf coast who have lost homes?

The government and insurance companies could really save themselves a lot of grief by investing in technology like this.

Amorymeltzer

posted on Sep, 29 2005 @ 01:39 PM

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Originally posted by WyrdeOne
Brilliant idea though, but one could substitute a landlocked boat house just the same.

My first reaction.

Seriously though, we've read about things like this (domes, underwater alcoves, water cities, etc.) in literature ranging from predictions to history to sci-fi. We're eventually getting there. The technology isn't far off. Following biodome progress, which can be hard at times, we've made some big strides and in the not too distant future we could have a number of domes in previously uninhabitable places. Deserts, but mainly the poles, and that entire Southern continent that's completely desolate.

As for sea populations, we're getting there. They require more finesse, and more planning, but we'll get there in due time. Until then, this is a sufficient replacement. One thing though, as with all of these ideas, is that you loose the sense of community. You see it in trailor parks/homes. They sacrifice mobility, or just plain out survival in the case of The Netherlands, for a real home. You miss that, but the community suffers. Voting, interest in the developments, education, everything will dip a bit when the big issue is where on the water your house is. Why go to school when you have to leave the house, get to land, get your car, then drive, when you can do it at home? Why have neighbors?

warpboost

posted on Sep, 29 2005 @ 02:24 PM

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Why not just build everything on stilts seen on beach houses like this?

Amorymeltzer

posted on Sep, 29 2005 @ 02:29 PM

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Stilts fall. And it doesn't help if the water comes from above. Or if the water is more variable than New England.

warpboost

posted on Sep, 29 2005 @ 03:26 PM

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Would concrete stilts done as part of the foundation be better??

Why cant't they fill in the low spots with earth to make it above sea level? They can build manmade islands in places like Japan for an airport and Dubai for a hotel so why not the US for part of a city

djohnsto77

posted on Sep, 29 2005 @ 03:51 PM

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Originally posted by warpboost
Why cant't they fill in the low spots with earth to make it above sea level? They can build manmade islands in places like Japan for an airport and Dubai for a hotel so why not the US for part of a city

That would be only a temporary solution since the land is sinking.

-0mega-

posted on Aug, 31 2008 @ 05:33 PM

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Originally posted by djohnsto77
That would be only a temporary solution since the land is sinking.

According to my geography teacher The Netherlands is slowly tilting ''westward'' lol.

If you exaggerate that idea a bit it would seem to be worse than just ''sinking'', imagine waking up one day on your wall, to see a window on the ceiling and a door in the floor, after which people find their way to school with grapple hooks since there is no more ''ground''.

[edit on 31/8/08 by -0mega-]

AmmonSeth

posted on Nov, 4 2008 @ 11:57 PM

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Already been planned & discussed etc. before,
The Saudis are investing a lot of their money in floating cities,
Vast colonies of people 50,000+
As are a lot of other countries and companies now,

It looks as if the main company building them will be
FreedomShip

They have mentions in various news networks & newspapers,
check it out :-)

Hellmutt

posted on Nov, 5 2008 @ 12:32 AM

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reply to post by AmmonSeth

The difference is that the Freedom Ship is one huge ship, while these dutch floating houses are many small ones. And they're only designed to float when there's flooding, they won't sail around the world.

AmmonSeth

posted on Nov, 5 2008 @ 06:15 PM

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Originally posted by Hellmutt
reply to post by AmmonSeth

The difference is that the Freedom Ship is one huge ship, while these dutch floating houses are many small ones. And they're only designed to float when there's flooding, they won't sail around the world.

Yes and when the world has no land left,
Wouldn't you as a social creature, prefer to be on a relatively luxurious 'ship' with
thousands more of your kinda rather than living isolated in relative poverty in a tiny ship basically on your own?

Hellmutt

posted on Nov, 5 2008 @ 06:21 PM

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reply to post by AmmonSeth

I believe those dutch floating houses was meant as an emergency solution. To save the house(s) when there's flooding for a few days or weeks. Not for floating around forever...

AmmonSeth

posted on Nov, 5 2008 @ 06:29 PM

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Originally posted by Hellmutt
reply to post by AmmonSeth

I believe those dutch floating houses was meant as an emergency solution. To save the house(s) when there's flooding for a few days or weeks. Not for floating around forever...

My original intention was to point out that projects like this have been in development for many years and on a much larger scale,
So they aren't exactly new