Baca Architects, known for the creation of bespoke homes, created the UK’s first amphibious house. According to the firm, the home was built in an area that is vulnerable to flooding.
Located on the banks of the River Thames in Buckinghamshire’s town of Marlow, the family home is suitable for both land and water, and can float with the rising water levels should a flood occur.
“The can-float basement provides utility room, study, dining room and cinema room with the entertaining spaces and bedrooms arranged over a further two upper floors creating a luxury dwelling on a modest site,” reads the firm’s description.
The waterfront property rests on fixed foundations that are separated to allow the buoyant home to float upwards for about 2.5 meters when water levels rise. To make sure that the three-bedroom home does not float away, the structure has been attached to four guideposts.
The home is located in Flood Zone 3b within a conservation area that does not experience severe floods. It will undergo a floatation test every five years to ensure that the innovative feature is still functional.
As the climate changes and floods become more severe, home’s like this could become a worthwhile feature in disaster prone areas.
