Floating Cities

Since more than one-third of the Netherlands already lies below the current sea level, rising sea levels provide a significant problem to the country. A Dutch architectural team has created Schoonschip, a speculative home project in Amsterdam that blends architecture and ecological design to create an altogether new way of life, to counteract its worst consequences.

Located on the Johan van Hasseltkade canal, the entire neighbourhood, which consists of 46 homes, is constructed on floating arks. Although by no means a revolutionary idea, it is an alternative to all of the land-based models we now use because many indigenous groups still rely on floating communities.

However, Schoonschip is more than just a luxurious houseboat. Every component of its design is intended to be recyclable and sustainable, and all decisions are made by the residents. As an illustration, all of the complex's energy is produced using sustainable sources, and it is distributed among the residents via a blockchain.