Floating into The Watery Future: An Architectural Innovation for Rising Waters
As we venture to address the climate crisis, the reality of present challenges bubbles up to the surface. The continual rise in sea levels has set a daunting pace, with US coastlines expected to rise by 10 to 12 inches by 2050. The perils powdered by rising tides paint a particularly grim picture for the nearly 900 million people dwelling in fragile, low-lying coastal zones.
Unfolding the pages from his new book, “African Water Cities,” Kunlé Adeyemi, an architect with an innovative lens, inspiring the world with an adaptable attitude – “Why fight water when you can learn to live with it?” His brainchild, the Makoko Floating System (MFS) – a set of sustainable timber structures that can be readily assembled and dismantled, emerges as a beacon of hope against the doomsday backdrop. A keenly engineered innovation, the MFS stands up to European building codes with modularity and efficiency hidden in its details.
These progressive strides are vividly displayed at the ongoing exhibition, “Water Cities Rotterdam,” at the Dutch city’s Nieuwe Instituut. Alongside the MFS, NLÉ’s earlier floating projects, including floating pavilions and the acclaimed Makoko Floating School, offer a glimpse into the evolving face of architecture.
With most of Rotterdam that lies below sea level, futuristic architectural marvels can be identified throughout the landscape of this delta city, with floating office complexes and farms that have also come alive in the city. A case in point is Nassauhaven, showcasing the spectacle of 17 floating homes structured by local firm, Public Domain Architects (PDA). As the groundwork to future-proof Rotterdam, Nassauhaven is the city’s first floating residential area, echoing a “floating street” essence, with wood homes on concrete pontoons tethered to the harbor floor. Designed to ride the tides while assuring residents’ comfort, the structures tout energy neutrality, sustainability features like solar panels, biomass heating, and onsite wastewater purification.
A reflection on the 2011 Lagos flood compelled Adeyemi towards envisioning cities that could adapt and flourish amid flooding. Today, proposals for climate-resilient floating cities are turning heads worldwide. From oceanic settlements in South Korea to a massive Maldives development to house 20,000 inhabitants, the blueprints for aquatic living are becoming a reality in places like Lagos and Rotterdam.
Further projects that PDA and Adeyemi have in the pipeline include expanding their horizons to Bangladesh and developing additional floating quarters. By creating these ‘water-scrapers’, they anticipate helping society adapt with solutions that can be adopted globally. The MFS system, with its small, medium and large tri-angular A-frame structures, offers versatility from housing to education.
In 2021, the floating music hub, constructed in Mindelo, a port city off the West African coast, encapsulates Adeyemi’s vision. Spread across three pavilions, this floating spectacle houses a performance stage, bar, canteen, and recording studio. Constructed with prefabricated flat-pack parts, these structures can be erected by a five-person team in two weeks, opening doors towards an inclusive approach to climate adaptation, bringing the most vulnerable communities into focus.
Despite countless vulnerabilities faced by these communities, the growing interest in floating architecture is becoming a silver lining. Rather than fighting the elements, we’re learning to dance in sync, realizing that the safest place for climate adaptation is on the water itself. It is a potent example of how imminent threats can catalyze innovative solutions, stripping the narrative of climate change of its bleak hues and refashioning it with the bold optimism of adaptable architecture.
Design for Impact is no longer a luxury but a necessity, a new wave of architectural solution resilient against the trials of climate change, providing refuge for communities displaced by natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies. As the climate narrative evolves, so should our architectural response, shaping a future where we are not only able to weather the storm but also transform it into a refreshing spritz of possibilities.
