Bay River Houseboats

Ever see a house in a flood plain that rises on stilts as the water rises (staying up until things dry up)?

Have heard of floating houses in Holland, and this is not a house-boat. This type of house would go up on the stilts and not come back to the ground until things dry up. Any architecture students try this?

Public Comments

1. I've never seen it but I have heard of some
2. I've studied them, but I haven't seen a practical application of one outside of Holland. Looking at the cost of an amphibious house like this (as opposed to a floating house like a houseboat) -vs- a raised (I.E on stilts) home leads me to believe that they won't be used often. Even in a 10yr floodplain, you can often avoid the flooding by building up the land 5-10' or by building a dyke. Both options are cheaper, quicker, and have more use-cases to support their efficacy. Anything else generally leads people to build on a less flood-prone piece of property. ;) From what I am led to understand, even in places that are specifically flood-prone, specifically Holland, there are only 100-200 amphibious structures. My feeling is that they will only be used in places of historic importance where people want to live in a flood zone. p.s. I do believe that floating structures will increase in number, however. Especially on large-scale structures like blocks of flats in places where coastal living is highly desirable or space is at a premium (e.g. Japan).