"People don't laugh at me anymore"

A quick note about an interesting, if unusual building technology that takes the notion of a floating building in a different direction, providing both locational consistency, as well as flood mitigation:  The Amphibious House.

According to one source, here, "amphibious houses are built to be situated in a water body and are designed to adapt to rising and falling water levels. Floating houses are permanently in the water, while amphibious houses are situated above the water and are designed to float when the water levels rise."  The piece continues:

Amphibious homes are usually fastened to flexible mooring posts and rest on concrete foundations. If the water level rises, they can move upwards and float. The fastenings to the mooring posts limit the motion caused by the water. These type of houses are popular in highly populated areas where there is a high demand for houses near or in water. Because floating or amphibious houses adapt to rising water levels, they are very effective in dealing with floods. 

Living on water can also reduce the negative effects of heat, and may improve the quality of life of residents, who like to live on or near water. Floating houses have already been built in various countries, like The Netherlands and the UK, and amphibious houses in The Netherlands. The scale can vary from individual houses to major groupings of dwellings to, theoretically, full-blown floating cities. So far, this option has been most experimented with in inland surface waters, but marine applications are possible.

Examples of amphibious houses are noted here and here in this example from London (also the source of the photos).  There's even an amphibious house that looks completely "normal," like a common masonry home. But it, like it's "lighter" counterparts, floats as needed.

Elizabeth English, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo, is quoted in this New Yorker article saying that:

Unlike traditional buildings, amphibious structures are not static; they respond to floods like ships to a rising tide, floating on the water’s surface. As one of English’s colleagues put it, “You can think of these buildings as little animals that have their feet wet and can then lift themselves up as needed.” Amphibiation may be an unconventional strategy, but it reflects a growing consensus that, at a time of climatic volatility, people can’t simply fight against water; they have to learn to live with it. “With amphibious construction, water becomes your friend,” English told me. “The water gets to do what the water wants to do. It’s not a confrontation with Mother Nature—it’s an acceptance of Mother Nature.”

Professor English has spent years swimming upstream (pun intended) against a tide of naysayers and critics.  But given the ravages of climate change and the proven ability of these amphibious houses to help mitigate damage to property from floods, attitudes are changing.  “People don’t laugh at me anymore,” she is quoted as saying.

For more information on amphibious houses, see Dr. English's Buoyant Foundation Project web page.