Draft:Floating architecture

Floating architecture sometimes referred to as floatation architecture or amphibious architecture, is a creative and dynamic method of building that adjusts to the ever-changing environment, especially in relation to coastal developments and fluctuating sea levels. This architectural concept has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential to address pressing issues such as climate change, rising sea levels, and urbanization.

Origins and Evolution

The roots of floating architecture stretch back to ancient civilizations, where communities adapted to water bodies by constructing structures for habitation, trade, and transportation. However, contemporary floating architecture emerged as a response to modern challenges such as population growth, urban expansion, and the increasing threat of flooding and sea level rise.

One of the earliest modern examples of floating architecture can be traced back to the Netherlands, a country renowned for its expertise in water management. The Dutch have a long history of building on water, with structures such as houseboats and floating farms dating back centuries. In response to the threat of rising sea levels and flooding, Dutch architects and engineers pioneered innovative solutions, including floating houses, offices, and even entire neighborhoods.

Design Principles

A technique for controlling floods known as "amphibious architecture" enables a "otherwise-ordinary structure" to float on the surface of increasing floodwaters. An amphibious house, is above water on the ground or on a structure, yet it can float when the water levels rise during a flood. According to amphibious house is a building that is built on solid ground, has a buoyant foundation, and can float higher when the water level rises. According to Barker and Coutts, an amphibious house is a structure that, in dry weather, is raised in its dock and floats, but in floods, it sits on the ground.

Methods

In order to locate passive and sustainable design strategies that apply to the research and can be found in biological systems, this strategy uses a problem-based biomimetic approach to design. The biological systems that have been uncovered possess traits that can be imitated to create floatable, long-lasting amphibious foundation elements. An abstract representation of pertinent biological systems was created to show how they may be applied to the construction of amphibious foundations. The goal is to comprehend how these biological systems continually and passively respond to their surroundings, adapting, and how these features might be mimicked in design.

Elevate Above the Flood Level

Initially, to reduce damage in the event of a flood, architects should build the structure above the flood level. Programs like the FEMA-run Estimated Base Flood Elevation Viewer can be used to find the online flood level elevation for a given place. Using this data, architects can determine how high to lift the building and how best to accomplish it. The construction of the structure on stilts or columns is a popular method of elevating. The sturdy foundation can just be lifted higher in different circumstances. Architects should evaluate the climate and flood history of their region and refer to internet resources, like guidebooks on coastal construction.

Build with Flood Resistant Material

Materials that can withstand at least 72 hours in floodwaters without suffering major harm are considered flood-resistant. Both hydrostatic (standing water) and hydrodynamic (moving water) floods are possible, and they typically cause scouring, collapsing structures, displaced foundation walls, floating fuel tanks, and other problems. "Significant damage" refers to any damage that calls for more effort than simple cleaning or inexpensive cosmetic fixes like painting. Flood-resistant materials need to be strong and resistant to high humidity to stop these damages. Concrete, brick, steel hardware, foam and closed-cell insulation, pressure-treated and marine-grade plywood, ceramic tile, water-resistant glue, and polyester epoxy paint.

Apply Coatings, Sealants, and Waterproof Veneer

There are two varieties of floodproofing: wet and dry. While wet floodproofing permits floodwaters to enter the home, dry floodproofing keeps them out. Waterproof veneers, sealants, and coatings fall under the former category because they keep water out of the inside. In order to prevent water from penetrating the external walls, a waterproof veneer may be made of a layer of brick supported by a waterproof membrane. Architects should utilize washable closed-cell foam insulation in interior walls that are below flood level. Similar to this, as these holes are rarely made to be watertight or able to withstand flood loads as is, coatings and sealants may be put to the foundation, walls, windows, and entrances to stop flood water from entering the house through cracks.

Anchor Fuel Tanks

Floodwaters can readily shift unanchored gasoline tanks, posing a risk of driving the tank into walls, causing damage to nearby properties, and possibly contaminating the water if the supply line breaks and spills oil into it. Buoyancy can force even subterranean tanks to the surface. Fuel tanks must therefore be secured, either by strapping them to ground anchors or by fastening them to concrete slabs that are heavy enough to withstand the forces of floodwaters.

Contemporary Application

Landprocess: Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park, Thailand

In response to Bangkok's flooding, Landprocess designed Centenary Park, an urban green space in a climate-sensitive city. With its expansive green roof, Centenary Park, in contrast to other public parks in Bangkok, invites water management and satisfies the requirement for urban green space. The geography of Centenary Park allows rainwater to percolate downward, generating a water circulation system there. Thus, Centenary Park's filtration system uses a variety of ecological design elements to purify the water. Sitting at a steady 3-degree slope, Centenary Park's architecture and environmental impact extend beyond Thailand. From Centenary Park's highest point, the green roof, users may see views of Bangkok. As a result, Centenary Park has communication with all residents in the city. Below the green.

The LIFT House, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Prithula Prosun planned and built the LIFT (Low Income Floor-proof Technology) House as a master's thesis project aimed at developing a novel flood-resistant dwelling option for Dhaka's urban poor. As the water level rises, the home floats upward and descends to the earth as the water recedes. A bamboo-framed foundation filled with used plastic water bottles is used in conjunction with a hollow Ferro-cement base to provide buoyancy.

Amphibious Housing in Maasbommel, Netherlands

The Netherlands' existence is based on water, with over half of its land being at or below sea level. There are 32 amphibious and 14 floating dwellings built in a recreation area along the Maas River. The residences are supported by underground moorings and guideposts and can rise from their foundations thanks to their floating hulls. Through a flexible piping system, the residences are connected to the electricity and sewer facilities even when they are afloat. The house's low center of gravity adds stability, and the fastenings to the mooring posts restrict motion from the water.

The Float House, New Orleans

The Float House is a prototype for a prefabricated, self-sufficient home that can withstand flood waters produced by powerful storms, designed in the wake of the disastrous hurricane Katrina. Mass-produced, Morphosis Architects' affordable housing concept pays homage to New Orleans' distinct cultural identity and thriving environment. Like the vibrant local vernacular homes, the Float House is raised on a 4-foot base that doubles as a porch. The base functions as a raft propelled by steel masts, and the house only rises on its guideposts in the event of extreme flooding.

Challenge and future direction

Below are some of the existing policies and directions to minimize the flood event.

Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement The arrangement between an insurance company and FEMA to initiate the company's participation in the Write Your Own (WYO) Program. It establishes the duties of the company and the government.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 1) An agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security charged with responding to Presidentially-declared disasters. 2) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Federal agency under which the NFIP is administered. In March 2003, FEMA became part of the newly created U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Flood Response Office (FRO) The FRO provides a local presence in the affected area and supports the WYO companies, the NFIP Servicing Agent and various Federal, state and local officials in providing answers to claims coverage questions, forms for claims handling and survey and statistical input. One of the key requirements of personnel at the FRO is to coordinate and conduct reinspections of WYO and NFIP Direct losses. The FRO also tracks adjuster performance and provides such information to interested WYO Companies and the NFIP Servicing Agent.

Floodproofing Certificate Documentation of certification by a registered professional engineer or architect that the design and methods of construction of a nonresidential building are in accordance with accepted practices for meeting the floodproofing requirements in the community's floodplain management ordinance. This documentation is required for both floodplain management requirements and insurance rating purposes.

For insurance rating purposes, a building's floodproofed design elevation must be at least one foot above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) to receive full rating credit for the floodproofing. If the building is floodproofed only to the BFE, the flood insurance rates will be considerably higher.

Communities are encouraged to use the one-page FEMA floodproofing certification form because it fulfills National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) insurance rating needs as well as floodplain management requirements.