It comes from Denmark, and more precisely from a studio specialising in maritime architecture, a new system for the construction of floating buildings that is more flexible and more sustainable than traditionally used devices. Called Land on Water, the project consists of modular containers that can be filled with various flotation elements, similar to the way gabion are used in the construction industry. Made of recycled reinforced plastic, these modules – once folded up similar to the elements of a flat-pack cabinet – can be easily transported around the world and assembled in different configurations to fit a wide range of building types.

The solution actually offers a number of advantages over typical systems on the market, which include plastic pontoons, steel pontoons or polystyrene-filled concrete foundations. Steel and concrete pontoons are indeed difficult to transport and are often coated with toxic antifouling paints. The system is then designed to be filled with locally sourced floating material.

Land on Water is also designed to promote biodiversity. The niches within the floats should encourage the growth of molluscs and algae and provide habitats for fish and crustaceans.

“While steel and concrete are treated to prevent this type of growth, these cages can act as underwater bio-homes,” explained Marshall Blecher, co-founder of the studio with Magnus Maarbjerg. “We hope it will become a positive catalyst for life in the harbour.”

MAST is currently developing a prototype of the Land on Water system, which it intends to present at the UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen in 2023.