Architecture

Italian yacht designer unveils plans for a floating village

Italian yacht designer unveils plans for a floating village
Abifloat floating villas by Christian Grande
Abifloat floating villas by Christian Grande
View 7 Images
Abifloat features a cluster of ten homes, measuring 6.5 m by 3.25 m (21 ft x 11 ft) that branch off a central boardwalk
1/7
Abifloat features a cluster of ten homes, measuring 6.5 m by 3.25 m (21 ft x 11 ft) that branch off a central boardwalk
Each individual building can be personalized inside and out due to a modular system and the load bearings can support a two-level structure
2/7
Each individual building can be personalized inside and out due to a modular system and the load bearings can support a two-level structure
Abifloat features a collection of floating homes that incorporate modular and sustainable design
3/7
Abifloat features a collection of floating homes that incorporate modular and sustainable design
Design options include floor to ceiling sliding glass doors which join the living space to an outdoor deck
4/7
Design options include floor to ceiling sliding glass doors which join the living space to an outdoor deck
Some modules include a rooftop terrace, outdoor dining and private lounge areas
5/7
Some modules include a rooftop terrace, outdoor dining and private lounge areas
Abifloat floating villas by Christian Grande
6/7
Abifloat floating villas by Christian Grande
7/7
View gallery - 7 images

Italian yacht designer Christian Grande, who brought us the luxurious Picchio Boat, has recently come up with a floating village concept. Dubbed Abifloat, the project features a collection of floating homes that incorporate modular and sustainable design.

Abifloat features a cluster of ten homes measuring 6.5 m by 3.25 m (21 ft x 11 ft) that branch off a central boardwalk. Each individual building can be personalized inside and out due to a modular system and the load bearings can support a two-level structure. By simply aligning a series of the clusters together you can easily create a floating village, resort, mall or even an on-the-water office hub.

"The house boat project was conceived to offer a high level of customization for interior and exterior finishings," says Christian Grande Design Works. "The residential user can have a lot of fun not only in configuring the ideal living space, but also in selecting energy efficient furnishings and home automation systems."

Taking advantage of the water front views, the design options include floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors which join the living space to an outdoor deck. Other modules include a rooftop terrace, outdoor dining and/or private lounge areas. Each floating home has a private entrance, modular furnishings and mooring for a boat.

Abifloat features a collection of floating homes that incorporate modular and sustainable design
Abifloat features a collection of floating homes that incorporate modular and sustainable design

The technology behind the Abifloat concept features load bearings made from aluminum posts and stringers, buoyancy reserves, sandwich wall technology made from recycled plastic, and thermal insulation made from lightweight straw, cork or chipboard honeycombed baffles.

Each exterior is clad with attractive Teak panels and features a flat aluminum roof, complete with solar panels. The home's flooring has been designed to house electrical and plumbing systems such as pumps, compressors and waste holding tanks, alongside hollow sections to offer thermal and acoustic insulation.

Source: Christian Grande

View gallery - 7 images
7 comments
7 comments
Tom Lee Mullins
Perhaps like the floating town in Waterworld but a lot better looking. I think that is a neat idea.
oldguy
Yes, I like this idea very much. The movement of water tends to rock us to sleep at night. But what about storms? Would there be some kind of breakwater included in the village to help to break up large waves?
Rehab
I would like to see someone reinvent mobile homes. All utilities are right there plus parking. What's on the market are way too expensive for what you get, not to mention the stigma that comes with them " trailer trash" and on and on.
Gadgeteer
I've always been disappointed that Sea City was never built. Still a wondrous design almost 50 years later.
http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~bat/sea-city.html
kmccune
Very cool,beings the land area is due to shrink a bit,this will help reclaim the lost area.no roads to maintain,no grass to mow-cool
kmccune
Gadgeteer,thanks for the link-somewhere back in the day,we lost our way'kept putting off tomorrow,keeping our hopes at bay. Anyway as a young chap,I was always fascinated by the promises of tomorrow,the future,trudging toward Utopia.Then the dream of everyman having His palace,unlimited leisure.came,just a taste mind you,but enough to corrupt the concept of sustainibility and the reality of being satified with limited resources and thats right,sharing-sharing the finite resources of this huge spaceship called .Now reality bites everyone cannot be master of the universe,lets try to be like crewmembers of the "Enterprise" as we hurtle through the void,never constrained,ever in wonder of what might and willing to be teamplayers
Germano Pecoraro
This project leaves me very puzzled: 1 - a wooden boat has cost 4-5 times higher unoscafo equivalent to metal or fiberglass 2 - Wood: sustainability is only apparent, because in the end you always use substitute materials from areas of the planet where you apply systematic ildisbocamento 3 - these boats can sail in calm waters only and can not be moored along the open coast 4 - in a country like Italy, the authorities would not allow never ever like floating villages 5 - always in Italy is too strong the Lobby of the brick and as such would hinder the spread of these houseboats, we are not in the Netherlands or Denmark! 6 - there are many technical problems to be solved
Some years ago I proposed a study on the floating cities: was not understood, or rather was seen with his left eye.