Marine

Arkup's incredible floating home is finally complete... and it'll cost you $5.5 million

Arkup's incredible floating home is finally complete... and it'll cost you $5.5 million
The Arkup #1 is a luxury floating home that can raise itself on hydraulic stilts
The Arkup #1 is a luxury floating home that can raise itself on hydraulic stilts
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The Arkup #1's upstairs includes four bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom
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The Arkup #1's upstairs includes four bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom
The Arkup #1's four bedrooms overlook the water
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The Arkup #1's four bedrooms overlook the water
The interior design of the Arkup #1 model pictured was handled by Brazil's Artefacto
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The interior design of the Arkup #1 model pictured was handled by Brazil's Artefacto
The Arkup #1 has 4,350 sq ft (404 sq m) of floorspace
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The Arkup #1 has 4,350 sq ft (404 sq m) of floorspace
The Arkup #1 is a two floor floating home
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The Arkup #1 is a two floor floating home
The Arkup #1 has four bedrooms
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The Arkup #1 has four bedrooms
The Arkup #1 is currently installed in Miami
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The Arkup #1 is currently installed in Miami
The Arkup #1 gets water from a roof-based rainwater capture system that also filters and purifies the water
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The Arkup #1 gets water from a roof-based rainwater capture system that also filters and purifies the water
One of the Arkup #1's bedrooms includes a small balcony area
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One of the Arkup #1's bedrooms includes a small balcony area
The Arkup #1's living room
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The Arkup #1's living room
The Arkup #1's kitchen
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The Arkup #1's kitchen
View towards the Arkup #1's living room
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View towards the Arkup #1's living room
The Arkup #1's living room
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The Arkup #1's living room
The Arkup #1 has 4,350 sq ft (404 sq m) of floorspace
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The Arkup #1 has 4,350 sq ft (404 sq m) of floorspace
The Arkup #1 has a slide-out deck
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The Arkup #1 has a slide-out deck 
Shot of the Arkup #1's deck area
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Shot of the Arkup #1's deck area 
The Arkup #1 is a luxury floating home that can raise itself on hydraulic stilts
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The Arkup #1 is a luxury floating home that can raise itself on hydraulic stilts
The Arkup #1's stilts can be used to lift it above the waves
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The Arkup #1's stilts can be used to lift it above the waves
The Arkup #1 model pictured is for sale in Miami and Arkup tells us it plans to build three more in the next 12 months
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The Arkup #1 model pictured is for sale in Miami and Arkup tells us it plans to build three more in the next 12 months
The Arkup #1 gets power from a 36 kW solar panel array
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The Arkup #1 gets power from a 36 kW solar panel array
The Arkup #1 is propelled by a pair of electric azimuth thrusters, 100 kW (134 hp) each, allowing it to reach 7 knots
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The Arkup #1 is propelled by a pair of electric azimuth thrusters, 100 kW (134 hp) each, allowing it to reach 7 knots
The Arkup #1 measures 75 ft (22.9 m)-long
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The Arkup #1 measures 75 ft (22.9 m)-long
The Arkup #1 is a luxury floating home that can raise itself on hydraulic stilts
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The Arkup #1 is a luxury floating home that can raise itself on hydraulic stilts
Top-down view of the Arkup #1's living room
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Top-down view of the Arkup #1's living room
View gallery - 24 images

You could be forgiven for thinking that Arkup's ambitious concept for a floating home would never be realized, but it has indeed been built and is now for sale for a cool US$5.5 million. Boasting solar power, stabilizing hydraulic stilts, and its own engines, the first model was recently unveiled during the Miami Yacht Show.

The Arkup #1, as it's officially called, is a 75 ft (22.9 m)-long two-story ultra-luxury houseboat comprising 4,350 sq ft (404 sq m) of floorspace. It was designed by Dutch architecture firm Waterstudio.NL and the model pictured was furnished by Brazil's Artefacto.

The Arkup #1's living room
The Arkup #1's living room

Its most interesting feature compared to other floating homes we've seen is its hydraulic stilts. These can be deployed to a depth of 20 ft (6 m) to stabilize the dwelling or lift it above the water line to avoid waves and reduce hull maintenance. The firm also says that it's rated to withstand Category 4 Hurricane winds of up to 155 mph (250 km/h).

There's a lot of other tech installed in the Arkup #1 too, including a 36 kW solar panel array and up to 1,000 kWh battery bank that Arkup says is sufficient to power it off-the-grid. Rainwater is collected from the roof and purified for drinking, and a bunch of communication systems are used for the internet, TV and radio. The home is propelled by a pair of 100 kW (134 hp) electric azimuth thrusters, allowing it to reach 7 knots.

The Arkup #1 is fronted by a slide-out deck area, and generous glazing. The model shown features an open-plan ground floor layout with lounge, dining area, kitchen, and a bathroom. Upstairs, there are a total of four bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom.

The Arkup #1 has a slide-out deck
The Arkup #1 has a slide-out deck 

The model pictured is for sale in Miami and Arkup tells us it plans to build three more in the next 12 months. The firm is also looking into the possibility of developing eco-resorts in the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean.

You can have a quick look at the Arkup #1 in the video below.

Source: Arkup

Arkup#1 is next generation floating house

View gallery - 24 images
5 comments
5 comments
guzmanchinky
Stunning. Needs a swimming pool. Maybe this is the perfect solution for Florida, since the state will be underwater in 10 years...
Wolf0579
Can this be designed to withstand super-hurricane force winds?
Nelson Hyde Chick
This just a glorified houseboat, and for the square feet the price is ridiculous.
toyhouse
The hydraulic stilts are an interesting feature. But if out of the water to avoid hull maintenance, I wonder if that doesn't run afoul of zoning codes or marina rules. Out of the water and it's officially, no longer a house boat. It's a structure. Then again, I doubt most places have ever seen such a thing. Just guessing.
Ray Erker
They call this environmentally sustainable. What a joke. Just the steel in it would have taken weeks on end of trucks hauling raw material to Mills to be smelted dow. Not to mention all the batteries that will have to be switched out, and what happens when the hydraulic oil leaks in the ocean. 100 wood stick frame homes could have been built for the same environmental footprint this thing cost. What a joke.