There may be a time in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that floating homes become passé, but that time doesn't appear to be now. Following the Floating Seahorse and the Waterlovt, New Living on Water is the latest outfit to offer a luxury waterborne residence.
Its take on the idea is said to have been "designed with uniqueness as the main underlying thought" and to offer residents privacy, comfort and a connection to nature. New Living on Water envisages the units being used for hotels, as well as for private homes.
Each residence will be linked to the land by a car-jetty. Measuring 50-m (164-ft) long by 30-m (98-ft) wide, they are to have a rounded organic shape with a curved stainless steel roof. These characteristics will help to provide the privacy, enveloping a large terrace along one side out onto which all the interior rooms look.
Each unit has three levels. The concrete basement level is split into two, with one half housing compartments for load balancing. The ground level comprises four bedroom- and bathroom-combinations, a working space, a living room and a kitchen, with every room boasting its own outdoor area. On the upper level there is a dining room with a balcony. New Living on Water says the interior layout can be tailored to the wishes of each client.
The units will employ an air-handling system to keep the units temperate, with the temperature able to be fine-tuned separately in each room. A heat-pump working in conjunction with the system will use surface water to facilitate heating and cooling, which is cited as one the sustainability-focused features of the homes, along with low-impact, maintenance-friendly materials.
It will be possible to connect the homes to on-land electricity and sanitation facilities, but also optionally possible for them to be entirely independent, with solar panel, drinking water supply and sewage water purification systems available for install.
New Living on Water will be launched at Cityscape Global in Dubai from September 6. New Atlas is told that the unit on display will have around 1,500 sq m (16,000 sq ft) of interior space and 48 sq m (520 sq ft) of exterior space. Such a unit will reportedly cost in the region of US$11 million.
Source: New Living on Water
The price isn't that far fetched. But you'll have to add in approximately $1.1 million in annual maintenance costs.
If in the water, it's considered a hole you dump money into, no matter the size. Some people are into that sort of thing.
Why worry about the future when you are floating in petrodollars. Energy is unlimited.