Floating

Portuguese architectural firm Carlos Castanheira has recently completed this striking eco-tourism destination, with accommodation suites that float above vast grape vines below.

Seasteading proponents envisage a floating society with a fluid geography, free from oppressive government in international waters. But they'll need something to build their watery utopia on top of, and these interlocking seaweed bricks might be it.

While most people wear a PFD (personal floatation device) when boating, such is typically not the case when they're swimming in open water. A new prototype wristband is designed for such scenarios, as it features floatation airbags that can be manually deployed if needed.

With its insulating properties and possibility of being produced sustainably, cork can be a superb building material. The Float, by Studio RAP is an excellent example of this and offers a cosy and comfortable light-filled home on the water.

Floating wind turbines are crucial to the future of offshore wind, but they require radically different thinking. French company Eolink is building a full-scale pyramid-style floating wind turbine that reduces materials and weight by more than 30%.

In an example of a building's design reflecting its purpose comes a fish eye-shaped floating event space dedicated to salmon farming. The Salmon Eye is finished in 9,500 stainless steel scales that are meant to resemble the fish's silvery skin.

Leaves are impressive machines, converting sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into energy. Cambridge scientists have now created artificial leaves that can float on water, tapping into sunlight above it and water below to efficiently produce fuels.

As concerns about rising sea levels grow, the idea of people living in climate-resilient floating cities is gaining traction. UN-Habitat, BIG, SAMOO, Oceanix and others have joined forces on a plan to build a prototype floating city in South Korea.

When most people think of life vests, they likely picture yokes that are worn around the user's neck. Switlik Survival Products' new UA-80 Evolution Vest takes what is claimed to be a better approach, however, by going under the arms.

Floating Office Rotterdam, the world's largest floating office, is designed to rise with the tides of climate change, will get all of its electricity needs from a solar array, and can be easily recycled once it reaches the end of its useful life.

Following its unveiling last year, the Floating Music Hub, by architect Kunlé Adeyemi and his firm NLÉ, is now complete and open for business. The project provides a novel venue for visitors to Cape Verde to enjoy African music, dance and art.

A tiny, cheap molten salt reactor that fits in a shipping container could radically disrupt the nuclear power industry. Denmark's Seaborg says it will mass-manufacture them and deploy them globally on floating barges, on a paradigm-smashing timeline.