Netherlands’ floating homes are becoming new norm

(MENAFN) As climate change intensifies and housing becomes scarcer, the Netherlands is increasingly looking to water for solutions. Floating homes, once a niche concept, are now inspiring ambitious Dutch-led projects worldwide—from the Maldives to French Polynesia.

When a heavy storm struck in October 2022, the residents of Schoonschip, a floating neighbourhood in Amsterdam, were prepared. They secured their bikes and outdoor furniture, checked on neighbours, and settled in as their homes rose and fell on steel pillars with the shifting water.

"We feel safer in a storm because we are floating," says Siti Boelen, a television producer who moved to Schoonschip two years ago. "I think it's kind of strange that building on water is not a priority worldwide."

Floating communities like Schoonschip offer a novel approach to flood resilience, allowing urban populations to adapt to rising seas and stronger storms. In a country where land is limited and densely populated, demand for such homes is growing, prompting officials to revise zoning laws to accommodate more water-based construction.

"The municipality wants to expand the concept of floating because it is multifunctional use of space for housing, and because the sustainable way is the way forward," explains Nienke van Renssen, an Amsterdam city councillor.

These early Dutch projects have served as proof of concept for engineers seeking to build larger floating developments abroad, from Northern Europe to the Indian Ocean. There are even proposals for entire floating cities in the Baltic Sea.

Floating homes differ from traditional houseboats in that they are permanently anchored to the shore, usually with steel poles, and are connected to local utilities. They are constructed like land-based houses but sit on concrete hulls that keep them stable and buoyant. Prefabricated, three-story townhouses made of steel, timber, and glass are common in the Netherlands, providing a practical model for expanding urban housing in flood-prone areas.

Koen Olthuis, founder of Waterstudio, a Dutch architectural firm specializing in floating buildings, emphasizes the simplicity of the concept as its greatest strength. Poles dug deep into the ground, combined with shock-absorbent materials, allow the structures to rise and fall with the water. "We now have the tech, the possibility to build on water," he says. "We don't see ourselves as architects, but as city doctors, and we see water as a medicine."

In a country built largely on reclaimed land, the idea of living on water is familiar. Amsterdam alone has nearly 3,000 registered houseboats, and hundreds now reside in new floating neighbourhoods. Schoonschip, designed by Dutch firm Space&Matter, comprises 30 homes, including duplexes, in a converted industrial area. Residents share amenities, produce, and even excess electricity generated from solar panels.

"Living on water is normal for us – which is exactly the point," says Marjan de Blok, the TV director who spearheaded the project.

Rotterdam, largely below sea level, is home to Europe’s largest floating office and a robotic dairy farm on water. Since the 2010 Floating Pavilion, the city has embraced floating architecture as part of its Climate Proof and Adaptation Strategy. "Instead of seeing water just as an enemy, we see it as an opportunity," says Arnoud Molenaar, the city’s chief resilience officer.

Dutch initiatives like the "Room for the River" programme, launched in 2006, exemplify the nation’s approach of working with water rather than against it. As demand for housing grows—experts predict the Netherlands will need one million new homes over the next decade—floating developments are seen as part of the solution, particularly in flood-prone zones.

International interest in Dutch expertise is booming. Blue21 is planning floating islands in the Baltic Sea for 50,000 residents, connected via an underwater rail tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn. Waterstudio is constructing a floating development for 20,000 people near Male in the Maldives, designed with artificial reefs to support marine life and seawater cooling for air-conditioning.

"There's no longer this idea of a crazy magician building a floating house," says Olthuis. "Now we're creating blue cities, seeing water as a tool."

Challenges remain. Floating homes can sway in wind, rain, or when large ships pass. Connecting them to utilities requires special infrastructure, such as waterproof cables and pumps. Yet advocates argue the benefits outweigh the difficulties.

"If there are floods, it's expected that many people will move to higher ground. But the alternative is to stay close to coastal cities and explore expansion onto the water," says Rutger de Graaf, cofounder of Blue21. "If you consider that in the second half of the century, hundreds of millions of people will be displaced by sea level rise, we need to start now to increase the scale of floating developments."

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