TEDxWarwick - Koen Olthuis - Floating City Apps

Koen Olthuis studied Architecture and Industrial Design at the Delft University of Technology. He is founder of the Dutch architectural firm Waterstudio.NL that specializes in floating structures to counter concerns of floods, which are both a local concern (since one-third of the Netherlands is reclaimed land) as well as a global one, due to the possible effects of climate change. In 2007 he was chosen as number 122 on TIME Magazine's list of the most influential people in the world due to the worldwide interest in water developments. In his vision, today's designers are an essential part of the climate change generation. New and expected climate effects, together with the pressure on space through urbanization, will push our design targets beyond the waterfront. This involves not only developing architectural concepts and typologies, but also a new sustainable way of dealing with water as well as a dynamic approach to city planning.
By introducing new innovative concepts and visions we can achieve positive and sustainable architectural, urban, social and environmental results while dealing with water management problems at the same time.
With floating architecture we can create high-quality living space on water, offering equal comfort, cost of ownership and lifespan as traditional building methods. Moreover, using existing urban water as building ground offers space for new density, offering opportunities for cities worldwide to respond flexibly to climate change and urbanization.
The first city in which this vision is being developed, is The Westland, near The Hague in Holland. This project incorporates both floating social housing, floating islands, and floating apartment buildings.
A sustainable future lies beyond the waterfront!
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[@shavasiawilliams4905]

Water purification, sea/ ocean level changes, transportation, so many more questions. But I absolutely love and support Koen's idea.

[@BlueseedProject]

Promising in calm waters. A bit more difficult for Blueseed's needs 12 nautical miles from California, but some elements can work temporarily (in the calm months), or for purposes where stability isn't a concern (e.g. floating solar panel blankets).

[@gr8dvd]

Best used for EXISTING buildings and infrastructure in flood-prone areas. Floating structures would be flood-resistant but storm surge presents additional stresses and challenges.

[@tubetrox2]

Sandy left hundreds of basement apartments flooded in New York and New Jersey, and there is now some space for thinking differently. I wonder how the DEPs would respond to newly created lagoons for floating buildings. They could include created wetlands and storm surge barriers to protect the structures from future storms.

[@APPLEPIE006]

With a shortage of land, many countries are going to Dubai way and reclaiming land by dumping soil into the sea/oceans. This completely destroys the marine ecosystem. This is a much better sollution. I won't deny that there might be effects, but they are minimal in comparison to what is happeneing now.

[@tubetrox2]

I get the points he's making, and am kind of a fan of his work, but in considering these kinds of ideas applied to New York Harbor, they would face stiff opposition from the environmental regulatory agencies. The New Jersey DEP does not like any kind of shading on water. They outlawed floating houses about thirty years ago. New York's DEP does not like to see water covered either.

[@k0et]

Didn't you hear the guy?;) Half of holland is below sea level. Has been below sea level for 3-400 years now. Ok. some slight problems have occured during these centuries.. but all pretty stable for 60 years now ;).

[@andrearnamador]

Doesn't underwater ecology need light and ventilation too? What about trash? The utilities you need to get a floating city afloat would cost more than just solar panels. A utopian idea for a utopian world, nonetheless I congratulate you for bringing in new ideas for discussion. I do like the floating water filtration device.

[@pauloduca]

These are good ideas but what about the environmental impact on marine ecosystems? seem to have been forgotten, we must be careful.

[@felipeoyarzun5424]

How is he going to deal with tsunamis? The whole city could break apart if not sink completly

[@Tori-xw9ed]

This is a fair concern. However, we can't protect our own cities against tsunamis

[@gunesfb1907]

Felipe Oyarzún tsunamis don't appear in deep waters. They appear when they approach the soil.

[@felipeoyarzun5424]

Yes but the wave, the increase in the sea level happens everywhere the wave travels, see the tsunamis that travel across the Pacific from Japan to Chile

[@gunesfb1907]

Felipe Oyarzún That increase is dramatically low/small in deep waters, and it actually gets lower than the sea level itself if the oceanbed gets deeper in that location.

[@felipeoyarzun5424]

Oh well

[@shavasiawilliams4905]

:)