In New Orleans, Home Floats To Withstand Floods

// added October 06, 2009 // 5 comments //
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http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113513752

The Make It Right Foundation will unveil a house Tuesday in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, which was largely wiped away by floodwaters after Hurricane Katrina. The house is different from others in the neighborhood that were rebuilt after the hurricane: It floats.

The house is the brainchild of Morphosis Architects and its founder, Thom Mayne, winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.

"We rethought the idea of a house in terms of the potential conditions of the flooding that took place in Katrina," Mayne tells Melissa Block.

He says the designers gave the building a chassis, made it out of polystyrene foam and covered it with glass-reinforced concrete.

The house is anchored to the ground by two vertical guideposts. At times of flooding, the house moves up the guideposts — up to 12 feet — to prevent it from drifting.

Although there has been no opportunity to test the house in real flood conditions, Mayne says, he worked with structural engineers to develop the prototype.
  1. groups:
    Tech,   News,   Green
  2. tags:
    Architecture,  New Orleans,  Flooding

5 comments // In New Orleans, Home Floats To Withstand Floods

  • NeutronActivation
    • 0
      NeutronActivation  

    • The houses I saw in the Netherlands were moored within a cage of large posts. The house could only be washed away in the most violent of storms. Most of the homes in New Orleans succumbed to flooding but stayed intact through the Hurricane. I wouldn't stay in my house during a hurricane whether it floated or not and in most regions the state won't let you anyway. But it sure would be nice to have a chance that your home isn't flooded out when you come back.

    • 4 months ago
  • blood77
    • 0
      blood77  

    • This is great. But does it have a sail or some way to steer it? Cause I can see this thing floating just fine, but when the current picks up I can just see this thing smashing into other houses or building.

      Also does it come with a poop deck? :P

    • 4 months ago
  • CarolynGillis
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  

    • Great. It can withstand a flood, but how about the hurricanes that cause them? I guess it sure beats holding the government accountable for not fixing the levees.

    • 4 months ago
  • NeutronActivation
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