floating develoment

October 11, 2016  by

Floating containers transformed into student housing in Denmark

The number of students is continually growing in many European cities, Denmark is no exception. In order to keep up with the rising number of new applicants, the city of Copenhagen is looking into options to be able to house the 24.000 student applicants without housing every year. Bjarke Ingels from architecture firm BIG designed Urban Rigger after entrepreneur Kim Loudrop came up with the idea.

Urban Rigger is a complex of stacked reclaimed shipping containers which have been transformed into 15 living spaces that have been situated around an internal courtyard. The structure sits in the harbor of Copenhagen and due to the use of solar power, hydro source heating and low-energy pumps, it is completely carbon neutral.

According to its architect, Urban Rigger can be replicated in other harbor cities with limited space for urban development. At present several requests have been received by Urban Rigger from North America and there are plans to create a unit in Sweden which means that more floating containers may be constructed in other harbor cities around the world.

Image source: WebUrbanist.com

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September 16, 2016  by

Inverse explores sustainable development in Rotterdam

Online magazine Inverse investigates why the city of Rotterdam has stopped fighting the ongoing battle with water and decided to embrace the opportunities that water-based development creates for the future. Freelance journalist Lauren Razavi interviews Blue21 co-founder and director of project development at DeltaSync, Karina Czapiewska about her vision on urban environments in response to current challenges such as climate change and urban growth.

“We realized we have to look differently at how we develop our urban environments for future residents” Czapiewska explains. “Populations are growing and cities have to grow with them. Our concept is less destruction and more innovation, for the benefit of the next generation.”

The Floating Pavilion which was initiated by DeltaSync, is just one example of innovative design that characterizes Rotterdam’s architecture. Both the Head of Urban Planning for the City of Rotterdam, Mattijs van Ruijven and spokesperson for the Port of Rotterdam Authority Sjaak Poppe, share how the local government is working together with architects, artists, developers, entrepreneurs and community groups to combat climate change and reduce CO₂ emissions while continuing to develop innovative projects like the Floating Pavilion.

Read the full article on Inverse.com

Image: www.nudgesustainabilityhub.com

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September 15, 2016  by

Archipelago of Ocno opens in Mantova, Italy

On the 11th of September the opening of the Archipelago of Ocno took place in Mantova, the Italian Culture Capital 2016. This impressive floating structure was designed by Joseph Grima in an attempt to reactivate the relationship between the ancient city and its lakes which in the past have been perceived as a barrier to the Lombard city.

The structure consists of seven floating platforms that are in tangent with each other, and have various diameters ranging from 4 to 20 meters. The archipelago was built by using recyclable materials, and done so with the help of local prisoners. These floating stages, which are currently accessible by boat, will be the location of music events, theater performances and other cultural events. The opening performance was given by the Mantova Chamber Orchestra.

Due to the modular design, the structure can be expanded in the future, creating more space for activities and events in the city’s lake. Visitors will be able to sail over to the floating islands, hang out and observe their city from the waters perspective.

Source image: Artribune.com

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