Amphibious and floating homes rising with floodwaters

Most traditional houses rely on the assumption that the ground will remain fixed in place. A solid foundation locks a building to a specific site, organizing everything around that single point. However, in flood-prone regions, rising water turns that fixed foundation into a major vulnerability as it reaches walls and gardens.

Across Vietnam, Ecuador, the Netherlands, and the River Thames, residential architecture is beginning from a different premise. Amphibious houses sit on standard land during dry conditions and rise during floods, while floating homes rest permanently on buoyant foundations. These six highlighted projects explore how homes adapt when stable ground is no longer guaranteed.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Baca Architects' Formosa along the Thames in Buckinghamshire measures 225 square meters and rests inside a wet dock. During dry weather, it behaves like a conventional building, but when floodwaters fill the dock, a concrete base provides buoyancy while four vertical guideposts keep the structure stable. Flexible service pipes allow electricity and water connections to move upward seamlessly.

In Vietnam, H&P Architects showcases buoyancy through their Floating Bamboo House prototypes. Built using solid-core bamboo poles and reused plastic drums beneath the floor, the first prototype measures 36 square meters and serves as a housing model for river-based communities connected to the Mekong Delta.