Article: Iceberg houseboat hides its bulk below the waves

Iceberg houseboat hides its bulk below the waves
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-09/07/iceberg-houseboat

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Iceberg houseboat hides its bulk below the waves

By Duncan Geere |07 September 2010 |Categories: Culture

An architect named Daniel Andersson has created a houseboat that's inspired by icebergs, sitting predominantly below the waves with only a roof deck exposed to the sun.

From the terrace, there's a staircase which spirals down to a submerged 60-square-metre lower living space, which contains a living room, a bathroom, kitchen, dining room and a bedroom. A central atrium offers light, and there are also underwater windows so you can sleep with the fishes. There's even a sauna next to the bathroom, which opens out onto the staircase so that you can run straight out and into the water.

Externally, the whole structure is shaped like a ship hull, designed to push water away to stay floating. There's secondary pontoons under the body which stabilise the whole structure, but it's not really cut out for stormy waters, so will need to be moored in calm inlets, and anchored to the seabed.

Drinking water and electricity are supplied by undersea cables hooked up to a central hub on the mainland, and the temperature is regulated by the water, meaning that there's no need for air conditioning or heating. The low profile of the structure means that the view isn't spoilt, either. Bilge pumps get rid of any water that does slop over the sides.

The design was commissioned by the Ålands Hotell & Restaurangskola resort in the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea, which are officially part of Finland but are closer to Sweden and speak Swedish. The client wanted concept accommodation to attract more tourists to the islands in the summer months.

In winter, however, the sea around the islands tends to freeze, so the structures will need to be removed and refloated when the ice thaws in the spring.

Photo Credit: Daniel Andersson

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Online Editor: Nate Lanxon