Case Study:

1.Housing in Maasbommel, Netherlands

Location: Along the banks of Maas river

Completion year: 2005

Architect: Dura vermeer, Factor Architecten, Boiten

Water type: Freshwater

House type: Amphibious Area: 2865 sqf

The Netherlands is a country with a long history of mitigating flood damage and adapting to

flood risk. With 60% of the country below sea level, the development and implementation of

flood resilient infrastructure has become an important part of the dutch culture. The flood threat

in the Netherlands is not only related to rising sealevels. Rivers also pose a risk of flooding.

This risk is increased by climate change as it causes more frequent and extreme rainfall. The

program “Ruimte voor de Rivier” (room for the river), implemented in 1997, included the

development of natural flood areas, where water could be temporarily stored in case of rising

water levels. This had large consequences for the urban development of these areas as

development of permanent construction was no longer allowed. One of these locations,

realized in 2005 (specifically 32 real amphibious houses plus 14 floating house were realized).

Amphibious architecture, structures designed to function both on land and water, is a response

to the risk of floods in low lying areas such as the Netherlands. The amphibious houses are

constructed along the Maasbommel River and are able to rise with incoming water and return to

their original locations on the ground when the water recedes. Although the technology of

amphibious houses proved itself during a flood in 2011, the concept is only moderately adopted

in the Netherlands. In 2012 the total number of “water houses”, which is the definition under

which amphibious houses fall, was estimated at a several hundred in the Netherlands.

Geographical conditions of Netherlands

Netherlands is a country with 60% of the country lying below sea level and situated between

sea and rivers. Netherland is located on the delta and experience flooding from rivers and from

ocean storms. Most communities in Netherland are protected with dykes, levees and flood gates.

But some rural villages are located outside of these flood protection structures. One of those

rural village is Massbommel located along Meuse River. The earliest inhabitants of the river

area, between the lower Rhine and the Maas Rivers, began settling on elevated former river

channels called creek ridges. These river channels are separated by the lower laying areas called

“komgronden” (roughly translated: bowl-grounds) which flooded during the winter but were

used for cattle grazing during the summer season. By the 10th century, the population was

increasing and more land was required for agriculture and livestock. The land near the rivers

was drained for the purpose of cultivating, leading to the subsidence of the land and hence more

susceptible to flooding. In order to protect themselves from flooding, the people constructed

dikes thatdiverted floodwater from the upper sections of the river around their cultivated land.

Foundation
 The common way to achieve the floating concept is making a hull and building a light weight

house on top of it. This concept is used in all houseboats where a steel or a timber hull will be

used as a basis to build a house. A concrete hull which act as a basement is adapted in these

houses. Watertight 23 centimeter thick concrete hull was prefabricated and later moved to its

location. The weight of concrete hull was about 70 tons and the timber house was about 22 tons.

The concrete hull is resting on six concrete foundation pile. The houses are built on top concrete

basements that double as a buoyant foundation, making it a water tight hollow space used for

resident occupancy and flotation. The concrete basements are constructed on site and reinforced

with steel rebar. The concrete is poured in detached pairs with each basement weighing in at 70

tons. Two fifteen-foot steel vertical guidance posts are driven through the concrete slab and into

the banks of the river.

Prefabrication of concrete hull on site and placed into the dock of amphibious homes

When the guidance posts are in place, the concrete basements are hoisted into position and the

wood-frame houses are constructed overtop of them. Each pair is placed onto a concrete slab or on

concrete piles. The concrete slab is used for amphibious houses that typically rest on dry land. At a

low water level, the houses rest upon a foundation of concrete. The concrete piles are used as a base

to rest upon at a low water level for floating houses that typically reside in water year-round. To

keep the houses as light as possible the framework consists of timber. The houses are joined by a

steel bracing that straps two steel plates to the corners of each of the concrete basements. These

steel braces will allow both houses to rise and fall with the water at the same rate. The roof is

assembled on site and hoisted overtop the prefabricated timber frame house. When water levels are
high, the houses can reach a maximum height of 18 feet by sliding along the two vertical guidance

posts. The vertical guidance posts restrict lateral movements from currents and waves, ensuring that

the houses will not float away in the event of high tides.

Construction

Amphibious structure dock and mooring piles

Amphibious homes during normal condition

Amphibious homes durng flood conditions

starts floating when the water level rises and also during flooding. The advantage of these homes is

that they are more or less like ordinary homes with parking space, a garden and access from road.

The inhabitant feel that the house is floating only during flood conditions. Two houses are kept in

place by the support of two mooring poles. These steel columns are driven deep into the ground.

Even in the extreme flood condition the structure will be in place and can withstand the current of

flowing water with help of these steel column. These steel column are connected by steel

framework. The houses connected also limits the waves on the structure. Two houses weights

around 200 tons. As the water level rises the houses will rise along with the mooring poles. The

amphibious will be lifted out of their docks, and that will be filled with water. A constant descent

should be maintain after the flood, for that the docks should be maintain obstacle free at all time. If

anything got struck underneath the house as the water withdraws, there will be problem in constant

descent of the structure. The basis of structure of the house is to provide a light weight structure on

top of concrete box. The basic timber structure was prefabricated and then assembled in the site.

The roof was made up of steel and wood and then covered with PVC roofing in site and then lifted

up to the structure. The arched roof lower towards the dyke side and rising towards the east, provide

good view from living room and master bedroom looking towards the lake.
 Maasbommel house- floor plan and elevation

Section of Maasbommel floating house

Services:
 Flexible connection between two houses

The house gets all the facilities like other houses in Netherland. The house is heated by the central

heating system with natural gas. It has connection with water, sewage, electricity and gases network

like all other houses. The only difference is the connection between the house and the pipeline on

the land. Between each pair of houses there is a connection from the dock to sides of the houses.

The length was this connection is oversized for normal condition but it will remain connected in the

flooding condition. The flexible pipelines are made for both amphibious and floating houses.

Flood condition

From 12th to 14th January these structures had final test. The water level rose above 7mts since

1995, that area flooded. Warning has been given to estate owner a day before. All cars were

removed from the parking lot and owners were known about the situation. When they woke up on

next morning they found that they were not connected to dry condition to land. The inhabitants used

boats to get to the land. There seems a minor discomfort as these problem occur once in twelve

year. When the amphibious homes descents to its original position everything went well. Nothing

got stuck in the docks and the structure came back to its original position.
 Normal condition Flood condition

Conclusion

The concept of floating has proved in various places in small scale test, the Massbommel design,

where 14 houses are floating continuously from 2005 and 32 Amphibious homes during flood on

2011 has proved to meet the requirement of the floating structure. Of course both the houses

required regular maintenance, but there was no alteration was done since the construction. The

owner of the house expressed their views in various interviews. There were no reports of

uncomfortable due to waves by the water. The Massbommel project provides extraordinary way to

live on and near the water.