CURRENTS FOR CURRENTS

Exploring the severe effects of population increase and global warming on future living conditions over the world, Manila-based architecture firm Dada has introduced the Currents for Currents floating housing solution for coastal communities.

Originally set in the Philippine context, the proposal aims to combat the vulnerability of waterfront areas in the face of harsh natural calamities, as well as the lack of reliable power infrastructure in these far-flung regions.

Coastal communities are “caught in the crossfire between the scarcity of land and resources, and the rising tides and storm surges brought about by the sea”, says Dada. “They are forced to live in the most volatile conditions, thus they are in dire need of safe and sustainable shelters, creating room for an innovative solution bringing architecture and the sea together. With blue as the new green as the design philosophy, the Currents for Currents project can provide resilient, flexible living structures that can adapt to the sea’s ever-changing conditions.”

The heart of the project lies in its design, which utilises the unique at-sea context to the structures’ operational advantage. The houses are powered by both tidal and solar energy, harvested by technological systems incorporated within the units themselves, rendering the entire community to be completely off-the-grid and self-sufficient.

These systems not only provide each unit with a sustainable primary source of power but also a means of livelihood and source of income in electricity farming for nearby inland communities.

Although originally created for the Philippine environment, the modular design of these houses, as well as the use of a universally available material for its main structural frame, are moulded plastic, which allows for their ease in construction in practically any coastal site around the world.

Via designboom | All images courtesy of Dada