#floatingarchitecture

If Part 1 mapped what is happening, Part 2 asks why it is happening — and to whom.

This stage shifts from data to people. Through interviews, surveys, and community engagement, students uncover how spatial conditions are experienced, perceived, and negotiated in everyday life.

The island is no longer just a physical system — it becomes a lived system shaped by behaviour, memory, and social realities.

Conducting interviews with key community stakeholders

Gathering quantitative data through structured surveys

Exploring lived experiences of density, risk, and change

Comparing perception vs spatial data from Part 1

Novasis: A Floating Design That Rethinks Our Relationship with the Ocean

Have you ever felt awe in front of a design concept that makes you wonder, “Is this really possible?” That exact sense of wonder strikes when looking at the Novasis project, the floating platform designed by Mohsen Laee, which recently won the Grand Prix Architecture and Innovation for Sea 2025. What sets this project apart is not merely its futuristic vision, but the practical possibilities it offers for addressing the challenges of our time.

Responding to Major Environmental Challenges

What makes Novasis particularly striking is its scalable design, which simultaneously addresses three interlinked environmental crises:

- Climate Change: By relying on innovative technologies to generate renewable energy and minimize environmental impact. - Resource Scarcity: By providing fresh water and sustainably producing marine food. - Marine Ecosystem Collapse: By supporting marine life restoration and large-scale seaweed cultivation. Living in Harmony with the Ocean

Unlike bleak visions that imagine humans migrating away from a damaged Earth, the platform is designed to be an integral part of the marine ecosystem. It does not merely aim to reduce harm but strives to heal and integrate with nature. Additionally, it is:

- Modular and recyclable. - Energy self-sufficient, reducing reliance on traditional grids. - A practical model for sustainable living in changing marine environments.

The Novasis units illuminated at night, emphasizing their role as permanent offshore habitats. (Courtesy of Novasis Design Team)

Algae: The Heart of Innovation in Novasis

In the Novasis project, algae are not merely an add-on element, they are the true star of the show. The platform relies on floating and submerged nets made from recycled PET to cultivate both large and small algae.

The Multifaceted Benefits of Algae

The importance of algae lies in their versatility, as they can be transformed into:

- Biofuel, serving as a sustainable alternative to fossil energy. - Nutritional supplements and healthy foods, rich in essential nutrients. - Pharmaceuticals and medical materials, leveraging their biological properties. - Carbon-neutral materials, supporting a circular economy and reducing the carbon footprint. Algae’s Role in Combating Climate Change

Beyond these uses, algae naturally absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making this system environmentally positive and counteracting human-induced harm. In this way, the project evolves from merely reducing damage to actively improving the environment.

Novasis aims to provide potable water and energy to coastal communities suffering from resource scarcity. (Courtesy of Novasis Design Team)

Structural Design: Intelligence and Efficiency in One

The very structure of the Novasis project is both stunning and highly functional. Imagine a circular floating platform featuring a central dome and a surrounding walkway that organizes movement within the space, allowing activities to be distributed logically and practically.

Diverse Uses and Spaces

The platform is designed to support a wide range of functions:

- Research facilities for studying the marine environment and algae. - Recreational areas to enhance the living experience on the platform. - Residential spaces integrated sustainably. Self-Sufficiency in Resources

One of the platform’s most remarkable innovations is its ability to produce fresh water through multiple methods:

- Rainwater harvesting. - Desalination of seawater using solar and wave energy.

Thanks to these technologies, the platform becomes a fully self-sufficient ecosystem, eliminating the need to rely on terrestrial infrastructure for essential resources.

Masterplan view showing the integration of marine transport with Novasis floating hubs. (Courtesy of Novasis Design Team)

Redefining Coastal Development

One of the most striking aspects of the Novasis project is how it reimagines the meaning of development in coastal and open-ocean environments. Traditionally, marine construction is associated with extractive models, such as oil platforms or commercial fishing, or recreational uses, like luxury resorts and cruise ships.

A Sustainable Economic Model

In contrast, the platform offers a completely different approach:

- Generating biomass and renewable energy as primary sources of revenue. - Operating independently without the need for grants or external financial support. Integrated Environmental and Economic Development

By combining environmental sustainability with economic viability, the project demonstrates how marine development can be rethought to provide both ecological and financial benefits, rather than relying on conventional activities that often harm natural resources.

Technical 3D renders showing the structural form and flotation system of the Novasis unit. (Courtesy of Novasis Design Team)

Mohsen Laee’s Background and the Wind Island Experience

Mohsen Laee is no stranger to ambitious ocean-based concepts. In 2021, he introduced the Wind Island project, a floating platform that combined wind, water, and solar energy, while integrating residential and research spaces.

Innovation in Design

The project stood out for its flag-like blades surrounding a central tower, serving dual purposes:

- Capturing wind energy to generate electricity. - Providing shade and cooling for the spaces beneath the platform, reflecting a focus on efficiently harnessing natural resources. Evolution Towards Novasis

Laee’s thinking evolved from Wind Island to Novasis, with a sharper focus on:

- Practical and effective restoration of marine ecosystems. - Integrated production of sustainable resources, transforming the platform from a renewable energy experiment into a fully self-sufficient ecosystem.

Internal section of the Novasis unit revealing multiple functional levels above and below the water line. (Courtesy of Novasis Design Team)

Timing of Innovation

The timing of Novasis could not be more fitting. Floating solar farms are increasingly popular as renewable energy solutions, particularly because they:

- Preserve land for other uses. - Naturally help purify nutrient-polluted waters. Surpassing Traditional Projects

However, most floating renewable energy projects focus on a single function, such as electricity generation or water treatment. In contrast, Novasis offers a different model:

- Integrating multiple systems including solar energy, wave energy, algae cultivation, and fresh water production. - Providing a comprehensive platform that combines environmental sustainability with practical viability. Greater Flexibility and Benefits

Thanks to this integrative approach, the platform is more flexible and beneficial compared to conventional projects, capable of meeting multiple environmental and economic goals simultaneously, while offering a practical model for marine sustainability.

Detailed view of the Novasis unit's upper deck, including integrated transport and energy systems. (Courtesy of Novasis Design Team)

Ambition in the Face of Environmental Reality

Some critics might consider this concept overly ambitious or even unrealistic, yet the current environmental reality makes such ambition necessary. Our oceans are experiencing alarming rates of warming, acidification, and biodiversity loss, while coastal cities face rising sea levels and freshwater scarcity. Confronted with these complex challenges, humanity needs solutions that are interconnected and as sophisticated as the problems themselves.

Novasis: A Practical Model for Ocean Interaction

The Novasis platform offers a practical model demonstrating how humans can contribute to ocean health rather than merely exploiting it. The project aims not only to reduce harm but to actively improve marine environments and restore ecological balance.

Modular Flexibility and Adaptation to Needs

One of the platform’s standout features is its modular design, allowing the system to be expanded or scaled down according to location and requirements:

- Small coastal communities can deploy a single unit. - Larger projects can link multiple platforms to form integrated floating networks.

In this way, the design provides practical flexibility and adaptability instead of imposing a one-size-fits-all approach, making the system applicable in diverse contexts.

Solar-powered Novasis units utilizing ocean space for clean energy production. (Courtesy of Novasis Design Team)

The Future and Feasibility

The question remains: how far can the Novasis project go? Will we see a working prototype in the next few years? And will governments and investors recognize the immense potential of this type of marine innovation?

Design Between Beauty and Revolution

So far, Novasis stands as proof that design can combine beauty, functional revolution, and sustainability all at once. It demonstrates how infrastructure can be built to enhance environmental health rather than harm it, offering a practical model for complex and sustainable solutions.

Hope and Practical Solutions

In a world facing escalating environmental challenges, the project provides a genuine signal of hope. It shows that architectural innovation and sustainable design are not just distant future concepts, they can have tangible, practical impacts on the environment and coastal communities.

A cluster of Novasis floating units designed for marine sustainability, showcasing their modular distribution. (Courtesy of Novasis Design Team)

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The Novasis project can be viewed as an innovative model that integrates architecture with marine sustainability, while offering practical solutions to complex environmental challenges, such as renewable energy generation, water desalination, and algae cultivation. On the positive side, the project encourages a rethinking of floating platform design in an independent and integrated manner, and it can serve as inspiration for future initiatives aiming to combine environmental stewardship with architecture in a practical way.

However, several reservations warrant attention: relying on complex systems in a marine environment may face real technical and operational challenges, particularly regarding maintenance, resilience to harsh weather conditions, and the cost of implementing integrated systems at scale. Additionally, modular expansion requires careful consideration of the local context, as coastal communities may vary in their capacity to accommodate floating units or interconnected networks, limiting the direct generalizability of the model.

From an architectural perspective, the project raises important questions about the interaction between design and environmental adaptation, and how architecture can support ecosystems rather than merely fulfilling traditional functions. Novasis can be utilized as a case study for sustainable design in marine environments, highlighting the necessity of balancing ambition with realism to ensure practical applicability and long-term sustainability.

A Platform that Interacts with Nature

Imagine a public space that rises and falls with changing water levels. This is the core idea behind the AquaPraça project, unveiled during the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil. And while many structures linked to environmental summits are temporary by design, this project is intended to remain as part of the local ecosystem at the heart of the Amazon, in the most sustainable way possible.

An Architectural Response to a Changing Climate

The platform is designed by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati and Höweler + Yoon, as an attempt to offer an alternative model for construction in regions where water levels are no longer stable. Since the project is located in the Guajará Bay within the Amazon River system, the design relies on natural buoyancy to adapt to daily fluctuations in water height.

How Does the Platform Work?

Based on Archimedes’ principle of flotation, AquaPraça rises and falls with the tides, which can shift by nearly four meters each day. This allows visitors to:

- Experience the real rhythm of the river - Directly engage with a constantly changing environment - Observe the impact of nature on architecture in real time

In other words, the platform does not impose itself on nature, it adapts to it and moves with it continuously.

A Deeper Look at the Concept

Through this approach, the project introduces a new vision for public spaces built around:

- Dynamic response instead of rigid permanence - Integration instead of domination - Coexistence with the climate rather than resistance

This opens the door to a broader idea: How can architecture evolve from static structures into adaptable systems that respond to environmental change?

Behind the Idea: A New Architectural Vision

Carlo Ratti, MIT professor and curator of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, explains the intellectual foundations behind the project. Ratti points to Italian architect Aldo Rossi as a major source of inspiration, particularly in his ability to interpret cities through their history.

A Comparison Between Two Visions

In the 1980s, Rossi drew from the past to highlight how architecture can leave an imprint on the skyline of a city like Venice. Today, however, with accelerating climate change, AquaPraça adopts a different perspective, a perspective that seeks a future built alongside nature, rather than attempting to overcome it or impose a static form upon it.

A Subtle Intellectual Shift

This shift, though seemingly simple, carries profound meaning: Architecture is not limited to the design of buildings; it also encompasses how they interact with the ever-changing elements of the environment. It marks an intellectual transition that paves the way for a new understanding of public spaces, one that is more flexible and more open to the natural world.

The Project’s Journey: From Venice to the Amazon

The AquaPraça journey is itself remarkable and distinctive, not only because of the project’s design, but also in how it was presented and transported across different contexts.

From Concept Model to Real Application

The platform was first unveiled in Venice last September during the Architecture Biennale, as a simplified version intended to express the core idea. It was later transferred to Belém, Brazil, becoming part of the Italian Pavilion at COP30, allowing visitors to witness the idea turning into a tangible reality within a natural environment.

Social and Cultural Sustainability

After the conference concludes, Italy will donate the platform to Brazil, transforming it into a permanent community space. There, AquaPraça will serve as a gathering point for dialogue on:

- Climate issues - Local and creative culture - Innovative initiatives and industries

In this way, the project manifests not only as an architectural landmark, but as a living platform contributing to greater environmental and social awareness.

A Living Climate Experience

What truly distinguishes AquaPraça is its ability to transform climate change from an abstract theoretical concept into a tangible, sensory experience that visitors can directly perceive.

Real-Time Interaction with Nature

The platform’s sloped surfaces and shifting levels respond to water movement in real time, creating a dynamic experience in which visitors feel as though they are part of the environment itself. Eric Höweler described this interaction as a “delicate balance,” reflecting how finely attuned the design is to natural fluctuations.

A Platform for Reflection and Understanding

According to J. Meejin Yoon, the platform is more than an architectural structure; it functions as an educational tool and a metaphorical experience for understanding sea-level rise and its impacts on coastal communities worldwide. Through this direct interaction, visitors can grasp environmental risks in a way that goes beyond numbers and statistics, turning them into a vivid, thought-provoking learning experience.

Geographical Symbolism

There could hardly be a more meaningful location than the city of Belém, situated at the meeting point of the Amazon River and the Atlantic Ocean. Here, freshwater meets saltwater, forming a unique estuarine ecosystem that makes the site ideal for testing adaptive architecture.

A Lesson from Nature

Guajará Bay reflects the cycles of nature on a daily basis, as low tide reveals shifting aquatic terrain beneath the surface. This natural scene serves as a living reminder of the importance of designing architectural structures that interact with their environment rather than resist its transformations.

Architecture and Environmental Interaction

Through this location, AquaPraça becomes more than a floating platform; it transforms into an environmental and educational experience, demonstrating how architecture can evolve into a flexible system that adapts to nature and mirrors its dynamics.

Engineering Challenges

Constructing AquaPraça was far from an easy task. The project required complex coordination between architectural, engineering, and structural disciplines to ensure that the platform performs efficiently and safely within an environment of constantly shifting water levels.

An Exceptional Achievement in a Short Time

The Italian company Cimolai successfully completed the entire project in just five months, taking responsibility for:

- Structural design - Execution - Compliance with safety standards

This achievement is exceptional, particularly given that the platform is floating and interacts daily with fluctuating water levels, making speed and precision critical to ensuring the project’s success and long-term resilience.

The International Collaboration Behind the Project

The realization of AquaPraça came as the result of a broad international alliance involving governmental bodies and private institutions, reflecting both the complexity of the project and its ambitious sustainability goals.

Multiple Partners for a Shared Objective

The alliance included:

- The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security - Supporting institutions such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, Costa Crociere, and ENEL A Lesson in Collective Action

The project demonstrates how governments, private companies, and cultural institutions can join forces to achieve sustainable environmental objectives. It stands as a living example of how confronting climate change requires cross-sector collaboration, where funding, expertise, and knowledge come together to create practical and scalable solutions.

A Floating Square and a Symbol of Renewal

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described AquaPraça as a “floating Italian square,” evoking the spirit of Venice while serving as a symbol of friendship between Italy and Brazil. Yet beyond diplomatic niceties, the project embodies a tangible idea of circular architecture, structures capable of serving multiple functions and being renewed over time.

A Model of Sustainability and Innovation

From Venice to Belém, and now as a permanent structure, the platform demonstrates how to:

- Continually reuse - Reinvent - Adapt design to nature and the environment

This makes it far more than an architectural structure; it stands as a living example of practical flexibility and sustainability in contemporary architecture.

Architecture as a Living Dialogue with the Environment

AquaPraça goes beyond being visually impressive. It embraces:

- Cultural events and programs - Dialogues on climate policy - A direct experience of environmental change, as it literally moves with the surrounding waters

In this way, architecture does more than speak about climate adaptation, it embodies it daily, with every tide, becoming both an educational and environmental experience.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The AquaPraça project demonstrates a clear ability to merge architecture with environmental fluctuation, offering a practical model for how structures can respond to the daily rise and fall of water levels. This aspect holds significant educational and experimental value, as engineers and designers can draw inspiration from the concepts of flexibility and dynamic adaptation in similar projects, particularly in regions vulnerable to flooding or sea-level rise.

However, the project raises a number of questions regarding long-term sustainability and the platform’s practical functionality. While it stands as an engaging and educational experience, the high cost of constructing a floating platform, and the uncertainty of its durability over decades, may limit its replicability in other urban contexts. Furthermore, the emphasis on interaction with nature as a core principle presents operational and maintenance challenges, especially in environments where water levels shift in extreme or unpredictable ways.

In addition, the project may be regarded as limited in cultural scope. Despite its potential to host forums and discussions, the platform’s physically constrained area could reduce its practical impact on the local community compared to larger, stationary initiatives. From a broader architectural perspective, questions remain about how such a unique experience can be adapted to other urban projects without compromising its educational value or economic sustainability.

In summary, AquaPraça offers an important model for studying adaptive architecture and direct interaction with nature, yet it remains more relevant as a research-driven and educational experiment than as an architectural solution applicable on a wide urban scale. Nevertheless, the principle of dynamic flexibility can inform the design of future public spaces or buildings in volatile environments, provided a balance is maintained between innovation and practical feasibility.

https://archup.net/belem-bus-station/ Prepared by the ArchUp Editorial Team

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Luxury, tranquility, comfort, and relaxation are what every person seeks. A unique architectural project has been unveiled, combining hotel living with a marine experience in The World Islands in Dubai. The project introduces the first floating hotel and residences under the Buddha Bar identity. It offers a new lifestyle that blends luxury and serenity, inspired by nature.

The warm-toned façade highlights the Asian inspired architecture blending elegance with coastal serenity Design Blending the East with Modernity

The interior design reflects an aesthetic inspired by classical Asian architecture, blended with modern lines and warm tones of red and gold. Soft lighting fills the spaces, creating an immersive atmosphere. Decorative elements, including symbolic wall art and detailed sculptures, are arranged to give guests a sensory experience that unites art and visual calm.

An aerial view reveals the seamless connection between the floating homes and the surrounding marine landscape An Architectural Floating Experience

The project includes floating residences that appear to glide above the sea, redefining modern marine living. Each unit spans three levels: a rooftop with a lounge and jacuzzi, a middle floor with panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf, and a lower level beneath the water. From their bedrooms, residents can watch coral reefs up close. Floor-to ceiling glass façades create full transparency and a constant visual link with the ocean, allowing the architecture to merge naturally with its surroundings.

The red and gold lighting creates a meditative atmosphere reflecting Buddha-Bar’s philosophy of balance and calm Harmony Between Design and Nature

Natural materials like wood, stone, and marine glass are used throughout the design. They blend harmoniously with the soft, calm tones of the surrounding sea. The design follows the concept of quiet luxury, where refined details and precise craftsmanship take precedence over excessive ornamentation. This gives the residences a meditative character, balancing privacy with openness to nature.

The image captures the fusion of Asian ornamentation and contemporary lines that define a tranquil yet luxurious experience A Vibrant Social Environment

The project includes a multi use beachfront designed for social interaction and relaxation. It features water pathways, open pools, and outdoor spaces for daily activities that gently slope toward the sea.The site’s geometric layout embodies a smooth transition between land and sea. Each walkway and bridge integrates seamlessly into the continuous rhythm of the natural landscape.

Inside the Buddha-Bar Hotel in Dubai, golden accents and wood details blend with warm lighting to create a serene Far Eastern inspired atmosphere. A Floating Architectural Masterpiece

This project offers a new kind of architectural experience above the water, combining luxury living, nature, and experimental design. It aims to redefine humanity’s relationship with the sea not merely as a scenic view, but as a living environment that allows genuine interaction with nature while maintaining ecological balance.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

This article explores a distinctive architectural vision through the first Buddha Bar-branded floating hotel and residences on Dubai’s World Islands, where luxury meets calm in a modern marine setting. The interiors balance red and gold tones, fusing Asian influences with contemporary geometry and fluid openness. While the visual narrative is immersive, it invites inquiry into the project’s ecological sensitivity and the durability of its floating typology. Still, the composition succeeds in integrating architecture and environment, offering a meditative framework that reshapes how future design engages with the sea.

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