Dutch architects Powerhouse Company has designed a floating office in Rotterdam for the Global Center on Adaptation that will be carbon neutral and function off-grid.
The Floating Office Rotterdam (FOR) is set to be moored at the Rijnhaven port on the Maas River, as an example of what Powerhouse Company called "climate-resilient office design".
If sea levels rise due to climate change the office will float rather than flood.
Once complete, the timber structure will have solar panels and a water-based heat-exchange system installed to ensure it is self-sufficient and carbon neutral in operation.
Visual is by Plomp
"Designing a sustainable, floating office building was a very challenging commission and we approached it in an integrated way," said Nanne de Ru, founder of Powerhouse Company. "By using the water of the Rijnhaven to cool the building, and by using the roof of the office as a large energy source, the building is truly autarkic," Ru said. Autarky is to be self-sufficient.
Powerhouse Company designed FOR to reflect the values of the Global Center on Adaptation ? a Rotterdam NGO that focuses on the mitigation of climate change through technology, planning and investment.

The building will host the organisation for a period of five to 10 years, before it is either made available to rent or relocated.

FOR will be built offsite from timber ? chosen for its minimal carbon footprint ? before being towed into position in autumn 2020. It will...