Rotterdam in development

116 R O T T E R D A M I N D E V E L O P M E N T | 2 0 1 8 n the Kop van Feijenoord, near the Unilever factory and office complex, lies the Nassauhaven: a long harbour basin, about 30 metres wide, spanned by a footbridge. To the north, near the narrow outlet into the river De Maas, you can find a classic lift bridge; there are residential buildings on both long sides, at some distance from the harbour; and to the east there is a small park. In 2018, this empty harbour will welcome 18 ‘harbour lofts’, moored along the west bank. The design of these ‘floating detached homes’ is created by architect-director Pieter Figdor of Public Domain Architects. Building on water is Figdor’s speciality. The conversation with the architect takes place on the Drijvend Paviljoen (Floating Pavilion) in the Rijnhaven. He designed the pavilion himself in the shape of giant soap bubbles on a platform. Figdor is joined by Jasper Sluimer, Director of BIK Construction, the company building the harbour lofts. It is more common to live on the water these days, thanks to rising water levels caused by climate change. “Rotterdam is a delta city, well aware of its future vulnerability,” Sluimer acknowledges. A floating residential neighbourhood is a great fit for increasingly necessary climate-adaptive constructions. It also makes use of the space offered by the empty harbours, while elsewhere in the city there is a lack of space. ARCHIMEDES’ LAW The developer, architect and builder prefer the name ‘harbour lofts’. ‘Water villa’ or ‘floating home’ are also acceptable, but ‘houseboat’ is completely forbidden. To Figdor, that term is synonymous with crooked, wobbly constructions. “You can still endure life in a houseboat on the Rotte, but not in harbours on a big river with a direct connection to the sea. It can get pretty rough in these harbour basins.” The harbour lofts incorporate a very stable pontoon with a form and weight which dampen movement and make them unsinkable, according to the insurance. The pontoon is made of concrete and follows the ancient Archimedes’ law, Figdor says: “Every litre of water provides one kilo of float, so you have to do the math on the design.” LIGHT HOMES The pontoon is as heavy as it needs to be; the home that sits on it, as light-weighted as possible. Around 20 tons of house rest on 80 tons of pontoon. “Weight savings on the house include a sophisticated kind of sandwich panel for the façades, which combines a slim cross-section and light-weight with firmness and good insulation,” Sluimer explains. These light façades are finished in yellow cedar, which is sustainable because it does not require painting. The windows are triple glazed, with aluminium frames. BIK Construction deposits the pontoons on the RDM at Heijplaat, where professionals then assemble the prefabricated sections of the homes and add ROTTERDAM HAS NO SHORTAGE OF ABANDONED BASINS WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A SAILBOAT. THESE BASINS ARE IDEAL FOR A FUTURE OF FLOATING RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND 18 FLOATING HOMES IN THE NASSAUHAVEN ARE A GOOD START. You can step straight out of your harbour loft into your boat!