Overview of the vision, projects and people of DeltaSync. At DeltaSync we work on developing floating cities. For private and public organizations we deliver knowledge, creativity and results in practice. Examples are technology integration, design, implementation, planning, business cases and strategy of floating urban developments.

2. Corporate profile
INTRODUCTION
DeltaSync is a leading specialist in the field of floa-
ting urbanization. We provide consulting and design
services and innovative solutions for delta areas.
As an interdisciplinary think tank, we develop and
implement flood proofing strategies.
By taking an integrated approach, that combines ana-
lysis, design and realisation, DeltaSync acts as a cata-
lyst of visionary plans. Ideas or strategies are quickly
taken to the next level, by providing technically fea-
sible and aesthetically, economically and socially res-
ponsible solutions. In relation to this, sustainable de-
velopment is a key aspect on all scales, from a single
building to a complete city.
Currently, for the first time in human history the
amount of people that live in urban areas is larger than
the amount that live in rural areas. The degree of ur-
banization is expected to rise further towards 70% in
the 21st century. This growth will for a considerable
part take place in low-lying deltas that are vulnera-
ble to flooding and climate change. Already there is a
shortage of space and cities rely completely on exter-
nal sources for food, water and energy. With the incre-
asing scarcity of resources there is a growing need for
cities to be more self-sufficient.
Therefore there is a great need for new sustainable
flood-proof concepts for urbanization of delta areas.
Constructing floating buildings is a promising solution.
It enables multi-functional use of space in densely po-
pulated areas, without further increasing flood risk. A
good example of such a concept is the floating city.
This concept can only be developed by investigating
different scale levels in conjunction, ranging from buil-
ding level, neighbourhood level to city level. To ensure
that it is actually implemented, it is important that the
feasibility, spatial integration and social aspects are
fully included in the analysis and design.
mission
DeltaSync’s mission is to design and develop the first
self-sufficient floating city in the world. The realization
of the Floating Pavilion in Rotterdam, the largest public
floating building in the Netherlands, is the first milesto-
ne towards achieving this mission.
vision Corporate VALUES
DeltaSync reflects the following values:
• Sustainability
DeltaSync recognizes its responsibility towards our
planet and acknowledges that preservation of the
world’s resources and ecosystems for present and fu-
ture generations is of major importance. Sustainability
is therefore an integral part of all projects. DeltaSync
strives to create a balance between the needs of the
users and the environment and develops innovative
techniques and concepts to provide buildings with lo-
cal water and energy resources.
• Creativity and Innovation
Creativity and innovation play an important role in the
company. Innovation and the search for new unex-
pected solutions are important drivers in DeltaSync’s
work. Problems are analyzed from different view-
points and the solutions integrate water management,
sustainable development, architecture and spatial
planning into multidisciplinary proposals.
• Collaboration
DeltaSync believes in collaboration between resear-
chers, designers, entrepreneurs and government
agencies to obtain new insights and solutions in or-
der to contribute to the challenges cities in delta areas
are facing. In an early stage partners are involved and
consortia are formed. Within these partnerships, inte-
grated and multidisciplinary knowledge is developed.
FLOATING URBANIZATION:
• Is a unique and promising growth market
• Creates new space in densely populated areas
• Combines urban development and water retention
• Is a safe and climate proof solution
• Offers urban flexibility and movable buildings
• Is easily combined with sustainable technology such
as light weight construction and self-sufficient systems
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3. KNOWLeDge AND eXpeRTISe
DeltaSync has specialized in all aspects of floating ur-
banization. The past years we have developed speci-
alist knowledge in several areas. We excel in the inte-
gration of water management, design and technology.
Examples of our expertise with respect to floating
construction and flood proof development are the fol-
lowing:
Technology and engineering
• Floating and flood proof construction
• Structural design
• Building technology
• Water management
Architecture and design
• Architectural design
• Strategic visions
• Spatial integration
• Concept development
Socio-economic
• Feasibility and business cases
• Legal aspects, legislation and regulation
• Collective private commissioning
environmental
• Energy and water supply
• Sustainable development
• Water and mobility
Similar to other design and consultancy firms, we pro-
vide design and consultancy services of good quality
at a competitive price. DeltaSync distinguishes itself
by an integrated approach in which analysis, design
and implementation are combined. At an early stage,
we engage in conversation with all stakeholders inclu-
ding local authorities, water authorities and utilities.
This approach avoids unnecessary delays and guaran-
tees the feasibility of our innovative solutions.
AppROACH
DeltaSync’s core qualities are the ability to initiate and
realise complex projects, specialist knowledge and an
integrated approach to analysis, design and social pro-
cesses. This enables us to come to surprising and in-
novative, but also feasible solutions. Many of our pro-
jects are self-initiated. The most notable example is
the Floating Pavilion in Rotterdam: an iconic project in
the field of climate adaptation, which is currently being
used as the National Water Centre.
CORe QUALITIeS
3

4. Floating City
FUTURe vISION
The Floating City is a concept for sustainable, in-
novative urbanization in a densely occupied delta
area. It is a climate robust solution for urban de-
velopment. In contrast to conventional urbaniza-
tion, the Floating City can cope with water level
fluctuations. Thus, it is a city without flood risk. In
this project special attention was paid to themes
of sustainability and mobility. The project received
the first prize in the international Royal Haskoning
Delta Competition.
CLIENT: Royal Haskoning Deltacompetition
LOCATION: IJmeer, NL
DESIGN: 2006
The Floating City is combined with the construction of
a floating highway between Amsterdam and Almere.
Part of the building, which is located beneath the
water surface, serves as parking space. The Floating
City is self-sufficient in terms of water and energy
supply. Water is either collected through rain water
harvesting or can be drawn from the large reservoir
on which the city floats. Positioning the city on a
large body of water also provides opportunities for
implementing thermal energy storage systems.
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5. Floating Pavilion
Rotterdam
Initiated by DeltaSync, the Floating Pavilion is in-
tended as a pilot for building on water and a first
step towards floating urbanization. The urban de-
velopment of unprotected areas outside the dikes is
of major importance to the city of Rotterdam. With
this project the municipality of Rotterdam takes
a pioneering role in climate adaptation and delta
technology.
Rotterdam has started the (re)development of the
City Ports, consisting of 1600 ha of unprotected land
and water. The Floating Pavilion demonstrates how
cities can pro-actively adapt to the effects of climate
change. It has been located in the Rijnhaven until 2015
and afterwards will be floated towards another loca-
tion. The building is used as exhibition and conference
space and hosts the National Water Centre.
CLIENT: Municipality of Rotterdam
LOCATION: Rotterdam, NL
PARTNER: PDA
DESIGN: 2009
REALISATION: 2010
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7. Indoor climate concept
The floating pavilion features a demand-driven cli-
mate system: at every moment in time the climate
conditioning is carefully matched to the function and
number of people of each space. A lot of energy and
material is saved by putting it only where it’s needed.
Solar transmission is regulated by applying reflective
printing to the foil. To prevent over-heating in summer,
large parts of the top and bottom of the domes can be
opened to create a stack effect, which provides a re-
freshing breeze without using mechanical ventilation.
Cooling with solar heat
Vital parts of the building, such as the auditorium, are
situated within an insulated inner shell. In this area ad-
ditional measures have been taken to achieve an ener-
gy efficient indoor climate. Solar heat is used to cool.
This sounds contradictory, but it relies on a common
process used by our skin to cool our body: transpira-
tion. The evaporation of liquid on the surface of our
skin extracts heat from our body. In the floating pavi-
lion the ventilation air is dried by a sorption material.
When water is added it evaporates and cools down
the air. It is then regenerated by heat from solar col-
lectors. Obviously, during cold days the solar panels
are used as a regular heating device.
‘Cathedral effect’
Phase Change Material (PCM) are a high-tech substi-
tute for thick masonry walls. Similar to the heavy walls
of an old church, that remains cool on a summer day,
PCM’s provide a latent heat store. The difference is
that the energy is absorbed by the material changing
from one phase to another. This energy-intensive pro-
cess results in a lightweight alternative to its ancient
predecessor.
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8. Floating villas
Harnaschpolder, Delft
For two private customers a design has been made
for a floating villa in the Harnaschpolder in Delft.
The villas conform to the objectives of the clients
and at the same time seek mutual similarity.
Living on water appeals to the imagination. No less than
30% of the Dutch population regards this new residential
concept as a serious option. The ‘waterhome’ is rapidly
developing into a mature house typology, with all con-
veniences you would find in a conventional house and a
unique location on the water.
The relation between the villas and the water are a key
aspect of the design, both visually and physically. The ter-
races are right near the water and in one of the villas the
water even enters the building in the form of a pool and
cascade. Another aspect that is especially important for
water homes is privacy. The water doesn’t allow one to
put up simple fences or plant trees. Therefore, privacy
has been an integral part of the design.
CLIENT: private individual
LOCATION: Delft, NL
DESIGN: 2010
8

9. Floating homes
Harnaschpolder, Delft
The city of Delft is developing floating houses in
the new neighbourhood Harnaschpolder. Floating
buildings are still a unique construction method
and even more so in the Harnaschpolder, where
private individuals are collectively building their
own dream house. Six sustainable waterhomes
will be developed in a water retention area. The
municipality of Delft cooperates with DeltaSync
and future residents in the development and rea-
lisation of this project.
Collective private development is an alternative to
large scale real estate development. The involvement
of the future residents in the development stimulates
quality and variety in urban development plans. In this
project DeltaSync has been hired to assist the future
residents in the design, and to advice on sustainability
and technical floating construction issues. A strategy
has been developed with building principles and res-
traints, subdivision plans and solutions for access and
parking. Cooperation between the different stakehol-
ders and the enormous commitment of the future re-
sidents was crucial.
CLIENT: Municipality of Delft
LOCATION: Delft, NL
DESIGN: 2010
Preliminary design studies
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11. Blue Revolution
With the predicted scarcity of water, fossil fuel and
food resources, the necessity to develop floating
cities is greater than ever before. The current food
crisis - almost 1 billion people suffer famine today
- shows that world food production systems have
trouble keeping up with rapid increase of global po-
pulation and prosperity. Agricultural productivity is
lagging because prime resources, water, phosphates
and fossil fuels, are under pressure. At the same time
increased urbanization will swallow up nearly a fifth
of the fertile croplands by the end of this century.
Food scarcity is, above all, a land scarcity issue. If part
of the future urbanization and food demand can be met
by relocating it on the oceans, a sustainable solution can
be offered. Floating food cities even have several additi-
onal benefits. Nutrients that are wasted by conventional
cities can be reused to grow algae, fish and crops on
water. The risk of flooding will be averted and oppor-
tunities are created to apply new technologies of water
and energy production.
Especially now, in times of crises, a new and convin-
cing perspective that enables us to correct the errors
of cities on land is vital. In order to create cities where
people can live truely more sustainable and with a clear
conscience.
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13. Seasteading Implementation Plan
ReSeARCH AND pReLImINARy DeSIgN
During this project DeltaSync developed a concept
implementation strategy, a preliminary design and cost
calculation model for The Seasteading Institute. The
Seasteading Institute is working on enabling seastead-
ing communities - floating cities - which will allow the
next generation of pioneers to peacefully test new ideas
for government. The implementation strategy consist-
ed of a growth strategy, an estimation of the degree
of independence, an overview of the required location
characteristics, a location analysis and a cost calcula-
CLIENT: The Seasteading Institute, USA (CA)
LOCATION: Anywhere
Growth strategy
tion model. This calculation model integrated not only
the costs for a floating platform but also included a com-
parison between the use of conventional energy and
water supply and the use of alternative energy like solar
power and rainwater. The preliminary design included a
multi-layerapproachintegratingspatiallayout,movabil-
ity, seakeeping, comfort and structural characteristics.
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15. Rijnhavenpark
ROTTeRDAm
In cooperation with the INHolland University of
Applied Sciences, DeltaSync developed a master-
plan for redevelopment of the ‘Rijnhaven’ harbor
in Rotterdam. A floating park, consisting of islands
that host a great variety of functions: flexible office
space, sport facilities, a swimming pool, a floating
market, restaurants and a theatre. The ambition is to
create a future proof concept for floating recreation.
Local inhabitants, companies and students are in-
volved in the realization of this plan. They will take
part in management, programming and development,
which adds to the sense of community. The floating is-
lands are constructed from economically standardized
elements. The fact that the islands are floating gives
the opportunity to create a flexible urban plan, which
can be realized in several phases and can be adapted
to future developments.
CLIENT: Stichting Rijnhavenpark / INHolland
LOCATION: Rijnhaven, Rotterdam, NL
DESIGN: 2010
The project will generate extra jobs, will stimulate
entrepreneurship and a wide variety of study and
research topics for students of the universities in the
area. The ambition of the Rijnhavenpark is to create an
inspiring and future urban concept that enhances the
reputation of Rotterdam as an innovative, sustainable,
vibrant and livable city.
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16. Floating district
pAmpUSHAveN, ALmeRe
The objective of the study is a floating district in Al-
mere pampushaven. This area is available now as a
temporary exposition of a floating district. Floating-
Life has been granted use of pampushaven area for
10 years. After this period various parts of the expo
can be dismantled and moved elsewhere.
Pampushaven area is reserved for 10 years, as a tes-
ting ground for sustainable floating development. The
project aims at exploring new spatial possibilities of
this new kind of urbanization and investigate techno-
logies that enable flexible and self-sufficient cities in
the future. In order to close the metabolic cycle of the
district, the use of natural resources and waste pro-
duction is minimized.
CLIENT: FloatingLife
LOCATION: Pampushaven, Almere, NL
DESIGN: 2011
16

17. Roadshow
Water management in the city of the future
The Roadshow ‘Water Management in the City of
the Future’ has been developed by DeltaSync in
collaboration with Tauw and Deltares as part of
the Living with Water program. The roadshow is
an interactive workshop where professionals are
challenged to think about future roles and tasks
in the realisation of innovations in the watercity
of the future.
The roadshow has already been organised at various
water boards, a municipality and a housing associa-
tion. Topics of the roadshow include: decentralized
concepts of water management, water as an energy
source, and water proof urban development. The
roadshow consists of the following components
1. Innovative concepts of urban watermanagement
2. New tasks and new roles of water management
organisations
3. Benchmark transition potential
4.Drawingupguidingprinciplesforthetransitiontomore
sustainable water management
UrbanWaterScan
FLOOD PROOF URBAN DEVELOPMENT
The hustle and bustle of everyday life and the rise
of the 24-hour economy creates a growing need
for space, peace and quiet. This leads to the de-
parture of certain income groups out of the cities
to regain rural life near nature and water. Cities
suffer from a decrease in population diversity.
An attractive proposition that cities can offer is the
combination of living quality similar to the countryside
and a short distance to the city. In order to determine
what possibilities exist in regaining population diversi-
fication for cities, DeltaSync developed the UrbanWa-
terScan. This tool gives insight into the qualities and
preconditions that must be met in order to transform
these city locations into suitable water living areas.
Various aspects are studied, such as future flood pre-
dictions and scenarios, water storage demands and
fuctional and spatial qualities.
In commission of the municipality of Arnhem 8 loca-
tions have been examined to determine the top three
suitable locations for urban development on water.
CLIENTS: Waterboard De Dommel
Waterboard Rivierenland
Waterboard Rijnland
Waterkader Haaglanden
Eigen Haard
LOCATION: Anywhere
CLIENTS: Municipality of Arnhem
LOCATION: Arnhem
17

18. In cooperation with a private investor new con-
cepts for sustainable floating neighbourhoods have
been designed. The aim was to develop inspiring
visions for future floating homes and take the next
step towards floating developments that are more
cost efficient but at the same time energy efficient
and aesthetically pleasing.
In this project an ensemble of five terraced floating
homes was designed. The radial layout provides op-
timal orientation towards sunlight, while at the same
time privacy is realised. An important objective of the
design was to create more comfort than current floa-
ting homes. The large platform prevents oscillation
on the water and the submerged part of the floating
structure is used as a parking area. This enables resi-
dents to park right at their home.
Easy Water Living
DeveLOpmeNT
CLIENT: private individual
LOCATION: generic
DESIGN: 2010
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19. Floating Utility Unit
DeveLOpmeNT
Living on water offers great opportunities for flexi-
ble and sustainable housing, but utilities are cur-
rently a major obstacle in large scale floating urban
developments. A question that remains is how to
supply these neighbourhoods with water, electricity
and communication network facilities. The floating
utility unit provides a flexible framework for delive-
ring local utility services, and at same time provides
floating infrastructure.
The Floating Utility Unit is not to be regarded as a de-
finitive product. It is rather a toolbox that can be utili-
zed at different locations with specific demands. The
consideration of sustainable technology and feasibility
is used as a basic principle. A business enterprise or
foundation exploits the Utility Units, so that from a
user perspective there is hardly any difference with
regular public utilities. This system features plug’n’play
connections and integrated piping and cables provides
a flexible solution to utility services for floating urba-
nization.
CLIENT: Housing Experiments Steering Group (SEV)
LOCATION: generic
DESIGN: 2008
19

20. With a multidisciplinary team of students and pro-
fessionals of DWA, Edifico and RoseliekvanderVel-
den, DeltaSync designed a self-sustaining floating
house. This design was an entry in the design com-
petition ‘Duurzaam drijvend wonen’ from stadsdeel
Oost-Watergraafsmeer, Amsterdam.
The floating house is inspired by the symbiotic relation
between tree and fungus. The house is constructed of
two parts: the backbone as the tree and the capsules
as the fungus. The backbone supports the capsules
and transports ‘nutrients’ such as energy, water and
waste. Through symbiosis they form a comfortable
living environment.
The backbone is the core of the house; all fixed func-
tions and installations are located here. The shape of
the backbone is optimised for wind and solar energy
production. The windmill for example produces twice
as much energy as in a normal situation. The house
can be turned so the orientation will always be optimal
for energy production.
The capsules provide free and adaptable space. The
backbone, capsules and floaters are modulAIR, so
the house can adapt to changing needs of the inhabi-
tants. The house is built completely from flexible and
demountable parts. Occupants will become co-owner
of a company, ‘Rent to Recycle’, where the parts are
manufactured and repaired collectively. This will en-
sure that every part will return to its cycle at the end
of its lifespan.
ModulAIR
visiON
floor plan
CLIENT: Stadsdeel Oost-Watergraafsmeer
LOCATION: Amsterdam, NL
DESIGN: 2010
20

21. FloodProBE
ReSeARCH
FloodproBe is a european research project with
the objective of providing cost-effective solutions
for flood risk reduction in urban areas. FloodproBe
aims to develop technologies, methods and tools for
flood risk assessment and for the practical adapta-
tion of new and existing buildings, infrastructure
and flood defences. This will lead to a better un-
derstanding of vulnerability, flood resilience and
defence performance.
This research supports implementation of the Floods
Directive through the development of more effective
flood risk management strategies. The work is being
undertaken in close partnership with industry, and is
utilising pilot sites across Europe, to help provide prac-
tical industry guidance and cost effective construction
solutions.
The objectives and principal aims are to improve me-
thods for assessing the vulnerability to flooding of the
urban environment, especially by extending conven-
tional methods with the ability to assess indirect im-
pacts of damage to networks and assets with a high
value density.
Better understanding and assessment methods of ur-
ban flood defence performance will help to develop
suitable protection measures and to increase the cost-
effectiveness of future investments. New construction
technologies and concepts are developed and tested
and the results are to be disseminated to support im-
plementation of the EU Flood Directive.
CLIENT: European Union, KP7
PROJECT: 2009-2012
21

22. Multifunctional use is often mentioned as a pro-
mising solution to realise water retention space in
densely populated delta areas. DeltaSync has re-
searched the possibilities for multifunctional use in
Rijnenburg, close to Utrecht, for the Water board
De Stichtse Rijnlanden.
In this project, the possibilities to combine water re-
tention with other functions, such as recreation and
housing, were explored. A specific topic is the reali-
sation of floodproof buildings. A spatial plan is made
with different types of floodproof housing types. The
economical and management feasibility was also in-
vestigated.
Rijnenburg
WATER AND AREA DEVELOPMENT
CLIENT: Water board De Stichtse Rijnlanden
LOCATION: Rijnenburg, NL
PROJECT: 2011
FLOATING FLOATING IN PEAT
ON STILTS ECO DWELLING MOUND
DRY FLOODPROOFING FLOOD SHELTER22

23. Water & Mobility
RESEARCH
The ‘Water and mobility’ study investigated the
possible contribution of urban water systems in im-
proving accessibility of historic city centres of delta
cities in the Netherlands.
Many cities suffer from severe accessibility problems
and heavy congestion. Expanding the road infrastruc-
ture needs space which is often scarce. The existing
water system offers flexible possibilities to improve
the accessibility of cities. In the Netherlands, water
was the most important mode of transportation un-
til the 19th century. In that period, the train became
more important and many canals were filled in, be-
cause of hygienic problems and water pollution. Ho-
wever, in many cities the main water infrastructure is
still present. In addition, many Dutch cities have plans
to restore the historic water systems.
In eight Dutch cities the feasibility of using the urban
water system for mobility was studied. This was done
in a co-creation approach with the local municipal go-
vernments and included expert interviews and design
workshops. The historic use of water for mobility was
studied by evaluation of historic documents. Subse-
quently, the current use of the water system was eva-
luated and current water retention and accessibility
problems were analysed. Future possibilities to utilize
water systems for better accessibility were developed
by a ‘research by design.’ method. This included tech-
nical feasibility studies and spatial designs of several
alternatives. Finally, general conclusions were made
and the applicability of the results was evaluated.
CLIENT: The Netherlands Architecture Fund
LOCATIONS: 8 Dutch cities
PROJECT: 2009
23

24. LocationScan Floating Icon
CITY PORTS, Rotterdam
In preparation of the development of the Floating
Pavilion in Rotterdam a study was conducted on the
relevant spatial, technical and policy aspects with
regard to floating construction. Furthermore, the
City Ports area in Rotterdam was investigated, in
order to find the most suitable location for a floa-
ting demonstration project.
The LocationScan has been executed in two phases.
In the first phase, a shortlist of possible locations has
been made through a study on boundary conditions in
the City Ports area. This encompasses physical (depth,
waves) and juridical (ownership, regulations) bounda-
ry condition. In the second phase the most suitable
locations were determined by applying criteria and a
functional analysis of the planning area.
CLIENT: Municipality of Rotterdam
Project: 2008
NEN Advice
In 2009 the Netherlands Standardization Institute
(NEN) initiated a project that aims at developing
new building standards for floating buildings. The
new NTA (Industry Technical Agreement) will fo-
cus on aspects such as structural stability, draught,
canting, accessibility, fire protection and mooring
facilities.
DeltaSync is one of the two design firms that are par-
ticipating in this project and acts as a consultant and
sounding board concerning floating construction. The
initiative was started to help solve issues in current
regulation and legislation. In 2011 the final NTA for
floating structures will be finalized and published. The
aim is twofold: to define boundary conditions where
necessary, but also try and find opportunities to ex-
tend the limits of current legislation.
CLIENT: Netherlands Standardisation Institute (NEN)
Periode: 2010-2011
24

25. Collective Commission
HARNASCHpOLDeR, DeLFT
The city of Delft is planning to develop floating hou-
ses in the Harnaschpolder, a new neighbourhood
close to Den Hoorn. Six houses will be realized in a
water retention area. The municipality of Delft coo-
perates with DeltaSync and future residents in the
design and realisation of this project.
Collective private development is an alternative to
large scale real estate development. The involvement
of the future residents in the development stimulates
quality and variety in urban development plans. In this
project DeltaSync has been hired to assist the future
residents in the design, and to advice on sustainability
and technical floating construction issues. A strategy
has been developed with building principles and res-
traints, subdivision plans and solutions for access and
parking.
Tasks:
• Process management: develop phasing and time
schedule of the project, identifying and engaging key
stakeholders, communication with future residents
• Consultancy: technical advice on floating structures,
construction costs, sustainability, financing and per-
mits, water quality issues and utilities.
• Co-creation: assisting residents in the design and de-
velopment of their personal floating house.
• Design competition: organization of design contest
for students from regional educational institutions.
CLIENT: Municipality of Delft
TIMEFRAME: 2009-2012
Innovative Water Management
TeCHNOpOLIS, DeLFT
Science park Technopolis in Delft aims to attract
the top businesses, focussing on innovative the-
mes such as energy, water, climate and delta tech-
nology. Consequently it is of great importance to
make these themes visible in the area. DeltaSync
conducted an exploratory study on the potential
contribution of innovative water management to
Technopolis.
The report includes innovations to use water for mo-
bility, as energy source and for floating urbanization.
Sustainable urban water management strategies were
proposed that will contribute to a more sustainable
water system and the international prestige of Tech-
nopolis as a frontrunner on climate adaptation, sustai-
nability and water management.
CLIENT: Science Port Holland
PROJECT: 2010
25

26. KARINA CZApIeWSKA
DIReCTOR pROJeCT DeveLOpmeNT
Karina Czapiewska is a specialist in the field
of multidisciplinary area development, pro-
ject management and sustainable develop-
ment. She graduated at the faculty of Archi-
tectureatDelftUniversityofTechnologywith
a minor in Sustainable Development (TIDO)
and is responsible for business development,
sales and consultancy on feasibility studies,
flood proof area development and living on
water. Since she first learned about the pos-
sibility of floating cities in during her study
she committed herself to realize the first self
supporting floating city in the world.
RUTgeR De gRAAF
mANAgINg DIReCTOR
Rutger de graaf is civil engineer and specialist in
the field of floating urbanisation and sustainabili-
ty. He graduated cum laude at the faculty of Civil
engineering of Delft University of Technology.
In 2009 he finished his phD thesis (cum laude)
on innovations in urban water management to
reduce the vulnerability of cities. He holds a
position as professor Adaptive Construction at
the Rotterdam University of Applied Science. At
the company he focuses on water management,
strategy, innovation and sustainable urbaniza-
tion combined with floating constructions.
BART ROeFFeN
CReATIve DIReCTOR
As principle architect Bart Roeffen was
in charge of the design and construction
supervision of the Floating pavilion in Rot-
terdam. This is considered to be one of the
leading floating projects and a milestone in
the technological development of floating
urbanization. Advanced 3D technology
was adopted in order to translate spatial
concepts into reality and optimize complex
shapes. Roeffen is driven to innovate con-
struction industry in terms of production
and sustainable development.
BARBARA DAL BO’ ZANON
ARCHITeCT AND ReSeARCHeR
Barbara Dal Bo’ Zanon graduated at Univer-
sity IUAv of venice with master degree in
‘Sustainable Architecture’. After her gradu-
ation she joined DeltaSync’s team, first as an
intern, and later as employee. She worked
on a project for a floating district in Almere
pampushaven. Her design approach is sus-
tainability driven, developing the project
from the definition of its goals, analyzing
local resources and considering the project’s
impacts and mitigations.
2626

27. Op vrijdagnacht 26 juni is op het Delft-
seplein, bij het Centraal Station, een
jonge vrouw aangerand en mishandeld.
Rond kwart over één loopt zij achter het
Nationale Nederlanden gebouw langs.
Twee mannen komen haar tegemoet en
een van de mannen spreidt zijn armen,
grijpt haar vast en betast haar. De vrouw
verzet zich en krijgt daarop een kop-
stoot. Ze slaat tegen de grond. De twee-
de man trekt de dader vervolgens mee in
de richting van het Centraal Station. Van
de dader zijn camerabeelden gemaakt,
die worden getoond in de uitzending.
Brandactie
De brandweermannen van kazerne
Baan hebben een bijzonder klusje: ze
gaan rookmelders uitdelen bij huurwo-
ningen in het Oude Noorden. Het is
onderdeel van een grote preventiecam-
pagne in de wijk. Bewoners krijgen
rookmelders en met brandweermannen
maken ze een rondje door de woning
om mogelijke brandonveilige situaties
vast te stellen.
met de flow.’ Beiden hebben al veel
verschillende banen en opleidingen ge-
probeerd, ze herkennen het probleem
dat veel jongeren hebben om school of
werk te vinden. Erik: ‘Het is wel moei-
lijk, maar je moet er gewoon voor
vechten. Het komt echt niet zomaar uit
TV Veilig: aanranding en brandactie
TV Veilig wordt elke dinsdag uitge-
zonden om 17.35 uur op TV Rijn-
mond en wordt om het uur herhaald.
Bekijk de uitzendingen ook op
www.veilig.mediarotterdam.nl.
Zeker in tijden van crisis is het voor jongeren belangrijk om met een diploma
de arbeidsmarkt op te gaan. Gemeente, bedrijfsleven en onderwijs hebben
daarom de handen ineen geslagen. Met het Akkoord van Rotterdam wordt een
groot aantal maatregelen ingezet om de economische crisis te bestrijden. Dit
moet de stad de komende jaren zo’n 1.500 extra banen en 2.000 stage- en leer-
werkplaatsen opleveren. Kijk ook op: www.akkoordvanrotterdam.nl.
In de komende uitzending vanTV Veilig onder meer aandacht voor een
aanranding en mishandeling van een jonge vrouw.
In de Rijnhaven komt komend
jaar een opvallend nieuw bouw-
werk: een complex van drie drij-
vende halve bollen. Het krijgt
een hoogte van 12 meter, een
totaal vloeroppervlak van vier
tennisbanen en is in zijn geheel
verplaatsbaar. De eerste vijf jaar
zal het klimaatbestendige pavil-
joen dienstdoen als expositie-
en ontvangstruimte.
Wethouder Bolsius (Haven, Finan-
ciën, Buitenruimte en Organisatie) is
trots op de plannen: ‘Het paviljoen
wordt een nieuw drijvend icoon v oor
de stad, 't is klimaatbestendig, innova-
tief, duurzaam en flexibel. Een eerste
klinkend resultaat van onze ambities
op het gebied van drijvend bouwen.’
In het paviljoen komt naast een expo-
sitieruimte een ontvangstruimte, zegt
Bolsius. ‘En wellicht breiden we het
in de toekomst verder uit met nog
meer modules.’
Het paviljoen verenigt de Rotterdamse
doelen om de uitstoot van het broei-
kasgas CO2 te halveren en om de stad
ook in de toekomst klimaatbestendig
te houden. Het gebouw is door zijn
opvallende vorm zeer herkenbaar en
kan vanaf de Erasmusbrug gezien
worden. Het paviljoen zuivert zijn ei-
gen toiletwater. Wat er dan overblijft,
kan worden geloosd in het oppervlak-
tewater. Bijzonder is ook het folie
waarmee de koepels worden bekleed.
dit zogenaamde EFTE-folie is 100
keer lichter dan glas, wat het heel ge-
schikt maakt voor drijvende gebou-
wen. Het drijvend paviljoen is een
ontwerp van Deltasync/PublicDomain
Architecten en wordt gebouwd door
Dura Vermeer. Het zal worden opgele-
verd in mei 2010.
Drijvende stadswijken
Het drijvend paviljoen is het eerste re-
sultaat van Rotterdam Climate Proof
(onderdeel van Rotterdam Climate
Initiative) om klimaatbestendig te
bouwen in buitendijkse gebieden. De
gemeente heeft plannen voor het bou-
wen van drijvende stadswijken in het
Stadshavensgebien. Mensen zullen in
deze wijken op het water wonen,
boodschappen doen, werken en rec-
reëren.
Meer informatie en foto-impressies op
www.rotterdamclimateinitiative.nl.
hanteren om problemen van
jongeren te signaleren. Op deze
manier kunnen hulpverleners
sneller ingrijpen en adequate
hulp bieden.
Donderdag acht oktober onderteken-
den zestien gemeenten en twintig re-
gionale instellingen het SISA-conve-
nant. Dankzij de verwijsindex ‘SISA’,
wat staat voor Stadsregionaal Instru-
ment Sluitend Aanpak, blijven jonge-
ren beter in beeld en kunnen hulpver-
leners over de gemeentegrenzen heen
signaleren, informeren en activiteiten
op elkaar afstemmen.
Hele regio
SISA is al sinds 1999 in Rotterdam
actief. In 2008 leverde dit ruim 2000
cases op waarbij intensief werd sa-
mengewerkt om adequate hulp te bie-
den aan kinderen en hun ouders. Nu
tot Spijkenisse. ‘Om jongeren goed te
kunnen helpen, is een soepele samen-
werking noodzakelijk tussen alle par-
tijen in de jeugdketen. Het is belang-
rijk dat instanties en professionals
elkaar weten te vinden’, zo zegt de
Rotterdamse wethouder Peter Lamers,
tevens portefeuillehouder stadsregio-
nale jeugdzorg.
Ieder Kind Wint
De samenwerking is een onderdeel
van het programma ‘Ieder Kind Wint’.
Dit programma brengt gemeenten en
instanties samen om de hulp en zorg
aan kinderen te verbeteren. Door pro-
blemen sneller te signaleren kan eer-
der worden ingegrepen en kan ook
sneller de juiste zorg aan kinderen
worden geboden.
Kijk voor meer informatie op
www.iederkindwint.nl.
Drijvend icoon voor
de stad in Rijnhaven
Their concept for a Floating City
is based on their housing project
built on the IJmeer between
Amsterdam and Almere in 2007.
It won first prize in the Delta
Competition, an international
prize awarded by the engineering
firm of Royal Haskoning for a
sustainable solution to the prob-
lems caused by climate change
in densely populated areas.
The Floating City is a futuristic-
looking concept that represents
sustainable, innovative urban
development in densely popu-
lated areas. It is adapted to
climate change and presents
various technologies for sustain-
able living, which means that it
not only offers solutions for the
results of climate change but also
for the causes. In an environmen-
tally friendly manner, the
Floating City will make use of
both surface water and rainwater,
as well as wind and sun energy.
The water offers possibilities for
decentralized energy facilities.
With the help of heat pumps, the
surface water creates the heating
and cooling functions. Deltasync
is working with the Stichting
Experimenten Volkshuisvesting
(SEV) to supply clean drinking
water and produce electricity and
‘self-sufficient, floating energy
units’, for a certain number of
the homes. Floating water homes
in watery areas should be easy to
link to similar energy facilities.
Shanghai World Expo
With its floating buildings,
Deltasync wants to add a new
dimension to the area of urban
planning. “Building on water,
with its multiple land use, offers
not only extra capacity but also
flexibility in the construction
process,” notes Maarten Kuijper
of Deltasync.
“A floating home is easier to
move than a building that is
anchored to the ground.”
The plans not only call for
homes to be built on a stable
floating construction, but also
roads, bridges, parking lots and
even a complete football
stadium. Kuijper explained,
“By utilizing floating technolo-
gies you remain flexible so that
you can start out small and then
easily add to that to produce a
neighborhood, district or city.”
As part of a pilot program for
sustainable urban development,
Deltasync developed a Floating
Pavilion for the Shanghai World
Expo 2010. The building, the
floating VIP Haven, is, for the
most part, self-sufficient, sustain-
able and creates new space for
the Shanghai metropolis. The
design has a distinctive architec-
tonic form. The pavilion consists
of five bubble-shaped domes
which house a large auditorium,
a 3D-cinema, an exhibition space
and a sky bar, situated on top of
the highest sphere.
The design makes extensive use
of advanced technologies in the
areas of climate design, con-
struction and recycling. “The
sphere is a natural form with an
optimal relationship between
total surface area and volume,
which delivers energy savings,
creates an optimal interior
climate and offers stability on
the water.
The cover of the interior sphere
further enhances the desired
effects,” Kuijper commented.
After the World Expo the build-
ing can easily be moved and
reused. It may actually end up in
Rotterdam’s Harbor district.
Rotterdam’s harbors
Rotterdam has the ambition to
become the Clean Tech Delta of
Europe. At the end of 2008, the
city launched its plans for sus-
tainable innovations and floating
buildings, complete with an
innovative Climate Campus, a
research institute de
energy and water m
The city expects tha
ments will be paid b
because people from
rest of the world are
requesting the incre
edge and informatio
tions of the world’s
in low-lying delta r
solutions to the pro
produces are big bu
indeed. Just like ma
harbor cities, many
are moving out of t
harbor districts. The
of the Tweede Maa
mouth of the Maas
trans-shipment com
related industries fu
sea. This means mo
new homes and offi
old harbor districts.
2025 call for the co
some 5,000 new ho
harbor district area
some 16 square hec
tonic tour d
the situatio
also making
tions. Crane
crane platfo
lition in 199
rior and int
identified th
they design
that appear
The building’s indoor climate is regulated by a dou
controlled glazing, whilst openings in the floor and
provide ventilation. In the summer, Crane Track is c
the colder months, the relatively warm water from
system. In 2008, The Crane Track won the MIPIM Gr
Special Jury award, the ULI European Award for Exc
Global Award for Excellence. The Award is acknowle
platform in the area of land use.
Deltasync developed a Floating Pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo 2010.
Photo:deltasYnc
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Nederland bestaat voor ongeveer
18 % uit water. ‘Dat is een enorme
oppervlakte die nu niet volledig
wordt benut’, vindt ir. Bart Roeffen
van DeltaSync. Volgens de bouw-
kundig ingenieur is dat een gemiste
kans, omdat ons land chronisch last
heeft van een gebrek aan woonruim-
te en tegelijkertijd al het water een
plek moet zien te geven.
De stijgende zeespiegel en
de bodemdaling maken dit
probleem alleen maar inge-
wikkelder. ‘Om ook in de
toekomst veilig te kunnen
blijven wonen, is drijvend
bouwen een mooie oplos-
sing’, redeneert de creatief
directeur van het jonge be-
drijf uit Delft. In 2006 won
Deltasync een prijsvraag
van ingenieursbureau Royal
Haskoning met het idee
voor een drijvende stad,
die niet simpelweg uit afzonderlijke
waterwoningen zou bestaan, maar
uit grote drijfelementen met plaats
voor ongeveer zestig woningen.
DeltaSync mag nu een proeve van
bekwaamheid afleggen achter het
terrein van de voormalige Rot-
terdamse Droogdok Maatschappij.
Hier bouwt het bedrijf een drijvend
paviljoen: een tentoonstellings-
ruimte, congresgebouw met verga-
derzalen, auditorium en openbaar
stadsplein in één. Volgens Roeffen
is het de eerste keer dat zo’n groot
gebouw van 24 bij 46 m op het wa-
ter verrijst. Het stadsplein komt nog
eens op een apart eiland van 24 bij
24 m. ‘Dit is de eerste stap naar een
grotere drijvende stadsuitbreiding’,
meent Roeffen. ‘Rotterdam wil zijn
havens inrichten met drijvende ge-
bouwen. In de Heijse haven aan de
Maas doen we de eerste test om te
kijken of dat idee levensvatbaar is.’
De jonge ondernemers van het in
2006 opgerichte bedrijf zijn ver-
plicht om hun twee eilanden met
de wal te verbinden. Het stadsplein
wordt zelfs verankerd aan twee
Drijvend bouwen is alternatief voor verstedelijking deltagebieden
Rotterdam op de Maas
meerpalen in het water, omdat het
Nederlandse Bouwbesluit dezelfde
regels aan waterwoningen stelt als
aan huizen op het land. Over drie
maanden moet het paviljoen al klaar
zijn na amper een bouwproces van
een jaar. Als het project in Rot-
terdam succesvol uitpakt, dan wil
DeltaSync ook het open water be-
bouwen. Roeffen fantaseert al over
een zelfvoorzienende stad met een
eigen riolering, drinkwater, energie-
voorziening en drijvende wegen.
Polderbaan
Maar dr.ir. Jan van Kessel ziet een
dergelijke stad niet zo snel in Ne-
derland ontstaan. Hij promoveerde
begin februari aan de TU Delft op
een rekenmodel om grote drijvende
constructies op zee te bouwen. ‘We
zijn een baggerland dat niets liever
dan land opspuit’, legt de scheeps-
bouwkundig ingenieur uit, ‘en we
zijn geneigd om een techniek te
kiezen die we goed kennen.’Toch
onderzocht hij of de 3,8 km lange
en 160 m brede Polderbaan, de
langste landingsbaan van Schiphol,
ook drijvend kan
worden uitgevoerd.
Tot nu toe was zo’n
lengte ondenkbaar,
omdat de landings-
baan doormidden
zou breken door de
kracht van de gol-
ven op zee.
Van Kessel bedacht dat luchtkus-
sens deze buiging wel eens zouden
kunnen verminderen. De drijvende
Polderbaan kreeg daarom de vorm
van een omgekeerde schoenendoos,
met wanden van 65 m lang die in
het water lagen. De luchtkussens
onder de 25 m dikke stalen bodem
van de doos zorgen dan voor het
drijfvermogen. Bovendien vangt de
lucht in de kussens de golven in het
water op, waardoor de druk op de
landingsbaan constant blijft.
De promovendus kreeg gelijk: met
een luchtkussen blijkt het buigmo-
ment 64 % kleiner. Toch is zo’n sta-
len Polderbaan nog niet reëel. Vol-
gens Van Kessels berekeningen gaat
namelijk niet de baan zelf, maar de
bodem onder de wanden scheuren.
‘Met meer staal, hoogtesterktestaal
of een andere opstelling van de
luchtkussens zou het wel haalbaar
zijn’, denkt de kersverse promo-
vendus, die inmiddels productont-
wikkelaar is bij het offshorebedrijf
GustoMSC in Schiedam, ‘maar ik
heb alleen een rekenmodel gemaakt
voor toekomstige constructies en
geen ontwerpen getest.’
Luchtkussens blijken niet nodig in
rustig water, zoals in Rotterdam,
waar de buigmomenten met een
normale constructie op te vangen
zijn. Het systeem dat DeltaSync
gebruikt is Flexbase, voortgekomen
uit een samenwerking tussen Dura
Vermeer en Unidek. EPS-blokken
worden op het water met elkaar
verbonden, zodat een drijvende
werkvloer ontstaat. Na dit twee à
drie lagen herhaald te hebben, komt
vervolgens een laag met uitsparin-
gen, zodat een grid ontstaat. Dit
wordt volgestort met beton, omdat
EPS alleen niet stevig genoeg is. Ten
slotte komt aan de zijkanten een be-
schermlaag van prefabbeton en aan
de bovenkant een betonnen vloer.
Het paviljoen, een geodetische koe-
pelconstructie, wordt bekleed met
twee à drie lagen ETFE-folie, een
transparante dunne kunststof die in
gewicht maar een honderdste weegt
vergeleken met glas. Door tussen de
lagen folie lucht te pompen ontstaat
een waterdicht en isolerend geheel.
Een drijvende stad is dus minder
futuristisch dan op het eerste gezicht
lijkt. Binnenkort wordt het paviljoen
van DeltaSync op de World Expo
2010 in Shanghai gepresenteerd als
mogelijke oplossing voor de toene-
mende verstedelijking in kwetsbare
deltagebieden, waar in 2030 de helft
van de wereldbevolking woont.
www.deltasync.nl
Bouwen op open water is de
droom van DeltaSync, dat in mei
een drijvend paviljoen in de Rot-
terdamse haven oplevert. Dr.ir.
Jan van Kessel, productontwik-
kelaar bij GustoMSC, ziet nog
niet zo snel drijvende steden ver-
schijnen.‘Maar met hoogtesterk-
testaal en luchtkussens moet dat
haalbaar zijn.’
- Desiree Hoving -
DHV SANITEERT 80
STEDEN INDONESIË
DHV en de Indonesische doch-
ter PT MLD hebben een contract
ondertekend voor de sanitatie
van tachtig steden. Het ingeni-
eursbureau gaat strategieën ont-
wikkelen en ontwerpstudies
opstellen voor de afvalwaterbe-
handeling, ontwatering en ver-
werking van huisvuil. DHV is
ook betrokken bij de uitvoering.
Het project is onderdeel van het
Accelerated Sanitation Develop-
ment Program van de Indonesi-
sche overheid voor 330 steden,
dat is begroot op ongeveer 3,7
miljard euro. Het contract levert
DHV tien miljoen euro op.
Volgens projectleider Jan Oo-
men is de sanitatie hard nodig.
‘Indonesië kent rond de 230 mil-
joen inwoners. Slechts 1 % daar-
van is aangesloten op riolering
en 4 % heeft geen betrouwbaar
functionerend privé- of open-
baar toilet tot zijn beschikking.’
www.dhv.com
Slechts 1 % van de 230 miljoen
inwoners van Indonesië is aan-
gesloten op riolering.
SHELL GAAT IN
BIOBRANDSTOFFEN
Shell heeft in principe een sa-
menwerkingsovereenkomst
gesloten met het Braziliaanse
Cosan, een van de grootste pro-
ducenten van biobrandstoffen
ter wereld. Het olieconcern in-
vesteert de komende jaren 1,2
miljard euro in de nieuwe on-
derneming, waaronder ook de
2740 benzinestations van Shell
vallen. De joint venture krijgt
een marktaandeel van 9,3 % in
de Braziliaanse ethanolmarkt.
Cosan verwerkt rietsuiker tot
ethanol, dat wordt gemengd
met benzine. Shell wil biome-
thanol uit de stengels halen, dat
in tegenstelling tot suiker niet
tot voedsel wordt verwerkt.
www.shell.com
DeltaSync bouwt achter de voormalige Rotterdamse
Droogdok Maatschappij een drijvend paviljoen.
Drijvende constructie op zee van dr.ir. Jan van Kessel.
In the Media
SUNDAY TIMES ONLINE WW
For all the latest green
business news go to
thesundaytimes.co.uk/
business
F
or Ellen and Robert
Stravers, living in a
floating house is like
being on a perma-
nent holiday.
They live in an arc of 57
floatinghomes,aroundaninlet
just southeast of Amsterdam.
A boat moored outside their
three-storey house lets them
sail into the city.
“In the summer there is a
swimming club, and last
winter people were skating,”
said Robert, a retired pharma-
cist, sitting at a long wooden
table in the couple’s light, airy
living room.
“Aboutonceamonth, there’s
a storm. The doors swing open
and shut — I like that,” Robert
said. But most of the time the
house is perfectly stable.
About 300 water houses have
popped up in the Netherlands
in the past few years, mostly
alongsidethe tens ofthousands
of houseboats that have been a
staple of the country’s canal
system for the past century. It
is estimated that another 2,000
floating homes are likely to be
built over the next five years.
With 40% of its land below
sealevel,theNetherlandsispar-
ticularly at risk from rising sea
levels and growing populations
that in the coming decades will
cram a lot more people into a
lot less space that has an inc-
sage around the world and
reckon that Britain, too, could
eventually have a number of
floating settlements.
“Initially, we want to extend
existing cities into the water,”
said Bart Roeffen at Delta Sync,
a specialist firm of architects
in Delft. “But my dream is to
realise an entire floating city.
The Maldives is slowly being
submerged and with this tech-
nology we could make new
islands and combine them
with artificial coral reefs.”
Roeffen, 30, has just com-
pleted one of his biggest water-
based projects to date, a
floatingpavilionhedesignedin
the Rijnhaven, a harbour near
the centre of Rotterdam.
The three-dome structure is
12 metres high with enough
floorspace to cover four tennis
courts. It’s the biggest floating
building in Holland so far, and
is thought to be the biggest in
the world.
The pavilion is an experi-
ment to address the engi-
neering challenges involved in
building large floating struc-
tures that don’t sink. It has
attractedarchitects fromacross
the world who want to follow
Holland’s lead.
It is based on the geodesic
structure popularised by the
American engineer Richard
Buckminster Fuller and com-
meated cells and is topped off
with a layer of pure concrete.
The technology is develop-
ing and allowing architects to
get more ambitious with their
plans.
Koen Olthuis, chief architect
at Waterstudio, based in
Rijswijk, a small town in the
province of South Holland, is
working on plans for a floating
golf course and a floating
mosque in the Maldives. He is
also developing a city for
120,000 people in southern
China. About a quarter of the
population will be housed in
floatingbuildings, making itby
far the biggest floatingbuilding
project to date.
Back home, Olthuis is plan-
ning a 2,500 metre by 500 metre
floating complex in South Hol-
land, in which half the build-
ings will float and the rest will
be built on stilts or artificial
islands. At the centre of the
complex will be the Citadel, the
world’s first floating apartment
block, with 60 luxury flats, a
car park and a floating road to
the land.
“The reason it’s half and half
is to do with perception,” said
Olthuis, who recently pub-
lished Float, a book about
water-based architecture.
“To a Dutch guy, a floating
house means a houseboat lying
on the canals of Amsterdam.
But if they see a combination,
they see there is no difference
between a building on land or a
building on water and so they
are happy to move in,” he said.
“You have to stay close to the
normal concept people have of
acity.Nobodybelievesinafloat-
ings in Britain, although there
areahandfulofboat-basedcom-
munities, one of the largest of
which is the Downings Roads
Moorings on the Thames, 400
metres east of Tower Bridge.
Nicholas Lacey, an architect
who set up the 100-person,
40-vessel community of house-
boats and garden barges,
thinks there is a place for
floating buildings in Britain.
“Manybits of water are suitable
for floating structures and it
makes economic sense because
they can be cost-effective.
There is scope for large scale
floating structures in parts of
London Docklands,” he said.
In a report this year, a
steering group comprising top
architects, civil engineers, city
designers, planners, devel-
opers, policymakers, ecologists
and futurologists went much
further about the need for
Britain to gear up architec-
turally to combat rising sea
levels, increasingly frequent
and intense storms, a growing
population, and the fact that
the south of England is slowly
sinking.
In the Facing Up to Rising
Sea Levels report, Ruth Reed,
president of the Royal Institute
of British Architects (RIBA),
declared these conditions
posed an “extreme threat” and
warned that we needed to act
now to avoid the certainty of
“mass disruption” to our
coastal communities.
The report identifies Ports-
mouthandHull—25milesfrom
the North Sea and bisected by
theRiverHull—asbeingpoten-
tially the greatest beneficiaries
of floating buildings.
For Hull, the report suggests
that a network of static plat-
forms and floating structures
could be built on the river
around a decommissioned
North Sea oil rig and old navy
vessels to produce a mix of resi-
dential, recreational and com-
mercial sites.
For Portsmouth, a series of
interconnected piers — hosting
houses, companies and recre-
ational spaces — could be used
as a framework for additional
clusters of floating communi-
ties in the sheltered waters of
the local harbours.
“Liverpool, Glasgow, Lowes-
toft, a lot of East Anglia — large
parts of Britain could benefit
from floating architecture,”
said Dickon Robinson,
chairman of Building Futures,
a RIBA think tank, and a
former development director at
PeabodyTrust,London’slargest
housing association.
Britain’s floating architec-
ture enthusiasts know they
have an uphill task to persuade
the many stakeholders — such
as investors, local authorities
and property developers — to
work more closely and to
increase their planning
horizon from about 15 years to
more like 100 years.
Caroline Spelman, the envi-
ronment secretary, said that at
present Britain had no plans to
promote floating buildings,
but added that “we are always
interested to see what other
countries are looking at to pre-
pare themselves for climate
change”.
Britain is clearly not ready
for this revolution, but advo-
cates of floating architecture
hope that, by drawing atten-
tion to future problems and the
part that water-based buildings
can play in the solution, they
have made a valuable start.
Ultimately it boils down to
consumer demand, which is
expected to change slowly as
land fills up, floods become
increasingly common, floating
architecture develops and
people get used to the idea.
‘‘
Floating base
Polystyrene construction
guarantees buoyancy
Heat from the river
Energy is extracted from river
water using heat pumps
Cooling
Heat from the sun is
absorbed by solar collectors
Lightweight materials
The dome facade is made
of lightweight, durable foil
Vegetaton wall
Plants help regulate humidity
and aid noise insulation
madeisfacadedomeThe
foildurablelightweight,of foildurablelightweight,of
Waste treatment
Reclaimed water from filtration
system is used for toilets
Ridingthetide
Dutch architects have designed a new
generation of floating buildings
Microclimate concept
Temperatures can be changed and
regulated between the domes
Robert and Ellen Stravers, pictured
with their daughter Mijke, live in a
floating home near Amsterdam
THE plains of southern
Spain provide a cautionary
tale for Britain’s burgeoning
low-carbon industry.
Spain is the largest solar
power producer in the
world thanks to a generous
tariff regime set by the
government years ago,
when the economy was
booming.
With the recession, the
government has pushed
through a series of
unpopular measures. The
latest, due to be passed in
the next few days, is a
drastic cut in solar payouts.
Investors, who stand to lose
hundreds of millions, are
furious.
The Spanish subsidies
are not unique. This month
the UK government
introduced a package of
subsidies that it says will
fuel a £200 billion “green”
makeover of the power
system.
All of these measures
have been taken against the
backdrop of binding
pollution reduction targets,
which were enshrined in
the United Nations’ Kyoto
Protocol. These were
supposed to be renewed last
year at the Copenhagen
climate conference. After
those talks disappointed,
hopes shifted to the latest
talks, held at the start of
this month in Cancun,
Mexico. Those, too, failed to
deliver. The Kyoto
agreement lapses at the end
of 2012.
The Cancun failure has
led some countries to
question the wisdom of
pushing ahead with costly,
taxpayer-funded green
programmes, while others
remain on the sidelines.
Critically, neither
America nor China, which
together account for
two-thirds of greenhouse
gas emissions, are
signatories to Kyoto and
both face fierce domestic
opposition to signing up to
costs of complying with
emissions rules.
Mark Lewis, a carbon
analyst at Deutsche Bank,
said: “We do not see any
prospect of a second
international commitment
period being in place by
January 1, 2013. Indeed, we
think it is now likely to take
some years for a new legally
binding global deal to be
negotiated.”
That is likely to slow the
progress of the conversion
to new low-carbon forms of
energy such as wind,
biomass and solar. Lewis
added: “We do not think
there will be sufficient
appetite among European
Union member states for
raising the EU’s 2020
emissions-reduction target
to 30% [as previously
proposed] over the next 12
months.”
Which brings us back to
the Spanish situation.
Every form of low-carbon
power is more expensive
than dirty fossil-fuel plants.
Thus governments around
Europe, which has led the
way by putting in place
tough targets and penalties
if they are missed, have
introduced subsidies to
convince firms to invest in
expensive new plants.
Offshore wind power, for
example, costs three times
as much as a gas-fired plant
capable of producing the
same amount of electricity.
Yet with the global
climate deal sputtering, the
danger for investors is that
they may plough billions
into an industry propped up
by public subsidies that, if
the situation requires, can
later be pulled.
That is the lesson
investors in Spain’s solar
market now face.
There was one silver
lining at Cancun for
Britain’s green investors.
One of the few deals that
was agreed there will see
the creation of a $100 billion
superfund to transfer
low-carbon technologies to
developing countries.
Last year the British
government predicted that
the green revolution would
produce 400,000 jobs and
help lead the country out of
recession. So far, few of the
promised jobs have
materialised.
A formalised fund to
funnel green technology
and industry abroad would
certainly help.
Not surprisingly, there is
still a way to go before it
becomes reality.
Michael Wilkins, at
Standard & Poor’s, the
credit rating agency, said:
“We understand that the
source of these funds has
still not been determined.
Equally unclear is the
method by which to engage
Beat the floods, build
a house on the water
Greenhouse
stand-off
hits investors
WE DO NOT SEE
ANY PROSPECT
OF A SECOND
INTERNATIONAL
COMMITMENT
BY 2013
Danny Fortson
Dutch architects are trying to
drum up interest in buoyant
homes, reports Tom Bawden
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT thesundaytimes.co.uk/environment 26.12.10 7
with
arbon
Bank,
see any
econd
commitment
place by
Indeed, we
likely to take
ew legally
to be
slow the
conversion
forms of
wind,
Lewis
think
sufficient
European
states for
2020
emissions-reduction target
previously
next 12
back to
situation.
low-carbon
expensive
fossil-fuel plants.
around
led the
place
penalties
have
subsidies to
invest in
plants.
power, for
three times
as-fired plant
producing the
electricity.
global
sputtering, the
investors is that
billions
propped up
that, if
requires, can
solar
silver
for
investors.
deals that
will see
100 billion
transfer
technologies to
F
or Ellen and Robert
Stravers, living in a
floating house is like
being on a perma-
nent holiday.
They live in an arc of 57
floatinghomes,aroundaninlet
just southeast of Amsterdam.
A boat moored outside their
three-storey house lets them
sail into the city.
“In the summer there is a
swimming club, and last
winter people were skating,”
said Robert, a retired pharma-
cist, sitting at a long wooden
sage around the world and
reckon that Britain, too, could
eventually have a number of
floating settlements.
“Initially, we want to extend
existing cities into the water,”
said Bart Roeffen at Delta Sync,
a specialist firm of architects
in Delft. “But my dream is to
realise an entire floating city.
The Maldives is slowly being
submerged and with this tech-
nology we could make new
islands and combine them
with artificial coral reefs.”
Roeffen, 30, has just com-
Rijswijk, a small town in the
province of South Holland, is
working on plans for a floatinga floatinga f
golf course and a floating
mosque in the Maldives. He is
also developing a city for
120,000 people in southern
China. About a quarter of the
population will be housed in
floatingbuildings, making itby
far the biggest floatingbuilding
project to date.
Back home, Olthuis is plan-
ning a 2,500 metre by 500 metre
floating complex in South Hol-
land, in which half the build-
40-vessel community of house-
boats and garden barges,
thinks there is a place for
floating buildings in Britain.
“Manybits of water are suitable
for floating structures and it
makes economic sense because
they can be cost-effective.
There is scope for large scale
floating structures in parts of
London Docklands,” he said.
In a report this year, a
steering group comprising top
architects, civil engineers, city
designers, planners, devel-
opers, policymakers, ecologists
tially the greatest beneficiaries
of floating buildings.
For Hull, the report suggests
that a network of static plat-
forms and floating structures
could be built on the river
around a decommissioned
North Sea oil rig and old navy
vessels to produce a mix of resi-
dential, recreational and com-
mercial sites.
For Portsmouth, a series of
interconnected piers — hosting
houses, companies and recre-
ational spaces — could be used
as a frameworka frameworka f for additional
Caroline Spelman, the envi-
ronment secretary, said that at
present Britain had no plans to
promote floating buildings,
but added that “we are always
interested to see what other
countries are looking at to pre-
pare themselves for climate
change”.
Britain is clearly not ready
for this revolution, but advo-
cates of floatingf floatingf f architecture
hope that, by drawing atten-
tion to future problems and the
part that water-based buildings
can play in the solution, they
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directeur van het jonge be
drijf uit Delft. In 2006 won
Deltasync een prijsvraag
van ingenieursbureau Royal
Haskoning met het idee
voor een drijvende stad,
die niet simpelweg uit afzonderlijke
waterwoningen zou bestaan, maar
uit grote drijfelementen met plaats
voor ongeveer zestig woningen.
DeltaSync mag nu een proeve van
bekwaamheid afleggen achter het
terrein van de voormalige Rot-
terdamse Droogdok Maatschappij.
Hier bouwt het bedrijf een drijvend
paviljoen: een tentoonstellings-
ruimte, congresgebouw met verga-
derzalen, auditorium en openbaar
stadsplein in één. Volgens Roeffen
is het de eerste keer dat zo’n groot
gebouw van 24 bij 46 m op het wa-
ter verrijst. Het stadsplein komt nog
eens op een apart eiland van 24 bij
24 m. ‘Dit is de eerste stap naar een
grotere drijvende stadsuitbreiding’,
meent Roeffen. ‘Rotterdam wil zijn
havens inrichten met drijvende ge-
bouwen. In de Heijse haven aan de
Maas doen we de eerste test om te
kijken of dat idee levensvatbaar is.’kijken of dat idee levensvatbaar is.’
De jonge ondernemers van het in
2006 opgerichte bedrijf zijn ver-2006 opgerichte bedrijf zijn ver-2006 opgerichte bedrijf zijn ver
plicht om hun twee eilanden met
de wal te verbinden. Het stadsplein
wordt zelfs verankerd aan tweewordt zelfs verankerd aan twee
meerpalen in het water, omdat het
Nederlandse Bouwbesluit dezelfde
regels aan waterwoningen stelt als
aan huizen op het land. Over drie
maanden moet het paviljoen al klaar
zijn na amper een bouwproces van
een jaar. Als het project in Rot-
terdam succesvol uitpakt, dan wil
DeltaSync ook het open water be-
bouwen. Roeffen fantaseert al over
een zelfvoorzienende stad met een
eigen riolering, drinkwater, energie-
voorziening en drijvende wegen.
Polderbaan
Maar dr.ir. Jan van Kessel ziet een
dergelijke stad niet zo snel in Ne-
derland ontstaan. Hij promoveerde
begin februari aan de TU Delft op
een rekenmodel om grote drijvende
constructies op zee te bouwen. ‘We
zijn een baggerland dat niets liever
dan land opspuit’, legt de scheeps-
bouwkundig ingenieur uit, ‘en webouwkundig ingenieur uit, ‘en we
zijn geneigd om een techniek te
kiezen die we goed kennen.’Toch
onderzocht hij of de 3,8 km lange
en 160 m brede Polderbaan, de
langste landingsbaan van Schiphol,langste landingsbaan van Schiphol,
lengte ondenkbaar,
omdat de landings-
baan doormidden
zou breken door de
kracht van de gol-
ven op zee.
Van Kessel bedacht dat luchtkus-
sens deze buiging wel eens zouden
kunnen verminderen. De drijvende
Polderbaan kreeg daarom de vorm
van een omgekeerde schoenendoos,
met wanden van 65 m lang die in
het water lagen. De luchtkussens
onder de 25 m dikke stalen bodem
van de doos zorgen dan voor het
drijfvermogen. Bovendien vangt de
lucht in de kussens de golven in het
water op, waardoor de druk op de
landingsbaan constant blijft.
De promovendus kreeg gelijk: met
een luchtkussen blijkt het buigmo-
ment 64 % kleiner. Toch is zo’n sta-
len Polderbaan nog niet reëel. Vol-
gens Van Kessels berekeningen gaat
namelijk niet de baan zelf, maar de
bodem onder de wanden scheuren.
‘Met meer staal, hoogtesterktestaal
of een andere opstelling van de
luchtkussens zou het wel haalbaar
zijn’, denkt de kersverse promozijn’, denkt de kersverse promo-
vendus, die inmiddels productont-
wikkelaar is bij het offshorebedrijf
GustoMSC in Schiedam, ‘maar ik
heb alleen een rekenmodel gemaakt
voor toekomstige constructies envoor toekomstige constructies en
Slechts 1 % van de 230 miljoen
inwoners van Indonesië is aan-
gesloten op riolering.
SHELL GAAT IN
BIOBRANDSTOFFEN
Shell heeft in principe een sa-
menwerkingsovereenkomst
gesloten met het Braziliaanse
Cosan, een van de grootste pro-
ducenten van biobrandstoffen
ter wereld. Het olieconcern in-
vesteert de komende jaren 1,2
miljard euro in de nieuwe on-
derneming, waaronder ook de
2740 benzinestations van Shell
vallen. De joint venture krijgt
een marktaandeel van 9,3 % in
de Braziliaanse ethanolmarkt.
Cosan verwerkt rietsuiker tot
ethanol, dat wordt gemengd
met benzine. Shell wil biome-
thanol uit de stengels halen, dat
in tegenstelling tot suiker niet
tot voedsel wordt verwerkt.
www.shell.com
Drijvende constructie op zee van dr.ir. Jan van Kessel.
27

28. For additional information,
please contact:
DeltaSync BV
Molengraaffsingel 12-14
2629 JD Delft
The Netherlands
T +31 (0)15 256 1872
F +31 (0)15 744 0102
E info@deltasync.nl
Contact