Only a Tip of an Iceberg

Holiday cottages are a usual fixture of the Åland Islands. By the word “usual” I mean that the cottages are situated on the ground. This one is different – it is floating on water.

The client Ålands Hotell & Restaurangskola wanted to enhance the concept of a cottage to attract more tourists during the summer months and asked Daniel Andersson to come up with a few fresh ideas. He created the Iceberg House.

Approximately two thirds of the house is underwater, which provides great insulation, hence no heating or cooling necessary. Fresh water and electricity comes from the mainland through specially connected pipes. Underfloor pontoons are keeping the iceberg house straight.

A big downside is that the houses (if ever built) would have to be removed prior to winter because they’d get crushed by the ice. This concept would work lovely here in Britain – our seas never freeze; and coupled with an underwater heat pump, these iceberg houses would possibly prove practical.

It is not the first time an architect tries to re-enact Kevin Costner’s “Waterworld”. Is living on the water a solution to overpopulation and flooding?