London based Sanitov Studio launched its stylish and sustainable floating home during the London Design Festival, which opened earlier this month. Named after the Greek mythical river god, “Inachus” is a two story house boat that more appropriately resembles a hi-tech floating mansion. Spread over two levels, the home comes complete with designer furnishings, botanical garden wall, wooden floorboards, floor to ceiling windows, a rooftop deck, intelligent lighting system and photovoltaic panels for off-the-grid energy supply.
“The whole house has been made from a dedicated relationship with, and inherited sense of, the Scandinavian design approach,” Sanitov Studio’s lead designer, Alexander Hamilton Hose, told Gizmag. “The home is inspired by what the possibilities of the mobility of a boat and the solidity of a house can bring in one vision, including playing on the natural surroundings of the river.”
The Inachus prototype took nine months to complete as it was Sanitov’s first floating build and by its nature a few design features had to be adjusted. The home incorporates the use of sustainable and recyclable materials, such as fast-growing bamboo, reused industrial wood and recyclable concrete. The multifunctional entrance area and staircase features an impressive green wall, a large skylight and an electric hatch that brings you up to the rooftop BBQ area and hot tub.
At the heart of the home’s hi-tech features is a Lutron light control system, which allows the home’s inhabitants to control all lighting aspects remotely using a smart phone or tablet. By using an internet connection, this function can be accessed from anywhere in the world, giving users the option to check if all the lights have been turned off or if on vacation, to remotely turn on the lights in the bedroom or living room to give the impression that someone is home.
The system has also been programmed to turn on the lights at an 80 percent capacity to save energy. Furthermore, the lights can be synced with the alarm system, causing them to flash on and off when triggered. This feature would obviously attract more attention to the home, while also making it more difficult for the intruder to see.
To further maintain a low carbon footprint, the Inachus home comes highly insulated and features an airtight envelope structure, triple glazed windows and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. According to Sanitov, it is one of only 40 homes in the U.K. to boast an Energy Level 5 status, which equates to 100 percent energy efficiency. In addition, the home catches and utilizes grey water for the cleaning of the boat and for watering the internal botanical wall.
Sanitov Studio has a range of floating home builds in the pipeline and it is currently working on getting permission for a floating community in London. “It's lately gotten very popular and trendy to live in the water areas – and that's just the start,” said Hose. “Floating homes in floating communities have so many things to offer our urbanized cities and it’s only a matter of time before we will see them scaling up from niche to a phenomenon [and] help solve sustainable and socioeconomic problems to our growing cities all over the world.”
Prices for a Sanitov floating home like Inachus start from £750,000 (US$1.2 million) to build without a mooring. However, the Inachus prototype launched in London is currently for sale with its 60 year residential mooring license for £2.3 million (US$3.65 million).
No comments:
Post a Comment