Archimedes 'The Contemporary House'

The near future ? as well as a terrace on the roof, is offered. Furthermore, one
Within a number of decades The Netherlands will lose half of
its land surface to the sea. The map shown on the panel is a
prediction of the geographic decline of the Netherlands if and
when the sea level rises 1 meter. Due to serious flood problems
during the nineties, the Netherlands are flooding many its pol-
ders to create buffer capacities for rainwater.
The law of Archimedes
Our contemporary house ‘Archimedes’ is, therefore a floating
house, capable of surviving any sea level rise. It could be pro-
duced in shipyards, which is a highly developed and innova-
tive Dutch industry. The materials and building techniques are
derived from the process of handling thick steel (8-20mm!),
could think about having a water garden, reaching over a plank
bridge, in front of the living area, which should contain water-
purifying plants.
Autarchy is sustainable
This is a self-sufficient house. It has no connection to the main
land other than a bridge towards a dry infrastructure (for pe-
destrians, bikes, cars etc.). It can also be reached by boat.
There are no electricity cables, telephone cables, water-works
or sewage works. This contemporary house processes its own
energy from solar- and wind power. Drinking water is made
from rain and surface water. The 2 kW wind turbine is sufficient
SLEEPING SLEEPING

resulting in strongly sculptural shapes and silhouettes. to accommodate a comfortable way of living. ‘Archimedes’ is a
sustainable solution for future living.
Quality of living WATER HEART WATER HEART

The house has a total floor surface of about 200m2. The spa- For flexible people
cious rooms are located around the ‘water-core’ or ‘water- Moving is easy; a towboat brings you to your new location.
heart’, which is seen as the central point of the house. The The house only needs to be connected to mooring-buoy. This
WORKSHOP WORKSHOP

rainwater being collected on the roof and running through that is made possible with the patented floating sleeves that were
pipe should not only be used for functional issues, but also developed by a shipyard near Rotterdam (photo).
for optional acoustic or light-plays. Living, dining and cooking SLEEPING

on one level lead you to a sleeping-area upstairs or a work- Other locations

ing- space in the level below. These floors can also be reached Not only the Netherlands
E-E could profit from the design of Archi- E-E
over an independent staircase on the exterior. There is ample medes but also other European countries such as Great Britain
storage space integrated in the double walled facades and also or lagoon regions in northern Italy.
WATER HEART

in the ‘seller’. A spacious terrace looking over the water level,

= potential locations = potential locations section Archimedes

WORKSHOP

section Archimedes

E-E

= potential locations section Archimedes

Collect rain water Polder water

Solar Panels Wind energy Batteries Water storage Water storage

The roads collect heat

Filtering Filtering

Drinking water storage Drinking water storage

+ Pump + Pump

Heat exchange
Water use Water use
Boiler

Grey water storage Grey water storage

+ Grinder + Grinder

Use of grey water Use of grey water

Batteries (e.g. wash car) (e.g. wash car)
Drain off

Electricity Hot water The water cycle in wet periods (left)

Day: solar energy Night: wind energy When there is enough sun: heat from the road and in dry periods (right)
There is enough capacity to store energy surface
for extra functions such as water pumps and boilers. No sun / at night: heat water with electricity

autarchy diagrams

A
B C D

VARIATIONS WATER LOFT + WATER BABY WATER TOWER WATIO WATER VILLA WATER HOUSE

elevations
 Archimedes 'The Contemporary House'

Drost + van Veen architects is a successful architectural practice in Rotterdam, The “Design is thought and decision. We strive for a stable, de-
Netherlands, with a large and varied portfolio. Originating from two ambitious archi-
tects, Drost + van Veen architects still has a strong and forthgoing attitude which over
cisive and visual process.”
the past 18 years has expanded to a middle sized office with a broad expertise.
Each commission and client is unique for us. A close communication with clients creates
“We design tangible architecture in innovative forms, as decisive decision-making and execution. The search for solutions in the design process
clear answers to complex architectural situations.” allows unseen possibilities not to be overlooked. This idea forming process is visualized
through means of sketch and model making. Each phase of the design process is docu-
mented in a summarized book form.
Drost + van Veen’s buildings are characterised by: their strong relations with the envi-
ronment, cohesive adjustments to the existing context and pronounced usage of con-
trasts. With each commission Drost + van Veen architects searches for apparent con- “An intensive dialog and a good relationship with the client
tractions through transforming recognizable familiarities to contemporary forms. These is a prerequisite for an optimal design process. Drost + van
variables, together with precise detailing in contrasting materials, allow Drost + van
Veen architects are, therefore, involved from beginning to
Veen architects to find inventive spatial solutions and innovative constructions that pro-
duce architecture with a strong identity. end with every project.”
SLEEPING

WATER HEART

WORKSHOP

E-E

= potential locations section Archimedes

A
B C D

VARIATIONS WATER LOFT + WATER BABY WATER TOWER WATIO WATER VILLA WATER HOUSE

elevations

ENTRY WINDMILL
5 m2

INSTAL-
LATIONS
CARPORT TERRACE
SLEEPING 20 m2

STORAGE 20 M2

WATER COLLECTOR
WATER TANK KITCHEN
C 5 m2 A STORAGE

WATER HEART WATER HEART DINING 12 M2 WATER HEART

LIVING 28 M2 SOLAR PANELS

SLEEPING 18 m2
WORKING 40 M2

VOID

TERRACE

E
1 2 3 4
B

floor plans