From Water to Structure
Reconnecting floating architecture and aquatic ecosystems through regenerative design
G.E.F. Marteau (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
D.S. Swank – Mentor (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / AE+T)
M.J. Smit – Mentor (TU Delft - Building Design & Technology)
P.L. Tomesen – Mentor (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / AE+T)
A. Romein – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Education and Student Affairs)
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Abstract
Addressing the pressing need for a shift to circularity in the construction sector, this project explores the potential of regenerative floating architecture in transforming urban waterfronts. It investigates how bio-based materials sourced from local aquatic environments, such as reed, willow, eelgrass and seaweed, can be used to construct floating buildings.
The design of a culture hub for Amsterdam’s Haven-Stad addresses ecological degradation in the industrial harbour by integrating the cultivation and harvesting into a productive floating ecosystem landscape. A double-loop system links plant growth cycles with the lifespan of building components, rethinking the temporal dimension of architecture. To apply this systemic approach, a parametric framework was developed. It assesses the cultivation area required to meet material demands for construction and replacement.
The architectural system is based on modularity, disassembly and adaptability: every part of the building is designed for ease of construction, maintenance and replacement. The cultivation of plants on floating ecosystems is at the start of the community-based building process, followed by material harvesting, storage and transformation into prefabricated building elements. Alongside the cultural use, this cultivation process contributes to fostering communities but also regenerates biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems.
By aligning regenerative design with community-building and long-term adaptability, the project proposes a flexible and evolving architecture typology rooted in local ecological cycles. Framed within Haven-Stad’s development timeline, this approach offers a transferable methodology for the sustainable urbanisation of transforming industrial waterfronts.