Sierra Blogging Post Archives

How do you build a safe home in an area prone to flooding? You make the home float.

At least that's the solution Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation has come up with for rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Make It Right's latest design, the Float House, becomes a giant raft in the event of a flood, rising up to twelve feet while remaining anchored to the ground by guide posts.


The Float House is supposed to also be eco-friendly, (as are all Brad Pitt's New Orleans projects) though TreeHugger raises a question about the use of polystrene, one of the building materials. In any event, the home is eco-friendly in the sense that it will save the life of the homeowner, the environment of the homeowner and also save on waste and re-building costs in the future should another Hurricane Katrina strike. It's also a low-cost design.

Another benefit of the design by Morphosis Architects is that the Float House is built low to the ground unlike homes on stilts so they are perfect for the elderly and disabled. The low design also encourages the return of the "front porch culture" of the Lower Ninth Ward.

In the event of a flood, the home's electric and gas systems would automatically shut off and the Float House would operate on back-up battery power for 3 days. All in all, a pretty good idea in my opinion.

What do you think of the Float House design? Would you feel safe in it?