Building on water – the floating possibilities 

by Quentin Bresson

Water is a vital resource that covers over 70% of our planet. It is also a place of dreams, fantasies and discoveries; a place that has fed the imagination of many adventurers. It is at the heart of our economies and our developments, offering infinite opportunities as long as we look after it and take care of its ecosystems. With this in mind, and the opportunity it offers, the industry is working to envision a future, built on a tremendous ambition: the ability to live on water.

The definition of health given by the World Health Organization (WHO) has not changed since 1946. It combines physical, mental and social well-being, and goes well beyond the absence of disease or infirmity. A pan-European project is underway to study the links between urban blue spaces, climate and health. This project, named BlueHealth, adopts interdisciplinary approaches to examine how well-being could be encouraged through the development of blue infrastructure, i.e. aquatic spaces. Its aim is to influence the design, planning and management of accessible, high-quality blue spaces.
Demographic growth, urbanisation and increasingly scarce natural resources have strongly impacted the availability of developable land, resulting in major social, economic and environmental impacts. Inequality is rising worldwide, and access to housing is becoming increasingly complex. And yet the most expensive cities in the world in terms of cost per square meter are also those with access to water: for example, Hong Kong, Singapore, Geneva, Zurich, Copenhagen and Paris. Building on the water could be a practical and quick-to-implement solution to reduce land stress. In addition, the architecture is a powerful marker of urban development and the construction – or renovation – has long taken ecological challenges into account.
When waterfronts are properly developed and integrated into the local ecosystem, spaces that border the water become favoured locations that improve standards of living. They are also relaxation and leisure spaces that are highly valued by residents and encourage interaction and living as a more connected community: promenades, parks, play and pedestrian areas, museums, cultural centres, event venues, and more. As a result, life on water is becoming available to all, offering an ideal publicly available setting that goes beyond how traditional marinas are seen. A one of a kind community space has, for example, been developed by the City of Ottawa: a safe natural pool, surrounded by aluminium docks and featuring access steps that have been specially designed for sunbathing and relaxing.

Opportunities for marinas
The industry is, unfortunately, facing an aging population in certain marinas and markets. With an aging clientele that is gradually giving up boating, berth renewals thus not taking place, and new habits being adopted, some marinas are facing a dilemma because their income depends solely on berth rental. Integrated waterfront development should be seen as an opportunity for marinas to strengthen their business by diversifying their activity and thus their revenues.
Commercial activities
Floating living or commercial spaces are innovative approaches to development, particularly in areas facing environmental and space-related challenges, but such infrastructure on water requires rethinking, not only in terms of living and working spaces themselves, but on construction methods as well. The range of options is increasing to cover homes, hotels, retail, small residential and tertiary buildings, combining minimal footprint and astonishing customer on-water experience.
Economics have demonstrated that developments on water are perceived as premium areas helping developers achieve a better overall ROI in comparison to similar land-based infrastructure, specifically in regions and countries where land is extremely expensive.
Environmental thinking
In addition to their proven social and economic benefits, shoreline and waterfront developments have to be designed around protecting and developing the marine environment where innovative approaches co-exist with nature.
Environmental protection can be broken down into three main areas, each of which is essential in its own way: decreasing the impact of construction; protecting the existing; and regenerating.
Decreasing consists of putting the construction and design process through an environmental filter that, for instance, focuses on anchoring systems with limited seabed footprint, such as anchoring screws and underwater elastomeric systems, or using modular dock technologies that can be moved and reorganised in response to ecosystems dynamics.
Protecting can be summed up in policies drastically limiting impacts linked to property management, e.g. introducing independent wastewater treatment solutions and encouraging wastewater reuse.
Regenerating lies in leveraging the infrastructure to improve the surrounding marina ecosystem. Floating developments and incorporated floating gardens help develop biodiversity and create habitats for marine life. Floating solar panels and wind/wave turbines can be installed and used to generate renewable energy.

Climate disruption
Harbours, marinas and waterfront cities are key areas of concern in the face of climate change, in part because they are directly affected by the expected consequences of rising water levels. This could affect harbour infrastructure, impacting its use and access, and could even lead to facilities being damaged or destroyed, with major economic consequences.
These areas are also particularly sought after within the context of rising temperatures thanks to their unique position at the interface between land and water. Depending on their layout, the cooling effect of the water and the openness of natural spaces and high levels of vegetation, make them islands of cool that are in high demand during periods of intense heat. Simply seeing a body of water gives us a sense of coolness even before we feel its effects. Faced with this dilemma, harbours, marinas and cities with inland waters are transforming themselves into innovation hubs that are creating the future of urban living, including the rise of floating cities.
Waterfront development is already a reality. Projects are being developed to meet urban residents’ new expectations, and as usable space on land becomes increasingly rare. This infrastructure brings to life a vision – a common future.
Many cities across the world have seized the opportunities to develop on water and today, some of these urban areas are among the most densely populated in the world. Many of these cities have become major metropolises, attracting both businesses and residents. They offer a privileged living environment with pleasant, highly prized natural landscapes.
Following a year and a half of research and development, Poralu Marine – as a solution provider – put together a team dedicated to waterfront development businesses. The focus is to tackle very concrete issues: opening up new possibilities and enabling public and private stakeholders to see the water as a new space full of opportunities. By always focusing on the expectations of operators and users, Poralu Marine has created a range of competitive packaged solutions as well as undertaking fully customised projects that meet the needs of specific situations and build on our proven expertise all over the world.
Marinas have to consider diversified waterfront development as a way to meet the increased demand for public access to water. Building on water encourages us to go beyond the limits of land and completely rethink our lifestyles. This future is possible thanks to unrivalled technical innovations and the expertise of people within the industry who are committed to positive social and environmental change.
Quentin Bresson is manager for Poralu Marine’s waterfront development business unit.