Nomads of the 21st. Century

Floating Communities / Aquatecture of The Netherlands commissioned a design for the same Lusatian Lakelands competition which is mentioned in the article below. The commissioned architect Dennis Marsch designed a floating house for the nomads of the 21st century, the young professionals who can live of their laptop-work wherever their whims will take them. They are the designers, ICTspecialists, consultants and many others who don’t need a fixed place as a residence, and are eager to work under the circumstances of a permanent vacation. For them Aquatecture has created a housing solution which gives them shelter with modern comfort thanks to the application of state-of-the-art
ecological technologies.

The Nomad

The Nomad prototype is a light weight solar powered houseboat for 4 to 6 persons measuring m15 x 5 metres with a height of 3.30 and draught of 1.30m. The living room has ample space of 27 m2. and extends under favourable weather conditions to 37 m2. A panoramic window allows for a spectacular view. All appliances as well as the 2 electric motors are fed by solar panels on the roof, which generate sufficient energy for daily household activities and trips on rivers, canals and lakes. The more the sun shines, the farther one can travel. Water supply and drainage are self supporting thanks to the technology of solar collectors and dry toilets.
The living room opens towards the sun and the view on two sides. Whenever the warmth of the sun is welcome, “The Nomad” can be turned towards the sun. Whenever the temperature gets too hot inside the Nomad the glass wall can be folded or “The Nomad” can be turned away from the sun and the well insulated back wall will protect those indoors from the heat.
The kitchen is integrated in the living room and can be placed against the wall or as a “cooking island”. There are two bedrooms at the back. One of the bedrooms can be used as a small office. The bathroom is in the middle, opposite to the entrance. The dwelling can accommodate 4 to 6 persons, depending on the use of the bedrooms and whether the living room is used for sleeping.

Materials

The catamaran Floating Substructure is made of polyester and is factory constructed in one piece. It has hatches for access to the two motor compartments, the batteries and the water tanks.
The rooms are constructed on a wood skeleton frame with insulated walls. The roof has an overhang over the sides with the glass walls. It is a multiplex structure using double isolated layers. The inside wall and floor surfaces are birch and oak.

Energy

To obtain maximum energy efficiency the dwelling is fully insulated and a maximum of sun power is harvested by the glass walls as well as by the photovoltaic panels on the roof and the solar collectors on the side wall. By mooring “The Nomad” in the right direction the maximum
benefit of sunshine and/or shadow can be achieved. The overhanging roof keeps the sun from shining directly on the glass walls during the summer, while in winter the sun can enter the living room directly and provide a hot-house effect.
In winter the photovoltaic power may not be fully sufficient to heat the entire dwelling with solar power. “Off-grid” power (solar & wind) may have to be supplemented with power from the grid or from a generator. An old fashioned woodstove may be a welcome addition during the winter. However, we expect that in the near future new ecological technologies will make it possible to liberate “The Nomad” from power shortages.
At present we can provide 3700 kWh per year solar energy from the 37 m2 of the photovoltaic panels on the roof. Power is stored in 12 V batteries with a capacity of 2500 ampère hours. This is sufficient for the operation of household appliances, lighting and for operation of the two low voltage 8kw electric motors running for a maximum of fivehours (depending on the speed). Even if the sun is behind clouds the batteries can still be charged though there will be less power for propulsion of “The Nomad”. In addition 4500kWh of solar
power is generated per year from the 9 m2 thermo panels on the side wall for hot water supply. Rainwater is collected and the water system is divided in “white” and “grey” water (i.e. reused water) pipes. The recently commercially introduced “Nonolet” (a smell-free toilet)
functions on a dry treatment system. The use of such toilets saves so much water that a household of 4 can manage with 700 litres for drinking water and 700 litres of “grey” water.

Cost Calculation