Authors:
Daniel Abraham Gandica & Hana Čičević
The Drifting Habitat is a highly compact, sustainable, and mobile house for a working couple traveling across Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. It is designed to be both highly mobile and sustainable. The house does not have a permanent site, it rather travels across ports of Lake Maracaibo. The base of the house reuses old water barrels that enable the house to float on the water and to be transported when attached to a tow boat. The design features two shade structures reminiscent of sail that help prevent excessive heat gain and passively cool the house. Its main building material is bamboo, a sustainable and light material that quickly regrows.
The house is designed to maximize a compact space of only 298 sf, with several adjustable and movable elements. The mezzanine level can be used for work, fitness and/or sleeping which is allowed with the design of the bed that is embedded into the floor slab, and desk and chairs that are embedded into the wall.
