October cover story: The floating homes of Marasi Business Bay
The concept of floating homes is not a new one. In 2016, London-based Baca Architects designed floating homes on Chichester Canal, in response to a competition launched the same year to find a solution to Londons housing crisis. In Copenhagen, architecture firm Urban Rigger unveiled floating student housing. In fact, Dubai is already familiar with the idea of floating homes, through the partially underwater Floating Seahorse villas by the Kleindienst Group, at The Heart of Europe cluster of The World islands.
When Dubai Properties announced the AED1bn (nearly $273mn) Marasi Business Bay project, a Dubai Water Canal trademark that would include a 12km-long waterfront promenade, berths for 800 yachts, food and beverage (F&B) outlets, and 200 floating homes, the excitement was certainly palpable. And the anticipation was only piqued, when the homes were spotted floating through Dubai Water Canal, in the first week of September. Social networking sites went berserk; it was truly an astonishing sight.
The homes are anchored through the Seaflex anchoring system, an elastic and environmentally friendly mooring solution for any floating application such as docks or pontoons. The anchors provide secure moorings even under the worst weather conditions. The stable and secure self-regulating system elongates and retracts in a smooth, even movement according to the water levels.
Logistics News Middle East was awarded with an exclusive opportunity to have a glimpse into what went on behind the scenes of Marasi Business Bay’s floating homes. A team of hardworking professionals managed to pull off what many would regard an impossible task. But then again, what is impossible for Dubai?
Read the complete cover story in our October issue, out now.
