Helsinki to have its first floating residential area
Marina HousingThe city of Helsinki is planning its first floating residential area. The development will be situated in front of Hermanni, in Verkkosaari. The area will accommodate approximately 60 apartments.
Pontoons made of reinforced concrete will support the apartments, which will be luxurious, non-subsidised, owner-occupied apartments. If the residential area will eventually host a piped waste collection system, the city of Helsinki requires the houseboats to be connected to it.
Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s leading daily newspaper reports that the 6.3 hectare building site will be divided between two building contractors, which are Marina Housing and JMV-research. The design competition, which was held in the winter, received proposals from a total of five applicants.
The city of Helsinki holds that floating residential areas diversify the possibilities for city living. They also bring new life to the environment. However, such areas are still relatively rare, and are not able to solve larger scale housing problems. Helsinki has also designed another area for a floating housing development. It is located in Kipparlahti on the shore of Herttoniemi. The city is also considering locating a floating residential in Kaisaniemenlahti in the centre of the city.
Floating residential areas have been built also in other western European countries.
Holiday Housing Fair, which was held in the coastal town of Pori last summer, saw the construction of a floating housing area, which brought the idea effectively to the public.
