Italian architect Giancarlo Zema designs aluminium eco-yachts

Aluminium's lightness, ductility and the impeccable sheen have landed it in many unusual places in the recent times. Sometimes, we have found it adding thrill to water sports by making boats speedier, while at other times we have found it enthralling people inside an auditorium with out-of-the-box (read world!) performance like the one we are getting to see in the currently running Aluminum Show. Now, the versatile metal has again made it to where it treaded very less in the past- not in actual terms of place though but in terms of genre of the usage. Famous Italian architect Giancarlo Zema has made an aluminium eco-yacht which resembles a full-fledged 'floating house.'

The "Innovative Semisubmerged Architecture Studio" named Jelly-fish 45 is basically an environmentally friendly houseboat built with an aluminium hull and superstructure. It is nine meters high and 15 meters in diameter and can accommodate six people.

The house boat has four stories, all connected by a central spiral staircase, complete with a study at the top and a daytime living area with kitchen and bath at 1.3 meters above sea level. The bedrooms are in the semi-submerged level, while there is globe shaped open space below in the fourth "submarine" level from where one can watch marine life. The aluminium eco-yacht prototype is connected with an ongoing project in Qatar.

The WaterNest 100 is another similar project being developed simultaneously by Zema. The aluminium houseboat unlike Jelly-fish 45 is made available for commercial use through the EcoFloLife Company in London. The firm is into selling meaningful dwelling solutions to people residing near coasts and on islands.


The WaterNest pod is connected to shore by a walkway or dock, and can accommodate four people. It is 12-meter in width, and encompasses a 100-square meter layout area with large aluminium-frame windows built inside to let in natural sunlight.

{googleAdsense}

The standout feature of the unique WaterNest eco-homes, apart from their design, is they are built with recycled aluminium and laminated timber. Up to 98 per cent of the materials in the aluminium hull and other building structures can be recycled for infinite number of times.