RE:Villa
Work in progress: Design Recycled Island prototype coastal pollution.
Together with a naval architect and a building engineer we are further developing
the Recycled Island prototype of coastal pollution. The prototype is a floating house
with surroundings. This floating villa is constructed from recycled plastic and self-
RE:Villa is a proposal for a floating habitat constructed from waste materials. As
a building material, for the prototype, we see the potential in recycling coastal
pollution. With the success of the prototype more sustainable and flood-
Recycled Island started as a proposal to build a new floating habitat from marine
litter in the North Pacific Gyre. This project came from my own personal interest
in the possibility of habitats that respond to the rising sea level as well as in
the recycled plastics, in particular, sea-
Taking this project step by step the proposal is to design a small floating habitat from coastal pollution. Besides the marine litter, there are also huge quantities of plastics being deposited on coastlines.
The realization of a prototype will physically prove our theory and will give us the opportunity to test the strength of the recycled plastics and will stimulate the further development of the project. In this the most suitable recycling techniques are considered. The prototype should be built from hollow elements made by recycling the plastic waste from coastlines reinforced with natural fibers. These hollow parts will be the components from which Recycled Island will be constructed. The prototype is a small version of an overall concept.
The typical components of the family home: shared space, private space, garden, and service spaces have new constraints imposed by their new littoral contexts, and so the organization of the components themselves is rethought. The recycled plastic creates the possibility of translucent materiality and more fluid connections between spaces.
The creation of the prototype will illustrate:
1: The potential of (sea) plastic recycling.
2. Flood-
3. Sustainable and self-
The prototype can eventually be on display in any major (harbor) city.
More info: www.recycledisland.com
Design: Ramon Knoester
Location: Coastal area
Program: Floating villa
M2: 1260m2 (footprint)
Client: Unsolicited
Period: 2013-