Amphibious
Living

Homes that rise with the water

Amphibious houses | Floating homes | Flood resilient design | Riverside living

BACA designed the UK's first amphibious house on the banks of the River Thames — a home that sits on dry land but floats when floodwaters rise. Today we design amphibious, floating and flood-resilient homes for riversides, coasts and lakes.

Rather than building walls against water, we design homes that work with it: gardens that store floodwater, buoyant foundations and living spaces raised to safety without losing their connection to the landscape.

01Typologies

01 — Amphibious

Amphibious
Houses

Homes that float in their dock when floodwaters rise

Amphibious homes sit on solid ground like any other house, but rest in a concealed wet dock. When floodwaters arrive the whole building rises with the water, guided by vertical posts, and settles back down as levels fall. BACA designed the UK's first amphibious house on the River Thames, and we now adapt the approach for sites where conventional flood defences are impractical or unwanted.

02 — Resilient

Resilient
Homes

Neighbourhoods built to recover quickly after a flood

Flood resilience starts with accepting that water will sometimes arrive. We design homes and neighbourhoods with raised living spaces, water-tolerant ground floors, resilient services and landscapes that store and slow runoff. The aim is simple: when a flood happens, families can return quickly, repairs are minor and communities recover in days rather than months, while everyday life stays comfortable and attractive.

03 — Riverside

Riverside
Villas

Contemporary homes at the river's edge

Riverside homes should celebrate their setting rather than hide from it. We design contemporary houses that open up to the water with generous glazing, terraces and gardens, while quietly building in the resilience a floodplain demands. Careful siting, raised floor levels and robust detailing allow owners to enjoy the views and the changing seasons of the river with real peace of mind.

04 — Islands

River
Islands

Island homes designed around the river's seasons

Island and lakeside homes come with their own rhythm of seasons, access and weather. We design houses, retreats and small communities that respond to this setting, using floating, raised and amphibious solutions where they suit the site. Practical thinking about boats, bridges, services and maintenance sits alongside architecture that makes the most of privacy, landscape and the water all around.

01Amphibious 02Resilient 03Riverside 04Islands