THE FLOATING AZOLLA FARMHOUSES - CIRCULAR AGRICULTURE & LIVING IN ROTTERDAM

by Jean-Christian Whitehouse

The Floating Azolla Farmhouses are a proposed floating community with a focus on circular, carbon negative, living and agriculture in the city of Rotterdam. It builds on to the existing Floating Farm found in the Rotterdam Innovation District. The circular nature of this proposal relies largely on the production of a small floating fern called Azolla, known to hold the world record as a biomass producer. A reciprocal building system based on ferns is used to inform the structural components made from locally grown bamboo and wooden pallets. The byproducts of the plant such as biofuel, bioplastic and natural fertilizer are used through different elements of the design, sequestering and storing Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen in the process.