These Incredible Floating Homes Are Built To Survive Category 4 Hurricane Winds

Are “livable yachts” the future of hurricane-proof housing?

Some of the biggest news of 2017 has been the weather. No longer a trivial subject of small talk, massive hurricanes like Irma and Harvey have made countless headlines as well as being incredibly destructive.

Thankfully, some designers are thinking of how to build homes that can withstand even the most extreme weather. A housing startup called Arkup is working on creating these fascinating homes that have been dubbed “livable yachts.”

Business Insider talked to architect Koen Olthuis about the project:

Olthuis told Business Insider that the moveable home would be able to withstand winds of up to 156 mph, classified as a Category 4 hurricane. It’s designed to be buoyed so that when water levels rise during a storm, it will bob with the water.

Arkup’s presentation materials about the yachts indicate they will be environmentally friendly, running off solar power and using harvested rainwater, resilient (including category 4 hurricane winds), and readily customized to fit customer demands. 

If you’re wondering how they’ll stay in one place, the video above illustrates how the yachts will come with jacks that will lift the vessels above the water and stabilize them during bad weather.

These ingenious floating homes aren’t for everyone—they start at $2 million.  

But if you’ve got the budget and want to live safely (and luxuriously) on the water, it could be pretty sweet. 

h/t Business Insider