“Flood-proof” is shorthand, not a promise that a home can withstand every flood. Flood-resilient designs use different strategies: some rise while remaining attached to land, some float permanently, and others elevate living areas or resist water at the building envelope. The documented examples below include built projects, a neighborhood, and proposals; they are not 15 individually verified, completed homes.
How flood-resilient homes respond to water
An amphibious house normally rests on land and rises when water enters the dock or buoyant base beneath it. Guides or moorings help keep it in place as it moves. A floating house, by contrast, is designed to remain on water. Other approaches lift occupied rooms above expected water levels or use materials and openings intended to resist water intrusion.
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These approaches are not interchangeable, and none guarantees survival in every flood. A design that performs in still or slowly rising water may face different conditions in waves, currents, or a storm. Climate-ADAPT notes that marine locations need careful site selection because currents and waves can be dangerous or uncomfortable; it also says a floating home and its interior must be designed well enough to remain level. Climate-ADAPT’s Maasbommel case study also describes practical concerns such as access, escape routes, flexible utilities, fire and load requirements, permits, and higher construction costs.
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Built homes and developments
Buckinghamshire Amphibious House, UK — built
BACA Architects describes this three-storey, three-bedroom, 225 m² home as sitting in a purpose-designed dock and rising when water levels rise. The architect says its floor is raised less than 1 m and its flexible service pipes are designed to extend up to 3 m. BACA also reports that the house rose and fell during the winter floods of 2019–2020. These are project-specific details and a performance account from the architect, not a general guarantee for amphibious houses. BACA’s project page.
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Cottles Quay amphibious project, Salcombe, UK — built project described by architect
BACA describes a flood-resistant envelope with a waterproof concrete inner lining and flood-resistant doors and windows. The project also includes a floating studio on a buoyant, timber-framed base. This combines water-resistant construction with flotation, rather than relying on a single strategy. The project page is the architect’s description. BACA’s Cottles Quay page.
Maasbommel / Gouden Kust, Netherlands — built neighborhood
Built in 2005, Maasbommel comprises 32 amphibious homes and 14 floating homes, according to Climate-ADAPT. The amphibious houses use hollow concrete bases, guide or mooring elements, and flexible utility connections. Climate-ADAPT reports that the first flood test took place in 2011 and that no problems were detected while the amphibious houses floated. This is one neighborhood case study, not 46 separate case studies. Climate-ADAPT’s case study.
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New Orleans Float House, USA — institutional project account
The Now Institute describes a house that rises vertically on guide posts as water rises, with up to twelve feet of vertical movement. The institute explicitly says the house was not designed for occupants to remain inside during a hurricane. Its account illustrates why a home’s ability to move with water should not be mistaken for an all-hazards shelter. The Now Institute’s project page.
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Project SmartHome, Marikina, Philippines — architect’s project description
Buensalido+Architects places living and dining spaces on the highest floor and describes floating terraces that could serve as a balcony, carport, or escape pod. These are the architect’s design claims; the project page does not establish that the escape-pod idea has been independently tested. Buensalido+Architects’ project page.
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Flood-Proof Housing, Isle of Sheppey, UK — feasibility study and concept
Ulla Tervo Architects labels this work a feasibility study and concept design, not a completed residence. Three of its four proposed house types are amphibious. It is useful as an example of design options, but should not be counted among built flood-resilient homes. Ulla Tervo Architects’ project page.
Misty River House, Henley-on-Thames, UK — planning-stage proposal
BACA describes this as a proposed amphibious replacement dwelling submitted for full planning. A planning proposal is not evidence that the home was built or has experienced a flood. BACA’s project page.
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What these examples can—and cannot—tell you
The available documented projects do not support a truthful list of 15 individually named, completed homes. Counting each home in Maasbommel as a separate example would repeat one neighborhood case rather than provide 46 distinct project accounts, and adding unbuilt designs without labeling them would blur the difference between a proposal and a proven building.
When assessing a flood-resilient design, look beyond whether it floats or sits high. The relevant questions include:
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- Water response: Does the building elevate, move amphibiously, float permanently, or resist water at its envelope?
- Project status: Is it built, under review, or only a concept?
- Site conditions: What kinds of water levels, currents, and waves does the location face?
- Utilities and access: Can services flex or disconnect safely, and how do occupants reach or leave the building as water rises?
- Evidence: Is performance described by the architect, reported in a case study, or otherwise independently evaluated?
- Constraints: What permits, safety requirements, maintenance, and additional construction costs apply?
The sources here are primarily project pages from architects and institutions. They establish what those organizations describe or report, but they do not provide a common independent test that would justify ranking these homes as universally safest. A flood-resilient design must be matched to its particular site, hazards, and evacuation needs.
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