FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

Nicanor Reyes St. Sampaloc Manila

FLOOD RESILIENT FLOATING HOUSING STURCTURE

In partial fulfillment of the requirements

RESMAR: Research Methods For

Architecture

Researcher: BLANCFLOR, RYAN LUIS C.

Section 2

Adviser:

SARRAGA, VERNA LUCIA

PANLILIO

DATE:

DECEMBER 11, 2022

 FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

Nicanor Reyes St. Sampaloc Manila

I. RESEARCHER INFORMATION
Student’s Name: BLANCAFLOR, RYAN LUIS C.
Student Number: 2019153801 Signature:
Department/Institute: IARFA Year Level: 4th YEAR
Contact no. 09293439366 Email Address Ryanblancaflorr8@gmail.com

II. RESEARCH/CREATIVE WORK INFORMATION

Proposal No: 3

Specialization Human Settlement track

Track:
Project Title: FLOOD RESILENT FLOATING HOUSING STRUCTURE

Research Floating housing design

Focus:

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

These As population increases every year, the number of housing

infrastructure increases as well. this infrastructure is also been occupying a lot
of space and areas which in turn causes for some housing development to be
develop in areas prone to hazards like flooding. According to (ALEXANDRA
PANMAN, 2018) As home construction increases, the land has become less
permeable. Drains often get clogged by rubbish. To make matters worse,
recently, some houses have been built in places that interrupt the path of
rainwater runoff. As said because of increase housing a lot comes with it that
makes an area prone to hazards. With increase housing some factors like
increase in structures, more waste due to the increasing population, and
pollution caused by increase population and infrastructure. All these factors
then resulted in places to gain hazards one of which is flooding. With increase
in population people are also forced to move out of the cities and travel to
places near shore where it is farther away from a city. The problem with this is
that due to factors like climate change, pollution, increase in temperature, and
 FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

Nicanor Reyes St. Sampaloc Manila

others this causes for water to rise which in turn floods the residence which are
near bodies of water. It is stated by (Shao, 2022) that Warmer temperatures
accelerate evaporation, releasing more moisture into the sky as rain or
snowfall. The timing of flash floods will shorten while their magnitude will
increase as the climate warms, according to researchers, who also predict that
they will become "flashier" as a result. This then results for water to rise in turn
flooding places which are not even flood prone before.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The Research will use a qualitative research method. This will be the research
method used as the research is about creating a flood resilient housing in the
form of a floating house. The research will gather information with the use of
observing flooding in places that is commonly flooding and also trying out
possible materials and structural forms that will allow for a structure to float
when it is hit with flood.

• Looking at structural similarties of buildings afftected by floodings

OBSERVATION
• know ing how deep or how high a the w ater level has w ithin the area
OF FLOOD w hen flooded.
PRONE AREAS

• Designing a system that w ill counter act or lessen effects of flooding

• finding out how a house or a structure be able to float in a flooding
DESIGNING
PHASE
scenario

• Looking for materials that w ill be light enough to allow a house to float
but also strong enough to w ithstand floodings.
MATERIAL
EXPLORATION
• looking for materials that w ill also be cost efficient.

The chart above presents the process that will be taken thru out the research.
It basically describes every phase from the observing and research phase to
designing the structure.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

As areas around the world are affected by flooding due to factors of increase
seawater level due to global warming, increase population, and increase of
 FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

Nicanor Reyes St. Sampaloc Manila

infrastructure, areas which are safe from flooding are starting to decrease. This
forces people to live in areas that are prone to flooding which also results for
homes, residences, and structure to be flooded and damage. Another reason
why people are affected by flooding is due to lack of affordable housing means
high-risk areas are also cheap places to live. In flood prone areas, most tenants
either pay month-to-month or three months in advance (ALEXANDRA
PANMAN, 2018)

Houses that are also placed within flood prone areas also tend to be not flood
resilient as houses affected by this flooding’s are either flooded where its
residence are forced to go even thru their roofs or even having this houses
completely flooded.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The goal of this research is to design a floating house that can counter act flooding
in flood prone areas. It is aimed on creating a structure that will be low cost and
affordable but also will allow for the structure to float when hit by flooding.

• Research question 1: What structural form can allow for a house to float
when hit by flooding?
• Research question 2: what materials are used to create a house that will
float when flooded. What materials are also used that will not be eroded or
affected when hit by water.
• Research question 3: what will be the floating function of the structure. How
will it float and what will be the system behind the floating function of the
building?

These questions are focused on how will a house float when flooded. They are
targeted on the factors that will greatly affect the possibility of a floating house.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The objective of this research is knowing what design can provide the function of
floating within a house. The research is aimed on creating system that will allow
 FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

Nicanor Reyes St. Sampaloc Manila

for a floating house but also will make it flood resilient when flooded. Another goal
for the research is knowing what materials can help make a house flood res ilient
but also will allow for lesser weight as the house will be floating when flooded.

Over all the goal and objective of this research is to create housing that will help
lessen and even save lives of people who will be affected by flooding in the future.
With the floating house function also aimed in lessen damages brought upon a
house or structure when flooded.

RESEARCH FOCUS

The research is focused on knowing what methods and systems can create a
design of a flood resilient floating house. It is focused on knowing what material
and even structural design can be used to be able to create a home that will float
on water but also be stable and strong enough to be a regular home.

Also, the focus of this study is Human settlement or housing design. Housing
design as stated by (arkitectureonweb, 2022) is the field of architecture whose
purpose is the study and construction of spaces - houses - in which people can
live. As such, house design as a profession must be concerned with a wide range
of elements, many of which only apparently do not relate to architecture. It is
basically the designing of livable spaces or structure where people live in.

It is also stated that where people reside is indeed human settlement. It refers to
the community where the following, social, material, economic, spiritual, and
cultural factors are in. Any sort of human residence, from of the smallest cottage
to the greatest city, where a group of people live and pursue their life goals is
referred to as a settlement. Permanent or temporary human settlements might be
rural or urban, mobile or sedentary, scattered or agglomerated, and so on.
(Živković, 2018)

Human settlement and housing design overall are the part of architecture that
focuses with the livable spaces we reside. It focuses on the structure we call home
and even focuses on the design of the community we live in. the concept of human
settlement is where we design the comfortability of a person’s home where the
 FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

Nicanor Reyes St. Sampaloc Manila

designer looks upon the possible ways to make a house or building to be

comfortable to live in as every person will have a different preference in the place
they live by.

With this research it will focus on developing a housing development or a structure

that will provide the comfort of a normal home but also provide solutions that can
solve the given problem of the research which is how can a house float and be
flood resilient.

There are a lot of ways for a house to be flood resilient. It is stated by (Caughill,
2021) that for a house to be flood resilience there are multiple ways for it to be one.
The following are ways that a house can be resilient to flooding; Raising your
homes, install foundation vents, applying coatings and sealants, raise your
electrical outlets and switches, raise your electrical outlets and switches, grade
your lawn away from the house, leave space between mulch and siding, and Leave
space between mulch and siding. This following way may help in making your
homes resilient to flood but they are minimal and will not guaranty that you will be
safe when it flooded which is why the research is focusing on creating a housing
the floats.

Flood resilient houses interlay focuses on minimizing the damages caused by

flooding to homes and eventually help the users or the people who live in this said
houses to be safe when a calamity such as a flood occur. It is aimed on saving
lives and even saving the property and belongings of the users.

In conclusion the research focus of the research is housing design or human

settlement design and also flood resilient floating housing. They are focused on
providing a home for people but also provide an adaptable structure that will be
resilient on events such as flooding. It focuses on how will a floating house be a
better alternative than other forms of flood resilient homes and also how will a
floating house be cost-efficient when it will be constructed or build.
 FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY
Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

Nicanor Reyes St. Sampaloc Manila

References
ALEXANDRA PANMAN, I. M.-B. (2018, december 14). Why do people live in flood-prone areas?
Reflections from Dar es Salaam. Retrieved from World Bank.org:
https://blogs.worldbank.org/nasikiliza/why-do-people-live-in-flood-prone-areas-reflections-
from-dar-es-
salaam#:~:text=Land%20has%20become%20less%20permeable,the%20path%20of%20rainwate
r%20runoff.

arkitectureonweb. (2022). Housing Architecture. Retrieved from arkitectureonweb:

https://www.arkitectureonweb.com/en/housing-
architecture#:~:text=Housing%20design%20is%20the%20field,do%20not%20relate%20to%20ar
chitecture.

Caughill, D. (2021, august 25). How to Prevent Your House from Flooding. Retrieved from value penguin:
https://www.valuepenguin.com/homeowners-insurance/how-to-prevent-home-flooding

Shao, E. (2022, august 30). How Is Climate Change Affecting Floods? Retrieved from new york times:
https://www.nytimes.com/article/flooding-climate-
change.html#:~:text=Warmer%20temperatures%20increase%20evaporation%2C%20putting,rel
eased%20as%20rain%20or%20snowfall.&text=Researchers%20also%20expect%20that%2C%20a
s,while%20the%20magnitude%20gets%20higher.

Živković, J. (2018, December 10). Human Settlements and Climate Change. Retrieved from SpringerLink:
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-71063-1_88-
1#:~:text=Any%20form%20of%20human%20dwelling,and%20sedentary%2C%20disseminated%
20and%20agglomerated.