Architecture

UFO home concept floats off-grid ocean living

UFO home concept floats off-grid ocean living
The UFO floating home concept from mini yacht-maker Jet Capsule offers a completely off-grid existence
The UFO floating home concept from mini yacht-maker Jet Capsule offers a completely off-grid existence
View 12 Images
The UFO measure 12.5 meters (41 feet) in diameter
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The UFO measure 12.5 meters (41 feet) in diameter
A shower and bedroom are located on the lower, submerged level of the UFO
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A shower and bedroom are located on the lower, submerged level of the UFO
The UFO is tethered to the seabed with a special elastic anchor system.
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The UFO is tethered to the seabed with a special elastic anchor system.
The UFO floating home concept from mini yacht-maker Jet Capsule offers a completely off-grid existence
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The UFO floating home concept from mini yacht-maker Jet Capsule offers a completely off-grid existence
Top view of the UFO shows the deck surrounding the orb-shaped living quarters.
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Top view of the UFO shows the deck surrounding the orb-shaped living quarters.
The UFO receives its energy through solar panels in the hinged roof, with wind and water turbines optional extras
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The UFO receives its energy through solar panels in the hinged roof, with wind and water turbines optional extras
The top, main level of the UFO includes a kitchen and dining/living area
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The top, main level of the UFO includes a kitchen and dining/living area
A stairway ladder leads from the top level to the bottom, submerged level
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A stairway ladder leads from the top level to the bottom, submerged level
The UFO's bottom, submerged level includes a large window for viewing sea life
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The UFO's bottom, submerged level includes a large window for viewing sea life
The UFO's electric motor is powered by a battery that draws its energy from the rooftop solar panels
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The UFO's electric motor is powered by a battery that draws its energy from the rooftop solar panels
The UFO can achieve speeds of up to 3.5 knots
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The UFO can achieve speeds of up to 3.5 knots
The rooms of the UFO are multi-functional and offer underwater views
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The rooms of the UFO are multi-functional and offer underwater views
View gallery - 12 images

While you can always head for the hills to wait out the apocalypse, a more stylish option could be a fully sustainable floating home from Italian mini yacht-maker Jet Capsule. The company has drawn up a concept for a saucer-shaped UFO, or Unidentified Floating Object, which offers a completely off-grid existence floating on the ocean.

According to the company's co-founders, Pierpaolo Lazzarini and Luca Solla, the UFO is intended for "living in a floating house and moving slowly around the world." "Slowly" in this case means a leisurely maximum speed of 3.5 knots (6.5 km/h, 4 mph), using a waterjet-propelled Torqeedo Deep Blue 1800 electric motor.

This motor is connected to a battery that draws energy generated from 40 sq. m (430 sq. ft.) of solar panels in a closable lid atop the structure. Additional energy sources can be provided through optional wind and water turbines located on the top and below the main disc of the UFO, respectively, creating enough power to operate the home and motor.

The company says an onboard water generator would be used for converting rain or seawater to fresh drinking water, as well as watering a vegetable garden located on a deck that encircles the structure and measures 12.5 m (41 ft) in diameter.

Two half-spherical shells of fiberglass make up the two stories of the interior housing, with flexible floor plans for various configurations. Generally, the orb-shaped home will consist of a transformable kitchen and dining/living area on a 20-sq. m (215-sq. ft.) top level, with stairs leading down to a 10-sq. m (107-sq. ft.) submerged lower level with bathroom and bedroom surrounded by a large window for viewing sea life.

To keep the craft stable, the UFO uses a special elastic anchor system. "The main structure of the floating object can be aligned with the compass, keeping the position angle oriented on the desired cardinal direction, even in rough sea conditions," say the designers.

The company is currently seeking investors to build the first working prototype, at an estimated cost of US$800,000, with homes produced after that estimated at $200,000, which is actually cheaper than the average price of an, albeit larger, houseboat.

Source: Jet Capsule

View gallery - 12 images
11 comments
11 comments
Buellrider
Looks to me like this pod would get thrown around by the littlest waves and be unlivable. For the ridiculous price of $800K it should be many times the size and then it might be worth a look.
Bob Flint
Obviously this concept has critically underestimated the power requirements of the fantasy style interior complete with what looks like a three burner stove. Is this to boil sea water, because the few plants you have growing on deck will not sustain anyone for very long, maybe the red mailbox? should be a bird trap to catch something to eat and use a solar oven to cook instead...
08bd1b6f62e64e09a2621e9f7f3b3c8e
I wonder how quickly that beautiful bottom will take to be completely covered with barnacles.
DaleBarclay
The pod and deck level should rotate independently of each other. The pod would be stable while the deck moves up and down according to the wave action.
holdenmidfield
Stability is going to be a seasickness inducing nightmare. A smaller version of the Flip Ship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RP_FLIP (without the need to flip) makes much more sense. Add a floating donut collar coil around the center tube to generate power from wave action while feeling little effects of the wave motion in the house above.
Stephen N Russell
Needs wave guards & shuttleboat to shore & comm to shore. & can semi submerge for storms? Test off Catalina Island CA, HI, Mexico Pacific, Caribbean, Med Sea, Australia
Island Architect
This is a delightful idea. And it is a nice clean design.
But you need to achieve at least 7mph to keep from being dragged away in a large river. I'm not so sure that being out to sea would be a great idea with this design. There appear to be no fenders of any sort and surely there would be times when they would be crucial.
Now isn't this something... they could put on quite a show for the Mermaids.
Charles Barnard
This could easily and cheaply be built using ferrocement technology as used by Monolithic Domes. It also needs to be able to withstand being submerged.
In one design I made, it rests on the ground most of the time, but can float in flooding.
Anchored offshore, it could be winched below the water to avoid damage during storms.
Move around the world in one? Not me.
Matt Fletcher
This is nice looking and good for docking in rivers or small lakes but terrible for open sea. Yeah I see people mentioning semi-submerge for storms but then what happens to your gardens. Also the deck would be slapped around by even the smallest waves and have your garden flooded most of the time. Big waves would use the deck as a surf board and pull most anchors out. Still fun design for rivers or lakes.
Pierre Collet
The SeaOrbiter project is much more accomplished: http://seaorbiter.com/medias/plaquette-pdf/
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