Looking at the floating house, which was built in a mancomb in Kuttanad. The structure should be completed in the next few weeks. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
As Kuttanad braces for other unpredictable monsoon season, most people anxiously hopes for several months without flood. But in a mancomb, one family can breathe a little easier. Their new house, charged as the first floating house on the ground, is almost prepared, promising safety, no matter how high the flood water rises.
The house is made at the price of 35 ₹ Lakh and is created to float the water level, which ensures stability and safety. “We hope to complete the construction within two weeks. The only purpose of building a floating house was to escape the flood that we face every year. Now, even if the water is rising, we can stay safely at home,” says the owner, who preferred anonymous.
The house includes two bedrooms with connected bathrooms and other modern equipment.
The structure is anchored to a 1.2 m high foundation made of a combination of ferrocement and thermol. Inside this hollow base is 110 vacuum chambers that allow buoyancy during floods. The house is tied to concrete columns that lead it to rise and fall vertically with a change in water levels and prevent any side drift.
In addition to its floating skills, the house includes several climate functions. Lightweight, insulated materials are used throughout the superstructure, helping to maintain interiors in the cold during the hot summer months. The roof is treated with latex concrete and nano with graphene ingredients, so it is also lightweight.
The innovative structure is designed by Transbuild, a company specializing in prefabricated housing solutions. “Kuttanad is susceptible to floods because it lies below the sea level. This requires a complete re -evaluation of how the houses are designed. The prototype, built on the patented fuselage, ensures that the whole house floats when the water level rises.
According to PA Martin, the project manager, the house weighs around 80 tons, including the 30 tonnes Foundation. “Although one partition of the foundation is damaged, the house will remain stable. Each section is sealed and independently repairable,” he adds.
Published – May 24, 2025 05:46