Watershore Habitat

Rising sea levels and the flooding of coastal urban areas constitute a global challenge that will only get worse. But is the possibility of a better life also hiding among the danger signals?

The Watershore Habitat project is made up of innovative forms of coast defences that blend in with the landscape and establish better living conditions for people living in these exposed areas. This provides a counterpoint to existing urban planning that either ignores the challenges or merely tries to ‘protect’ residents by building higher and higher sea walls.

The project challenges the view of flooding by regarding it as a phenomenon with which people can live in harmony. The sea’s ecosystem of flora and fauna enters into a symbiosis with the human-made city. Instead of regarding the water as an enemy, its life-giving potential is incorporated into urban planning.

The project presents a dynamic architectural outlook comprising a wide range of typologies serving as lifeboats and critical infrastructure. The recurring theme is to view water as a potential, rather than an enemy that must be kept away from the cities.