All language subtitles for Sea.Monsters.Series.2.Part.8.Cities.of.the.Deep.1080p.HDTV.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org.eng

Narrator: As the world's
population grows,

Our cities
have become inundated

With bigger
and taller buildings.

But now,
some innovative developers

Are setting
their sights elsewhere.

De blok:
Living on the water, this is
the answer to so many questions

That we have going on
in the world right now.

Narrator: A brand new way
of living is on the rise,

Where the sea
and modern engineering

Become one
and the same.

Derouin: We call it "the next
generation floating home."

You can change
your view.

You change change your
neighbors, if you want.

Adams:
Everything you see here

I've done with a handsaw
and hammer.

Narrator: As our planet suffers
from environmental issues,

Like coastal flooding,

The sea has become home to
a new breed of sea-steaders,

Looking to thrive

In these full-fledged
ocean civilizations.

Van wingerden: Sometimes, you
need to be a little bit crazy

To test innovations.

Narrator: But building
an autonomous floating city

Has its challenges.

It will take some of
the toughest sea monsters

To ensure each marine metropolis
survives and thrives.

-- Captions by vitac --
www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

Every year, more than 87 million
people flock to florida

To soak up the sun, and vacation
on its balmy beaches.

But even though these shorelines
may be beautiful,

They can also be ground zero
for disaster.

And while the sunshine state
isn't the only coastal city

Affected by rising sea levels
and devastating hurricanes,

Over the past decade, a growing
number of cities in florida

Have stepped up to the challenge
to defend their communities

From the brutal effects
of mother nature.

Throughout miami beach, entire
road ways have been raised

To protect a nearby
ocean-side community

Situated in the heart
of hurricane alley.

Miami beach city manager
jimmy morales is leading

The effort
to safe-guard communities

At the highest level of risk
from flooding.

Morales:
We're standing in a neighborhood
called "sunset harbor,"

On the northern end
of south beach, on 20th street,

A street that, only about
five or six years ago,

On a king tide day
was literally underwater.

But it wasn't this side
of the street, it was actually,

As you look over to my right,
here, was that low.

Narrator: A rising sea level is
likely to make coastal storms,

Including hurricanes,
especially more damaging.

And over the last decade,
florida's sea level

Has been rising
faster than ever.

Morales:
Let's say a hurricane hits
during a massive king tide,

And now, you not only have
the sea level up 2 or 3 feet

Higher than normal,
you now have a storm surge.

That enhanced storm surge
is a huge fear of ours.

Narrator:
In the state of florida, there
are over 120,000 properties

At risk from frequent
tidal flooding.

To protect the properties
in sunset harbor from flooding,

The city has installed
a new storm-water system

And raised roads.

But over time,
these systems have worn down,

And are in need
of repairs.

Today, due in part
to jimmy's initiatives,

Higher sea walls are being built
around shorelines.

In addition, 80 pump stations
will be installed

To prevent water
from breaching that defense.

Just up the coast,

Fort lauderdale
is following suit.

Gassman: Right now, the storm
station is discharging.

This is coming mostly
from ground water,

'cause you can see,
it's not raining.

That ground water comes through
what is a very porous geology,

And it seeps
into our pipes.

And it's getting pumped
through this storm station,

And out into the river.

And that's what's keeping
downtown dry.

Narrator:
But one design firm has found
an alternative solution

To battling
hurricane season.

Floating waterfront properties
are quite literally

The next generation
of ocean living.

When elevated,
they are as stable as a house,

And protected
from the waves.

Come on in.
I'll show you around.

Narrator: Nicolas derouin
has been talking up

Sustainable sea living
for over a decade.

Today, he's taking us on a tour
of one of his company's

Livable space models called
"the arkup one."

Derouin:
We have two main floors.

This is the main
living area,

With the living, dining,
kitchen, open floor plan.

We have 9.5 foot ceilings.

Total living area of the boat
is 2,700 square feet indoor

And 1,700 square feet outdoor.

This, for example,
is a retractable deck

That slides underneath
the main deck

When we're
under navigation,

And is extended to add about
500 square feet of outdoor space

When we are at anchor,
and stable.

Narrator: At 75 feet long
and 33 feet wide,

This dwelling is massive.

Powered by a pair of
136 horsepower

Electric thrusters,

This floating mansion can move
at a top speed of 7 knots.

As impressive as this super home
is on the outside,

Its infrastructure
is even more amazing.

This is really one key technical
compartment of the vessel.

That's the electrical room.

And the boat's
completely solar electric,

And solar-powered, right.

So, here we have two
big battery banks

To store
that solar energy,

And then provide electricity
for the all the loads --

Appliances, air conditioning,
lights, and also the propulsion.

Narrator:
The batteries store everything

This solar-paneled roof
can kick out.

So, even in stormy weather,
there's enough stored power

To keep this house running
for three days.

And the rain
comes in handy, too.

In addition to produce
our own energy,

We also harvest
the rainwater,

And then collect it
in a 4,000 gallon

Freshwater tank
behind this wall.

And we filter the rainwater
to our drinking water on board.

And these are
the different filters

That are part of this
purification system.

Narrator:
But the heart beat of this whole
operation is up at the helm.

This is the main control panels
and systems for the vessel.

So, on this right side
of the helm station,

This is actually where we
control the propulsion system.

So, these are the controls

For the electric thrusters
at the stern.

And this is for
the bow thrusters.

So, we use it mainly
to maneuver and dock.

Then, we have, like,
basic navigation features,

Like the navigation lights,
anchor lights,

The horn,
the vhf radio.

Those controls, here,
are for the sliding decks.

And then, this screen
is where, basically,

We monitor
all the resources on board.

So, here, the screen tells us
the rpms of the engines

When the boat's
under navigation.

This is the charge
of the battery.

So, it's almost
fully charged.

This is the
fresh water capacity.

And then, on the other part
of the helm station,

On the left side,
those controls are for

The anchoring
and the stabilization system.

Those four joysticks
actually control

Each one of
the four anchors,

Those four pilings, that
enable to stabilize the boat,

And lift it
out of the water.

Narrator: The arkup one is
a fully mobile, zero emission,

Self-sufficient home

That's immune to floods
and rising seas.

It is even designed
to handle 156 mph winds.

That's equivalent to
a category 4 hurricane.

But staring down mother nature's
fury takes nerves --

And legs --
of hardened steel.

So, this is one of the four
anchors of the vessel.

So, it's called
a "jack-up system."

It's actually a steel piling
and a hydraulic system

That lifts it
or drops it.

In shallow waters,
like 10 feet, for instance,

We can lift the entire vessel
15 feet above the water.

Narrator: Today, nicolas
is running a critical test

On the arkup's legs,

In preparation
for hurricane season.

Derouin: Since hurricane
season's coming,

We want to make sure
we are completely prepared,

And able to use
the jack-up system

Whenever we need,
if we really need to use it.

So, I'm gonna start
inspecting the lifting system,

To see if the boat
moves accordingly.

Narrator: Lifting this
fully furnished house

Can take up to two hours,

So nicolas needs to constantly
adjust the height of each leg

To keep the arkup level.

Each leg is a 39-foot long,
99-ton hydraulic jack.

As the legs extend, they can
be individually adjusted

To cope with
an uneven seabed below.

And together,
they can lift the entire,

Nearly 300-ton arkup
26 feet into the air.

So, we just finished
the inspection routine,

And all the systems
look good.

We've tested each one
of the four anchors,

And we're ready
in case of an event

Where we would need
to lift the vessel,

Or lower it to move it.

Narrator: The arkup's
technological capabilities

Make it the perfect
building block

For a future
marine metropolis.

Although miami has taken
some major strides

To protect its coastal
communities from flooding,

By installing pumps
and raising roads,

These measure only provide
a short-term solution

To an ever-growing problem
across the country.

But while the u.S.
Is still battling

How to handle
rising sea levels,

The netherlands has
already figured it out.

Narrator: Nearly 1/4 of the
netherlands is below sea level.

To prevent the country
from flooding,

The dutch have
developed innovative

Water protection systems
to push back against the waves.

For centuries,
they've used windmills

To clear low-lying land,
by pumping water out to sea.

In the 1990s, the dutch built
these massive steel gates,

Called the
"maeslant barrier",

To protect the port of rotterdam
from violent storm surges.

Today, engineers are building
vast raised barriers

Along the entire coast,
to keep the north sea at bay.

And now, developers are taking
living on water

To the next level.

100 years ago, people
were looking for new space,

And they went up,
in vertical buildings,

Making high-rise buildings.

Now, today,
it's the same.

We see water. We see the
possibility to build on water.

And with our
floating technology,

We can slowly grow
into the water.

This is the most dutch view
you will ever get.

We have the bicycles, of course
you need bicycles in holland.

And we have
the floating homes.

And the floating homes,

They stand for
the new thinking in holland

That you shouldn't
fight the water.

We should live
with the water.

Narrator: Architect koen olthuis
is the founder of a design firm

That specializes
in floating structures,

Including the arkup.

For over 20 years,

Koen's been developing
a new form of urban design,

Called "aquatecture" --

Architecture designed
to work with water.

And all of koen's hard work
has contributed to this.

This is skoonship.

When it's finished,
more than 100 people

Will live in this
floating community.

Olthuis:
The good about building on water
is that you have flexibility.

So, you could just connect
a floating swimming pool,

Or an extra room
for your grandmother,

If she comes to stay,
or a greenhouse,

Or I could put my house,
and rotate it,

And put it back.

Narrator:
Located in north amsterdam,
the community of skoonship

Aims to make the most of
the netherlands' usable space

While future-proofing housing
against rising sea levels.

But building
a fully sustainable community

Didn't happen overnight.

It's taken 10 years
to get municipalities

To rewrite legislation,

And allow this type of community
to operate.

Until recently, laws regarding
building codes or property tax

On the water
was an unexplored concept.

So, if you place your house
on water,

You still also need a license
to place it over there.

And you need to own,
or to lease, the water.

So, either you will buy
a plot of land,

With water on top of it,

And you can place
your floating house there,

Or you pay a monthly
lease to the city.

And then, you get the right
to moor your house

On that location.

Narrator: The first step
in building skoonship

Was to install five permanent
t-shaped piers.

Then, 60 steel
support structures

Were mounted into
the canal bed below.

The houses are fastened
to these steel structures,

And the homes are equipped
with water pumps

That extract heat
from the canal's water.

This is our heat pump,

Which takes care of
our heated tap water,

And also, the floor heating,
to heat our house.

We have solar panels on the
roof, which generate energy.

And most of it, during the day
is stored inside this battery.

We have our water pump
for waste water.

And we have a vacuum system that
takes our waste from the toilet,

And transports it
to a central facility

That generates
bio-energy.

Narrator:
Now, the town is installing its
last piece of infrastructure.

Kingma: There's so much energy,
there's so much excitement,

So much people working
in work groups.

Today, our ship
is coming home.

Glasl: So, the bridge here is
an important traffic junction.

For the municipality,
it's really crucial

That they cannot open
this bridge for too long.

So, they have
a very strict time slot.

It's actually kind of
a military operation,

Because what they
need to do is,

They need to go
through the bridge,

And the bridge is
a little smaller than 11 meters.

And the boat will be about
10 1/2 meters.

Narrator: The team works quickly
to move the structure

Through the narrow bridge.

One of the most crucial steps
is anchoring the boat,

So these homes don't become
drifting debris.

Every houseboat is attached
to two big poles, basically,

Which keep the boat
in place.

There's squared anchors
around the pole.

And that keeps us from
floating around, basically.

We have massive winds here,

But the house is still
pretty solid, yeah.

If there's a very,
very big storm,

I think it's difficult
to say.

But in general,
they're very stable,

And they can move
up and down.

So, if the water level
will change,

They move
with the water.

Narrator: And the skoonship
homes all work together

As a one-of-a-kind
smart power grid.

Each house contributes to
a circular energy system,

In which solar panels account
for most of the energy needed,

And a battery in the basement
stores any extra.

Glasl: So, that means that,
when I generate energy,

And I'm on holiday,
for example,

My neighbor can use
my energy, also.

And that's very unique
for the netherlands,

Because that's not allowed,
usually.

And we got an exception
of the law

In order to experiment
with that, with the smart grid.

Gladek:
A lot of what you find in this
project is extremely unique,

And we hope that, through all
of the efforts in pioneering,

These kind of projects
will be able to be replicated

And scaled more broadly
across the world.

Narrator: 10 years ago,
this floating neighborhood

Was just a pipe dream.

But for the people
living in this community,

It's a dream come true.

Uffink: There is this very big
sense of freedom

That I have
since I'm living here.

I wake up in the morning, I just
want to stay here, you know?

De blok: I think today it's a
big relief for a lot of people.

You know, you look at this
and you think,

"oh, nice, happy people
living here."

But it was a lot of work,
a lot of stress,

A lot of money,
a lot of time.

It's like we went in the jungle
with our knives,

And we paved the roads
for other people.

Narrator:
There's no question that,
when it comes to ingenuity,

The dutch reign supreme.

In this waterlogged country,

The ideology is not to
subdue mother nature,

But rather find opportunities
to work with her.

And now, not only is
the netherlands building

Floating communities,

They're also re-thinking
how cities can promote

A sustainable food cycle.

Van wingerden: Sometimes, you
need to be a little bit crazy,

To test innovations.

Narrator:
Around the world, homeowners
are packing their dry bags,

And moving out to sea.

In miami, florida, there's
a high-tech home that can swim.

In amsterdam, there are entire
smart communities that float.

And now, across the netherlands,
in rotterdam,

Even dairy cows
are taking the plunge.

Van wingerden: Sometimes, you
need to be a little bit crazy

To test innovations.

Narrator:
This three-story structure

Is nearly 19,400 square feet
of floating farmland.

Peter van wingerden
has been

Running this
futuristic dairy farm

Since it opened its doors
in may 2019.

Van wingerden: So, this building
has three layers.

On top, you see the production
area, where the cows are.

One layer on the first floor
is a processing area.

So, that's where the raw milk
is being processed

Into pasteurized milk
and yogurt.

And downstairs is our
floating part, the water part.

Narrator: The first challenge in
building a floating dairy farm

Is ensuring
a stable infrastructure.

Just like the floating homes,

The farm sits on a hollow
concrete foundation.

Van wingerden:
So, now, we are going to
the key of the technology.

We're downstairs,
now, over here.

This is our
floating caissons.

We have designed
and engineered these caissons.

These are huge
concrete caissons.

Narrator: Three huge caissons
are connected, side by side,

To form the farm's massive
floating base.

With an entire story submerged
below the water line,

There's enough buoyancy to keep
four fully loaded 747s afloat.

It's practically
unsinkable.

And to make sure the cows
on board don't get sea sick,

It all sits in
a well-protected spot,

Far from the wind and waves
of the north sea.

Like the skoonship homes,

The floating farm is anchored
by two huge metal piles,

And that foundation
is so wide and stable

There's barely
any movement --

Even when the herd's
on the move.

But this farm does a lot more
than just float.

Van wingerden: We wanted
to design and implement

The best animal-friendly,
comfortable stable there is.

And I think
we managed that.

Narrator:
On the farm's top floor,

The milking is done
automatically by robots.

Then, it's transferred to
a storage tank below deck.

Van wingerden: So, this is
our storage tank.

It's 3,500 liters.

So, we're producing
800 liters per day of milk.

So, we can store
between four and five days

Over here,
in this tank.

We cool it down
to 4 degrees.

From the storage tank,
we bring it to the next stage,

And that's
the pasteurization part.

So, here, we pasteurize
and homogenize the milk.

And we also bottle it into
bottles, partly milk and yogurt.

And then, it goes to
our cooling storages,

And from there,
we sell it back to the city.

Narrator: This floating farm
also utilizes waste products

From local industries,

Making it not just futuristic,
but sustainable.

Van wingerden:
Here, you see, by the way,
our automated feed-belt.

So, we collect all the bio waste
that gets in this machine.

There, it's assembled.

And we're working with
beer broth,

We're working with
potato peels,

We're working with grass
from golf course,

From our biggest
football team over here.

So, we get all this
bio waste,

And then, it goes
automatically on top

With this automated
feed-belt.

Narrator: 50% of the farms power
comes from a solar array

Floating right next door,

Designed in the shape
of a milk bottle.

Soon, peter hopes
to add windmills, too.

Van wingerden: We're collecting
rainwater on the roof.

The rainwater's being treated
downstairs with membranes,

And goes back as drinking water
to our cows.

Narrator:
Not only does the farm utilize
waste from other industries,

It also repurposes
its own waste.

Van wingerden:
Upstairs, the manure over this,
collecting the manure.

It dumps it in this funnel
over here.

And here, we split it
into dry matter and to urine.

So, the urine
we treat again.

We take out
all the water.

We can dispose the water
in the river.

And the salt we sell back to
the city as a nutrient again.

Narrator: This place has
literally taken renewable

Urban living
to the next level.

For peter, the technological
advances made to sustain

This vertical
floating dairy farm are huge.

Van wingerden:
Food transportation is polluting
the world dramatically.

It creates food losses,
as well.

So, we have to
produce food

As close as we can get
to consumers.

So, we need to find space
inside cities,

And the best climate-adaptive
space is on the water.

The next farm will be next door,
over here.

And that hosts
7,000 chicken.

And we will also have one
with vertical farming.

So, we will produce vegetables
over here on the water.

So, we strongly believe that we
are part of a great symbiose

Between city
and the water landscape.

And we leave the landscape
on the land side intact,

Because land is not meant to be
transformed into concrete.

It should be land.

And to catch rain,
and to produce oxygen,

And what we call the most
essential part of life,

Producing healthy food.

Narrator: Thanks to this
innovative concept,

Even dense
downtown areas

Could soon be farmed
to feed the masses.

And while rotterdam is
the only city to experiment

With this
agricultural method,

One couple has taken
the idea of waterborne living

Even further.

Narrator: While many designers
have just recently

Made life on the water
a reality,

Off the coast
of british columbia's

Vancouver island,

One couple has been living
on their own water world

For over 25 years.

Adams:
Everything you see here

I've done with a handsaw
and hammer.

Every board
that I have here --

And I have over
240,000 pieces --

I've hauled it all.
I moved it all here.

Narrator: Freedom cove
is a floating island

Unlike anything
you've ever seen.

Run by wayne adams and his wife,
catherine king,

This multi-colored
floating refuge

Sits on top of a dozen
interlocking steel docks

That were all recovered
from an old fish farm.

In fact, everything
constructed here

Has been made from
re-claimed materials.

Adams: Choosing to be artists
means we had to do things

With a low budget.

So, I barter.
I trade.

60% of what you walk through
here came through trade.

Narrator:
Part art, part vegetable garden,
this ultra-sustainable habitat

Was designed to make use
of whatever

And whenever
it's available.

King: It started out
as a salad garden,

And I very
quickly realized

I wanted to grow
everything that we eat.

And so, each year, it got
bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

Narrator: Today, this island
weighs just over 1,000 tons.

But the secret
to keeping it afloat

Lies hidden beneath
its leafy crown.

Assembled like massive legos
is a random assortment

Of over 30 heavy-duty
floating platforms

That were once used as walkways
around local fish farms.

Wayne has spent decades
salvaging them.

Every time
his island grows,

He ties it all together
with cast-off rope.

Adams: All this is recycled
from the fish farm industry,

Because they cannot
re-tie ropes.

It makes them
un-insurable.

Me, I'm not insured
in any way.

As the storms come,
and the winter comes,

Everything must move,
and not break.

It must be flexible.

Everything likes to move.

I don't have a rigid system,
like the fish farms do.

I have ropes tied to shore,
like a giant spider's web.

I put tension and weights on
those lines, so that it moves.

So, it's a giant flexible system
that moves up and down,

And around about 20 feet,

And takes the storms,
and takes movement.

Narrator: As wayne keeps
the island afloat,

Catherine keeps them fed
with produce

From the world's largest
floating vegetable garden.

King: This is greenhouse number
one, two, three, and four.

I start everything from seed
in the greenhouses,

And then bring the plants out
as they're ready.

I grow all our fruits
and vegetables.

I'm able to grow them
all year round.

This time of year,
I have fruits and berries,

So that I'm eating everything
right from the garden.

Narrator: The summer's yielded
a good amount of crops.

Freedom cove looks like
a floating forest,

But all of this can change
during the winter season.

Adams: I'm able to hang
my stuff up.

I can look in the jars
to what I need,

And I need a lot of things here,
to make this island work.

Narrator: There's no question
that living on the edge

Of the pacific northwest
is a full-time job.

There is constant work
to be done,

Especially in preparation
for winter.

Adams:
This is the time of year I get
everything ready for winter.

So, when the big
storms come,

I make sure all my fabric,
everything is nailed down,

So the hurricane-force winds
don't rip my roof apart.

I've lost two roofs, here,
in hurricane-force winds.

So many people
come out here,

And they don't fix things
right away,

And it becomes
a very big problem.

And most of them leave
because it becomes too much.

Narrator:
The island receives electricity
by way of photo-voltaics,

Which is a process that converts
light into electricity

Using semi-conducting
materials.

Adams: The science
behind the paint is,

If I paint my house,
to keep it light.

It keeps my house dry,

And my house doesn't take on
moisture from the rain.

So, I don't take on
more weight.

When you have a cedar house,
and it rains,

The house became so heavy it
immersed in the water 10 inches.

And the fresh water is less
float-ability than saltwater.

So, now, I have the rain,
and extra weight,

I have less
float-ability.

The challenge in life
is to keep the gardener

Form bringing
more plants.

But as you can see,
there's no room.

My job is to
keep floating it.

Narrator:
For wayne and catherine,
freedom cove is as much

Their home as it is
an entire installation art piece

That transforms every year,
often inspired by the seasons.

I have a few
west coast firsts.

First floating
fire pit,

So I can have a fire
away from the forest.

And behind me, over here,
I have west coast's first

Floating double garage.

I never have to worry about
bending my boat

When it's
pouring rain anymore.

I have my own
floating totem pole.

It took me eight years
to carve it.

And I put it all up
by myself.

I have a floating wood shed
over here.

So, it's nice and handy
to the house.

I keep a quart of wood in there,
and that's good for a month.

The lighthouse upstairs
I did for my grandson,

As a little treat for him.

But the light works, and I'm
able to keep to keep things dry,

Like I have
a hot water tank

And a shower
for when the family comes.

And then, we have four
greenhouses we made.

Everything is made from
recycled materials,

And all the greenhouses
are a little bit different,

Because all the materials
came at a different time.

I have a water source above me,
over the hill, here.

It's a old succeeded lake.

And I have 50 feet
of vertical head,

And I'm able to pipe the water
into the garden.

Without the water,
we couldn't have the garden.

I have my little
man cave, here.

Watch your head. I made it
for a little irish guy.

I have several things
in here --

My workspace,
and my tools.

I have a washing machine
in here.

I have heat in here, solar
batteries, and a generator.

So, I have multi-use energy,
and I keep the power going.

Narrator: If all that
doesn't float your boat,

Wayne's living room
is truly one-of-a-kind.

In the dead of winter,
he can catch at fish

Without ever having
to leave his house.

Adams:
There is nothing like being at
home, and fishing off the couch.

It's always been
a dream of mine.

Fresh fish every day.

Very alive
this time of year.

That's because of
the ocean channel.

Narrator: After more than
two decades afloat,

Freedom cove proves
you don't need to be high-tech

To live self-sufficiently
on the water.

Adams:
We are blazing the trails.

Living on liquid
is going to be

A very big thing
in the future,

And we have to work
together on that.

The technology is there.

People are starting
to realize that

There's something good
about that.

Narrator: Whether you live in
a floating community,

Or build your own
off-the-grid paradise,

There's no denying
that sustainable living

Is on the rise.

But what if you're looking for
a happy medium?

A home that provides all the
benefits of life on the water

Without actually leaving
an urban setting.

Thanks to this community, you
might be able to have it all.

Narrator:
Across the globe, oceans cover
more than 70% of the planet.

They're the biggest life source
in our universe.

But due to
rising sea levels,

Our current existence on land
could be in danger.

To adapt, some people are
turning to a life out at sea.

But unless you're willing to pay
for a luxury floating yacht,

Or build your own community
from the ground up,

Is there another option?

In vancouver, canada,
judy ross is the co-founder

Of a modern
floating development

Called "spirit trail
ocean homes."

This community offers
the unique experience

Of living on the water
without the hefty investment.

I think a lot of people
are looking at

The lower-price
float homes,

And thinking maybe that would be
a lifestyle they'd like to have,

And also be somewhat
more affordable.

Narrator: Many of the pads here
are a generous size.

Then, there's this.

It's called
"the sea star."

At 538 square feet,

It's small enough to slide into
a standard boat slip.

You've got
your living room,

With fireplace
and nice big windows.

Narrator:
This tiny home comes fully
equipped with a gas fireplace,

A three piece bath, a kitchen,
and even a washer and dryer.

But what makes this place unique
is located down below.

Ross: A lot of people
don't get the opportunity

To see their floats
under their float home,

Because they're floating.

I like to call our floats

"the rolls royce
of concrete floats,""

Mainly because the strength
of the concrete

That goes into this
is 13,000 psi.

And most normal concrete,
like sidewalk concrete,

Is only 3.

Narrator:
Concrete doesn't usually float.

But these foundations
are hollow,

With 3-inch-thick
concrete walls.

The entire house
actually weighs less

Than the water
it displaces.

It's a fully contained box
from here to about here,

Just above
these little holes.

And so,
if we look underneath,

There's about almost 2 feet
of space

To add extra flotation.

What's typical is,
homeowners bring everything,

And they don't really think
about being on a float home,

And balance.

So, sometimes, they'll end up
with a home that's like that.

Narrator: Compared with steel,
concrete foundations

Are virtually maintenance-free,
and can last up to 150 years.

But you may need that long
to pay for it.

Even the tiny sea star
costs 375 grand.

But regardless of
its foundations,

There's no stopping
ever-rising sea levels.

Even cities like vancouver
are feeling the squeeze.

It's surrounded
by high ground.

Unfortunately,
that's part of the problem.

Ross:
There's only so much land,

And we can't go up
the mountains much more.

Narrator: Like it or not,
all this water is here to stay.

So, maybe it's time
we start using it.

Olthuis: It's almost impossible
to plan a city today

That can face
the problems of tomorrow,

Because you don't know
what the problems will be.

So, normal buildings on land,
you put them there,

And they stay 50 or 70 years
in one spot.

And now, on water,
we can move them.

We call this
"rise of the blue city."

So, cities threatened
by water today

Will be the champion cities
of tomorrow,

Because they have the water, and
they can take advantage of it.

They can make cities flexible,
and adaptable.

And we need adaptability,
because building for change

Is the only way
we can be ready for the future.

We don't know all
that the future holds,

But for sure, there will be
more water in our way.

And some innovators are dreaming
up very far-out ideas to cope.

[ cheering ]

To the first sea-stead
by ocean builders.

Off the coast of thailand,
one engineering firm

Is building
the world's first home

Designed for
the open sea.

Inside the sea-steads
living quarters

Are a main kitchen
and dining area,

A bedroom, bathroom,
and small pantry for storage.

Then, there's
the rooftop patio.

Thepdet: You know,
you cannot buy this view.

Like., you can see the sunset
and sunrise, you know,

See the many, the thousand
million stars, you just look up.

According to
the sea-steading institute,

Life out here could fix
some of the world's

Most challenging problems.

Their mission states that,
to find something better,

You have to try
something new.

But when it comes to weather,
the middle of the ocean

Is the most hostile outpost
on earth.

To cope with this
unpredictable environment,

This rule-breaking team

Turned to an unlikely
source of inspiration

To help construct the design
of their floating home.

Elwartowski:
And there it is.

We have the spar.

Narrator:
Off the coast of thailand,
one engineering firm

Has taken modern sea-steading
to the extreme

By designing a permanent
floating structure

Located in the middle
of the ocean.

But living on the high seas
has its challenges.

Waves and unpredictable weather
are unavoidable

In this type
of environment.

To stay afloat
in these rough waters,

The team came up with
a unique solution

Inspired by the spar design
of oil platforms.

A spar is a long,
vertical cylinder.

It's mostly hidden
beneath the waves.

Most of the spar is hollow,
to provide buoyancy,

But it's weighted at the bottom
with concrete

To lower the center of gravity,
and keep it from tipping over.

And because it drops
so far down,

Wind and waves
at the surface

Have less impact
on the super structure above.

Just like an oil rig,

The sea-stead perches safely
high overhead.

Now that
we've proved the concept,

We'll be building
20 more.

And they'll be higher,
taller, better.

And we're looking forward to
freedom-loving people

To come join us out
in the open ocean.

Ocean builders
is already prepping

For their next sea-stead,
called "the mark ii."

This structure will have
updated features,

Like futuristic curves
and coral gardens,

To attract
sea life below.

It will even have a room
inside the spar,

With underwater views --

All for a cool
150 grand.

And it's all designed
by architect koen olthuis,

Designer if the luxury
floating home the arkup

And the floating city
skoonship.

Olthuis:
What we have learned

Is that the idle cities
on the ocean

Are not like, kind of, tied
paradise with small boats.

I think it will be much more
like oil rigs

Combined in
a kind of community.

'cause the waves you can expect
in the middle of the ocean

Are extreme.

Narrator:
A city on the open seas could
be possible in the future.

But for now,
it's still well out of reach.

Whether it's in
a community,

Or in an individual
floating home close to shore,

Living on water
is possible.

This is oceanic city,

A concept that combines
technology and nature

Into one massive
water world.

Based on a modular design,
it could be easily expanded

From a community of 300
to a city of 10,000.

It would also be
fully self-sufficient,

So all sewage and waste
would be recycled.

Power, fresh water, and heat
would be produced through clean,

Renewable energy sources.

Plant-based good would be grown
on every platform

Above the water line.

And fish would be harvested
from ocean farm below.

Each module would be
built on land,

And then towed to sea,

Where they would be
anchored in place.

Each would be designed to
survive a category 5 hurricane.

There's no doubt that
a floating city of this size

Would be expensive.

But in some areas of the world,
it may be well worth the price.

Take hong kong,
for example.

It's one of the most densely
populated places on earth --

So crowded that
a single parking spot here

Recently sold for
$969,000.

With the global population

Predicted to hit 9.8 billion
by 2050,

Mega cities like these
will only get more crowded,

And more overpriced.

So, if you look at
our cities today,

They are in need of space.

They are in need of
more room for houses.

And if you can't find
space on land,

Maybe you can find space
on water.

Narrator: The best way
to future-proof our planet

May be to stop
fighting the water,

And start
working with it.

People think that what we are
doing here is really special.

I would like to say that
it's kind of normal.

Floating, for me, it's, like,
the most logical solution.

I think it's gonna save
a lot of great places

Before it's too late.

Olthuis:
We're water architects,

So we find solutions
to work with water.

And what you say,
"do better. Do better,"

We can do that
in a very anxious way.

Also, we can see
there's an opportunity

To create innovation, and to
make our cities even better.

Narrator: If there's one thing
history has taught us,

It's that human ingenuity
always rises to the challenge --

Even if that challenge is
building on a more water world.

The new generation
of daring aquatects

And innovative engineers
is proving even the open sea

Can be tamed,

With the help of some powerful
high-performance sea monsters.