REAL ESTATE
LUXURY SEAPOD Living Becomes a Reality | BY KEVIN PILLEY Photos courtesy of the brand
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re you looking for a simple but futuristic home by the seaside? Perhaps you will prefer to live over the sea, or even more daringly in the sea. Panama-based marine blue technology company Ocean Builders has unveiled a new fleet of $1.5 million environmentally-friendly and “eco-restorative” SeaPod homes designed for life in and above the ocean. Ocean Builders believes it has developed a way to create a natural habitat for ocean life underneath each home. Canadian CEO Grant Romundt says, “We have developed a way to create a natural habitat for ocean life underneath each home. Our houses can restore sea life in the ocean as opposed to a house on land, where you cut down nature to build it— then put a potted plant in the corner to replace what you cut down.” Romundt hopes Seapods will soon dot the landscapes in Florida, Dubai, the Maldives, and the Far East. The new generation of eco-friendly sea residences come in three mod96 | UPSCALE LIVING MAGAZINE | AUG/SEPT 2023
els—designed by Dutch architect Koen Olthius (Waterstudio). The SeaPod’s interior is beautifully designed, including a comfortable queen-sized bed, a full kitchen, and a modern bathroom with a smart shower. Collecting its solar power, the SeaPod generates a mild electrical current that works to attract calcium carbonate. This substance protects the structure from corrosion and rust and attracts coral; thus, new ecosystems will be born. The elevated offshore structures, supported and stabilized by air-filled steel tripods, are constructed 7.5 feet above the ocean and offer 830 square feet of living space. Special software sensors allow residents to control everything from the lighting and temperature to shower heat and water pressure. Gidden lightbulbs, light switches, and power outlets allow users to choose between daytime white (blue tone) and nighttime white (yellow tone). Each 11.6m long SeaPod comes with wearable smart-rings. For owners, luxury is at their fingertips. They can unlock doors, turn on music, and
