STYLE
BEAUTY
LIFE
C U LT U R E
T R AV E L
On the Waterfront
Floating villas with 360-degree views could be the future of housing.
SUMMER 2019
66
DUJOUR.COM
BY MARCELLE SUSSMAN FISCHLER
I M AG E S : C R A I G D E N I S
I
f Arkup’s new $5.9 million avant-garde “livable yacht” is any indication, luxury floating villas may someday replace waterfront condos as the way to savor incredible marine views with nary a concern for sea rise. The first off-grid floating villa—a 75-foot-long, two-story, next-generation houseboat—combines the features of a yacht and a f loating residence with the form and function of a coastal mansion, down to the kitchen’s quartz-topped center island, the master bedroom’s private balcony, and a composite deck with a natural hardwood look and glass railings. During its February debut, the villa was surrounded by the calm waters of Miami’s Biscayne Bay. “We want to provide the feeling that you are in a luxury house or waterfront villa—the stability, safety, and comfort of the house—with the view of being on the water,” says Nicolas Derouin, Arkup’s managing director. Glass walls and sliding glass doors stretch from f loor to ceiling. Closets abound. Bathrooms “are big as in a villa or a house, not as in a yacht.” Since the villa’s height is adjustable, sea level rise isn’t an issue. When the wind whips up, four spud-like legs use an automatic hydraulic system to drill down into riverbeds or harbor bottoms, creating a stable foundation in up to 20 feet of water. The 4,350-square-foot houseboat is simultaneously raised out of the way of storm surge and f looding. The vessel can be as stable as a home on land amid 155 mph Category 4 hurricane winds.
