Fusing tradition and modern methods of constructionThe Misty River House is a pre-existing residence situated in Henley upon Thames. The homeowners engaged Baca Architects to replace the current substandard dwelling with a meticulously designed amphibious house. This initiative aims to enhance the visual appeal of the riverfront while concurrently mitigating flood risk for its residents. The house is not located within a conservation area but is located within the local Greenbelt. The replacement dwelling will be amphibious. An Amphibious House is a building that sits on the ground, within a ‘dock’, and is designed to rise from its ‘dock’ on the rare occasion when an extreme flood occurs. This form of construction will help reduce the risk of the existing property and to the surrounding properties by providing additional flood storage under the building. This type of property has the benefit of improving the relationship of the building to the ground plain by providing fewer steps up to the building and eliminating the redundant void below the existing ground floor; that would occur if the replacement dwelling were to be stilted. It also provides an adaptable response to climate changes as the building will always float above the highest flood levels. Baca Architects built the UK’s first amphibious house in Marlow, Buckinghamshire almost a decade ago and the building is acknowledged nationally and internationally as an exemplar of flood mitigation design, especially in riverside locations.  Hydroscapes:  A meticulously planned garden by Richard Miers Garden Design (named ‘People’s Choice’ award winner at the Chelsea Flower Show 2022) serves as a natural flood alert mechanism. Terraces arranged at varying heights are strategically constructed to flood gradually, notifying residents well in advance of any imminent threat from rising floodwaters. At Baca Architects, we refer to this concept as ‘an intuitive landscape’. The bottom terrace features a lawn and wild flower meadow, the next one includes shrubs and plants, while the seating deck is situated one level above. The highest terrace, positioned just below the living room, acts as the peak point. This tiered arrangement aids in swift recovery by offering dry zones as water levels recede, and the plants play a role in minimizing the erosion of the embankment. The landscape will deliver a 10% ecological gain on the site. CONSTRUCTION: The replacement dwelling would be constructed from high quality materials. The building deploys an oak timber frame building combined with lime-rendered structurally insulated panels. This combines the best of low energy design and traditional craftsmanship with modern methods of construction. The building will be low energy construction and seeks to achieve low carbon construction in its build. The proposal has adopted energy hierarchy - to be lean, clean, and green; and archiving a significant reduction in Carbon emissions over current Part L Building regulations. The whole life carbon assessment demonstrated that the embodied carbon of the project will be less than refurbishing the existing building after every flood event throughout the building 75-year lifespan. CONCLUSION: The replacement dwelling will improve the riverfront frontage and create an attractive addition to the housing stock along this stretch of the river in Henley upon Thames. Considering that this is a replacement dwelling in flood zone 3, the proposed building will deliver a low carbon solution, high quality, beautiful, architectural design sympathetic to its setting and will protect the residents from flooding deep into the 21st Century. ​

Our CEO, Richard Coutts, is participating in MIPIMWorld, the largest annual global property event. He will be part of a panel discussing the crucial issue of water in the context of property development. Panelists: Jean-Christophe TaretAlexandra NotayRichard CouttsHarold Spies Currently, 30 cities in France are facing water shortages even before winter ends, and special measures for water usage will be announced soon. Water sobriety is now the new buzzword in Europe as the continent copes with the effects of extreme weather conditions. Stay tuned for more updates as there are insightful solutions in South Africa. #sustainability #baca #propertydevelopment #water #southafrica #france #mipim2023 #watermanagement #waterconservation​

From idea to conception, here is how our ‘Clubhouse’ went from pen, to paper, to [soon-to-be] reality for our luxury leisure wellness spa and resort in Norfolk.

Out this week, the newly updated version Mary Dhonau's E-Magazine 'Property Flood Resilience', is now available online.

The magazine highlights the real value of the practical steps people can take to reduce the impact of flooding on their homes and businesses.

You can find the magazine at the link below:

Planning consent has been granted for the 2nd Amphibious House in the UK in the seaside town of Salcombe. The innovative scheme, includes the construction of a new flood resistant dwelling within the envelope of an old stone store building and the replacement of a small boat shed with an elegant amphibious studio as part of the overall dwelling. Check Salcombe Video Here The first amphibious house was featured on ‪Grand Designs Season 16 Episode 8 – The Floating House: Revisited, and has been published in numerous articles.     ​

One year on from the original show, Kevin McCloud returns tonight to discover what has happened with one of the most ambitious Grand Designs ever – the UK’s first Amphibious House.The fully completed building is revealed to the cameras and put through its paces to find out if it floats. The owners of this remarkable residence show how they have settled into their stunning and distinctive home. The couple’s dream of living in a flood-prone location with strict planning constraints was made possible by the construction the UK’s first amphibious house – a building that rests on the ground on fixed foundations but, whenever a flood occurs, rises up in its dock and floats there buoyed by the water. You can catch the story of this pioneering building, see how it has progressed and watch new landmark events since its completion tonight at 9pm on C4.                 ​

November’s issue of Grand Designs Magazine is on the shelves now, featuring the story of the UK’s first Amphibious House, designed by Baca Architects.  The article tells the clients’ story from planning through to construction of the special amphibious design and recalls the floods of 2014 which held up construction. The success of the design of the house, as well as its pioneering flood-resilient nature, is captured in the stunning photography accompanying the article. This forward-thinking project will hopefully form the benchmark for other amphibious properties around the country as people seek to protect their homes from flooding.  Further details can be found on p61-67 of November’s Grand Designs Magazine.Robert Barker will be presenting this and other amphibious designs in a seminar called ‘Amphibious Housing UK – a fail safe solution to flooding’ on Thursday 15th October at 14:00 to 14:30 in the Marshalls Theatre, at The Flood Expo 2015, hosted in the Excel Centre, London.                 ​

Voting opened this week for the prestigious International Design and Architecture Awards 2015, with our Amphibious House shortlisted in the Residential Architectural Property category.  Hosted by UK interior design magazine, design et al, the awards aim to commend design, recognise talent, create opportunities and quite simply to offer inspiration. If you would like to vote on the awards and for the Amphibious House, please click on the banner below to visit where your selections can be made.  We wish the best of luck to all shortlisted projects!       ​