Thesis Defense:The Westfjords Way: Evaluating Floating Home Implementation in Ísafjörður

In the coming weeks, UW master's students will defend their theses. The subjects are varied and the students are from both master's programs, Coastal Marine Management and Coastal Communities and Regional Development. The defenses are accessible to everyone through zoom links but they are also open to the public, at the University Centre of the Westfjords in Ísafjörður.

Student: Ricarda Neehuis

Date & time: Tuesday September 10th at 09:30

Thesis title: The Westfjords Way: Evaluating Floating Home Implementation in Ísafjörður

Program: Coastal Communities and Regional Development

Zoom link: https://eu01web.zoom.us/j/67507631213

Abstract: Floating urbanisation is gaining interest as sea levels
around the globe continue to rise. Before moving all our
infrastructure to the sea, the concept of floating homes
should be tested by applying it to communities that could
benefit from it, such as communities that lack building
space on land, communities that are growing, and
communities that are limited by mudslides, avalanches,
and the sea. Ísafjörður, Iceland, with its unique
geographical and environmental challenges, is one such
community and, therefore, the location of study of this
thesis. Currently, policies vary from country to country
and are scarcely developed in many places; best practices
for implementation and substructures are still missing,
and floating homes integration into the urban fabric has
not yet been researched. This thesis, therefore, aims to fill
these gaps by exploring the best implementation process,
key considerations for placement, and structural ideas to
cope with local weather conditions in Ísafjörður. It looks
at characteristics that need to be met to make floating
homes beneficial to the town and its community and
discusses possible stakeholders. This study conducts an
extensive literature review on floating homes and their
policies, as well as interviews with planning and
innovation experts on how an implementation process
could look and how floating homes fit into existing
policies. Implementation primarily depends on local
government, and architects must determine suitable
structures. Modular homes are preferred to relieve the
handyman and accelerate the implementation. Floating
homes will be most beneficial to the community if they
are built to be environmentally sustainable and long-
lasting, with an eye for proper integration into the town.
This being the first study of its kind, further research will
be needed to determine whether this housing alternative
could be beneficial to the specific community in question.

Defense schedule for this defense season: