Moored at Rijnhaven port in Rotterdam, our floating office for the Global Center on Adaptation is a building for a new age. Off grid and carbon-neutral, it will float – rather than flood – if water levels rise due to climate change. Fun as well as functional, it also forms a key element in a newly redeveloped port environment by providing public waterside space – and even a swimming pool.

We designed our floating office to reflect the values of its inhabitants: the Global Center on Adaptation. This Rotterdam NGO aims at promoting planning, investment and technology to mitigate climate change. Our climate-resilient office is therefore both an illustration of the center’s mission and an inspiration for others. With its own solar energy source and water-based heat-exchange system, it’s completely self-sufficient. Built entirely of timber, to minimize its carbon footprint, our building has three stories and is accessed via a boardwalk. Overhanging balconies around each floor plus a pitched roof provide shade. FOR also features public facilities: a restaurant with a large outdoor terrace and a swimming pool.