This academic project explored the design of a multi-storey floating shelter as an exemplar of digital fabrication and low-carbon design, responding to the urgent challenges of sea-level rise and coastal flooding in the UK.

The chosen site, Dengie National Nature Reserve in Essex, is a fragile saltmarsh and mudflat landscape, home to rare flora and internationally important populations of wildfowl and waders. As a Ramsar site and SSSI, it is monitored by both national and international governing bodies, making environmental sensitivity a key driver of the proposal.

The brief required a structure with a minimum design life of 80 years, adaptable to respond to sea-level rise every 25–30 years. Our design approach emphasised parametric, performance-based optimisation, resulting in a shelter that is modular, portable, and capable of being deconstructed. Sustainability was embedded in every stage, aiming to meet RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge targets while minimising environmental impact across the building’s lifecycle.

The floating shelter is conceived as a flexible, low-carbon refuge that adapts with shifting tidal conditions while maintaining harmony with its ecological setting.