These shell-shaped floating home pods allow you to live in the middle of the ocean

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It’s no secret that rising sea levels due to global warming and climate change are turning our planet more blue than green. Over 70 per cent of our planet is already under water. This is why plenty of visionaries are exploring an aquatic future for humanity — floating homes.

But most of these floating homes share a common enemy: The motion of the ocean, perpetually rocking your homestead on the daily. Panama-based Ocean Builders is looking to fix that problem with their shell-shaped floating house, dubbed the Seapod. 

Three storeys of floating concrete, steel and fibre glass

For what makes the Seapod special isn’t just its unique, sci-fi-esque exterior and, well, the fact that it’s three storeys of floating concrete, steel and fibre glass. It is the house’s buoyant air-filled steel tubes hidden beneath the waves suspending the main living space of the floating home three-metres above the crashing waves.

This buoyancy, the company claims, is what results in “superior comfort and stability” for residents occupying the 830 sqft space. This includes a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, lounge area and storage space.

To take advantage of living on the ocean, Seapod’s floating homes also offer panoramic views through numerous floor-to-ceiling windows. Alternatively, you could simply dive off your front porch – one of the perks of aquatic living.

Naturally, there’s enough water and electricity storage to make off-grid living convenient. The eco-conscious company is also investing in cutting-edge tech to deal with waste recycling and energy production. 

You can add on these upgrades progressively onto the pods, whether physical or digital.

The floating homes are specifically designed to be remotely upgradable (though obviously, physical changes would require a visit). This means that new modules can be added and removed depending on what you’d like.

Floating homes support marine life

And as always, floating homes present an opportunity for local marine life to thrive. As Ocean Builders’ website explains, shade is an attractive thing for seaborne critters. Marine fauna and flora naturally aggregate under, say, a colony of Seapods.

In addition, there are two other models available: the Ecopod, which is similar to the Seapod except for a stronger eco-friendly slant and affordable price tag; and for landlubbers, the treehouse-like Greenpod.

The best part of all this is that these floating home pods aren’t just concepts. They’re already being in the midst of production at the company’s factory in Linton Bay Marina, Panama. Orders start from September this year with an expected delivery date in 2023.

This article was first published in The Peak.