Finding a permanent spot for your Tiny House remains a challenge, but hard work is being done on new ideas and pilots for innovative living locations. Think, for example, of remote areas and areas that currently have a different function. A great example is new nature and small living. A fantastic initiative that advocates for the development of new forests in combination with Tiny Houses in places that are often currently agricultural land. Erfdelen is also such an innovative initiative that has potential for Tiny Houses. Erfdelen creates small living communities on existing farmyards.
New residential locations through amphibious living
Zehra Toptas sees opportunities for new living locations through amphibious living, where your house sometimes stands on land and sometimes floats. She recently completed her bachelor’s thesis at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen, in the Build Environment department, supervised by Ron de Vrieze from the Urban Energy learning community at Entrance (Centre of Expertise Energy) and by Frouke de Boer and Bert van der Moolen from Hanze University of Applied Sciences. Zehra sees benefits in combining amphibious living with Tiny Houses: ‘The combination of compact living and innovative housing forms, such as amphibious construction, can contribute to sustainable solutions for current and future spatial challenges.’
Supervisor Ron de Vrieze is also positive about the possibilities for small-scale projects and Tiny Houses through amphibious construction: ‘We are conducting extensive research into amphibious construction based on the knowledge we are gaining within the national Floating Future project together with the Hanze knowledge center Noorderruimte. This could certainly be interesting for small-scale living. Zehra investigated potential locations where one could live amphibiously. In addition, for amphibious living, we are also conducting research into the Right of Participation & Challenge, primarily from the perspective of law studies.’
Image: Amfibical houses Maasbommel, copyright Boiten ingenieurs
The Netherlands: Land of Water
Zehra explains the background of her research: ‘The Netherlands has a long history in the field of water management, but the current methods of building and protecting land are increasingly under pressure. Climate change and more intensive land use are shifting the boundaries. Can water and soil systems really hold up? Land subsidence, floods, drought, and low groundwater levels create risks for food production and contribute to the deterioration of natural ecosystems. Rising sea levels, salinization, and increasingly extreme weather conditions, together with human-caused land subsidence, reinforce the urgency to make sustainable, long-term spatial choices.’
According to Zehra, amphibious homes—houses that stand on the ground under normal circumstances but can float during high water—offer interesting possibilities: ‘Various studies show that the concept is technically feasible, but large-scale application is still limited in the Netherlands. Most projects are small-scale or experimental, because spatial planning regulations are not yet fully aligned with adaptive building and responsibilities are distributed among various authorities.
Image: Floating houses, Leeuwarden Zuiderburen, photographs:
Lucas van der Wee en Aerphoto Schiphol b.v. (air photo)
Spatial policy frameworks as a challenge
Zehra’s study reveals which areas in Groningen meet key physical requirements for amphibious living, such as: low elevation, weak soils (compacted peat or soft clay), proximity to polder water, frequent inland flooding, and signs of peat oxidation/soil subsidence that threaten the local freshwater lens and increase salinization.
Zehra identifies a challenge: ‘The technology is largely available. The main barriers are governance, financing, and societal acceptance. Municipalities and water boards often lack the capacity or political connections to prioritize innovative housing, while financiers and developers remain hesitant until life cycle costs, insurability, and market risks are better understood.’
Image: ‘Concept Veenetië’, in research/development in ‘het groene hart’,
© Zeinstra Veerbeek Architecten.
Pilot Projects
There is local interest in amphibious living, particularly among young people and neighborhood associations. This provides a good basis for small-scale experiments. ‘The central task is not only designing buildings, but also creating the preconditions: local political support, clear research and development frameworks, permitting procedures, and solid business cases.
Without these preconditions, pilot projects risk remaining symbolic and failing to bring about systemic change. Social justice must also be taken into account: pilot projects must not impose unreasonable risks or burdens on already vulnerable residents.’
In the short term, municipalities and designers could select one or two small, site-specific R&D pilots in locations where space for water is already politically accepted.
Starting points for the pilots
The reference projects studied show that hybrid solutions—a mix of amphibious homes and more conventional homes—are often the most practical: ‘Successful projects combine technical simplicity with a clear link to water management and a small-scale, step-by-step approach.’
The case studies offer concrete lessons: ensure reliable wastewater and pumping solutions; design taking local water level fluctuations into account; and preserve spatial quality, such as landscaping and accessibility. ‘Market acceptance remains a question: in the North, people still want a house with a garden, so hybrid neighborhoods may be the best option.’
Suitable locations are low-lying areas with a direct connection to the water of the reservoir or zones where there is room for the river, places with a moderate need for infrastructure (access and utilities), and soil conditions that allow for hybrid solutions (peat/clay areas combined with water surfaces).
Image: Floating houses, study project, H20 Zeewolde, picture: Defacto Urbanism
Amphibian living and Tiny Houses
Zehra sees a promising relationship with Tiny Houses. ‘Both initiatives fit well within the broader concept of climate-adaptive and future-proof living. They focus on new solutions for a changing housing challenge, where flexibility and sustainability are important. Tiny Houses focus on compact and efficient living, while amphibious housing demonstrates how homes can be adapted to water and climate change.’
Both housing forms could reinforce each other, for example by applying Tiny Houses in areas where water plays an important role, possibly in a hybrid form: ‘In that case, you respond to climate change while simultaneously reducing the spatial footprint with a Tiny House. It is a win-win situation. This can lead to flexible and adaptive housing forms that address both spatial and climate-related challenges.’
If you would like to know more about Zehra’s research, you can email her at:
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