This project is a low-cost, experimental floating structure developed and constructed during the AA Visiting School Amazon 2018. Co-authored with Marko Brajovic, and realised in collaboration with Eco-Float and with support from What Design Can Do (Amsterdam), the initiative brought together an international team of participants, including Carlos Duarte, Vian Rasool, Sonia Syed, Marcele Lauande, Amanda Pamato, Andreia Bento, Mila Montezuma, Maria Elena Salas, Mehek Merchant, Eduardo Amaro, and Ady Neto.
The project addresses the need for sustainable and accessible alternatives to traditional Amazonian floating architecture, which typically relies on the use of large, old-growth timber species. These Assacu trees, prized for their buoyancy, are increasingly scarce, function as vital carbon sinks, and are too expensive for many local communities.
In contrast, this prototype explores the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE)—materials commonly found as waste or surplus in the region—as feasible, repurposed buoyant components. The design is low-tech, affordable, and intentionally replicable by local builders. Construction was embedded within a knowledge-sharing framework, where community members were taught to thermoform HDPE sheets, seal EPS blocks, and integrate both into a timber framework.
The resulting structure is wind-resistant, synergetic in its assembly, and adaptable to varying river conditions. A series of lightweight membranes—including mosquito netting and reflective mylar—provide shade and insect protection, contributing to both environmental performance and inhabitant comfort
