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With the growing risks of rising sea levels and urban flooding, there is an increasing need to explore alternative solutions for building on water. Conventional floating structures rely on polystyrene-filled concrete foundations or plastic pontoons—materials that can be inflexible, difficult to transport, and environmentally harmful. Recognising these challenges, MAST, a design studio founded by Australian architect Marshall Blecher and Danish maritime designer Magnus Maarbjerg, is pioneering a new approach to water-based architecture.
MAST collaborates with harbour authorities and municipalities across Europe and Australia to create climate-resilient floating structures that improve the relationship between cities and their waterways. One of their most ambitious projects, “Land on Water”, is a collaboration with Austrian construction entrepreneur Hubert Rhomberg and the concept and venture studio Fragile.
The concept is based on a modular system of floating platforms designed to accommodate a variety of architectural and urban applications, including:
• Residential and commercial buildings
• Floating parks and public spaces
• Urban farming and community infrastructure
The goal is to create dynamic, off-grid floating communities that adapt to rising sea levels and changing urban demands. By shifting away from traditional floating infrastructure, MAST’s approach aims to make water-based living more flexible, transportable, and environmentally responsible.
The rationale behind floating architecture stems from the realisation that 71% of the Earth’s surface is water, yet conventional urban expansion continues to push into already fragile land areas. As Hubert Rhomberg, managing director of Rhomberg Holding, puts it: “In times of rising sea levels, we need to rethink how and where we are going to live.”
MAST’s floating structures propose a climate-adaptive and scalable alternative for coastal cities facing land shortages and extreme weather events. Unlike conventional floating platforms, their system allows for modular expansion, easy relocation, and material flexibility, offering a more adaptable approach to water-based development.
By enabling cities to expand onto water in a way that is both adaptive and potentially low-impact, MAST’s work opens up new possibilities for urban development. Floating communities offer a unique way to respond to the challenges posed by rising sea levels while creating new spaces for living, working, and recreation.
As innovative solutions like MAST’s floating platforms gain traction, the importance of material transparency and informed material selection becomes ever more critical. By understanding the technical and environmental characteristics of construction materials, architects and planners can make more informed decisions, helping to scale floating architecture in a way that is both functional and environmentally responsible.
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