These Florida Floating Homes are Designed for Luxury Living
Many of us have dreamed of vacationing on a yacht, but who among us has dared to dream of living in a sleek modern home that doubles as a yacht? Thanks to a South Florida company, achieving that pipe dream is now a reality.
Back in 2017, shipbuilding company Arkup announced their plans to upend both the housing market and the yacht industry. Now, they have just unveiled the first model of its over-the-top floating yacht house. The souped up houseboat is a wonder to behold, looking a bit like a luxury boutique hotel is floating in the water.
The first Arkup home in the U.S. packs 4,300 square feet into a 75-foot space, spread out over its interior space and outdoor terraces. There are four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms and a full kitchen instead of a cramped galley, which is a nice way to really make a yacht feel like a home. There’s a spacious living room and sliding glass doors and glass railings to enjoy the unbeatable views of the water.
When the company showed off their model yacht home at the Miami International Boat Show, the rooms were furnished by the renowned Brazilian sustainable wood furniture company, Artefacto, and every room had an elegant beach house vibe.
The yacht is not just strikingly beautiful, but also has brains. Its clever design is prepared to weather nearly any type of weather, from category four hurricane winds to rising sea levels. It’s the world’s first fully solar electric, zero emission floating villa in history. It is built on top of four hydraulic pillars, so the entire house can lift 15' above the water, which anchors the house to the ground if a storm starts coming. Thanks to the solar panels and built-in rain water collection and filtration system, a hurricane won’t necessarily knock out power and water in your pad. In fact, the rooftop solar panels can generate enough power for air conditioning, lights, and a 20-mile trip up the coastline on a single charge. And while you don’t see a floating home trucking up the Gulf Cost too often, this home really can move, traveling across open waters thanks to two noise-free electric thrusters with 136 horse power.
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If you’re looking for a futuristic vacation home or a place to retire that the grandkids will definitely want to visit, consider one of Arkup’s floating villas. These ultra-waterfront apartments don’t come cheap, though, with the model home priced at $5.9 million. Maybe we’ll just have to keep dreaming about this particular dream home.
