A Dubai-based joint venture has developed a floating island concept which it says could answer the needs of owners of islands in Nakheel’s The World project.
Atoll Floating Islands, a joint venture between Palmerstone and Donald Starkey Designs has unveiled the ‘Ome, a floating home on a monocoque type structure, which is designed to be manouvered between Dubai’s coast and The World islands.
The design is intended to align with maritime law, as well as meeting the design standards of the The World’s developer, Nakheel.
The first ‘Ome will be available in a 32m diameter form, comprising an upper and lower deck configuration, the company said in a statement.
The ‘Ome will feature five bedrooms, large open planning living areas and a central 10m diameter seawater pool encompassing more than 1,400 sq m of usable living space, it added.
Designer Donald Starkey said: “The unique prospect of owning an island on The World brings its own set of challenges, and we believe we have created something that will deal with all the considerations that island owners have to deal with when it comes to developing their island; the ‘Ome provides the infrastructure for the entire island, without the need to break ground.”
Each ‘Ome will be self-sustainable, with power, water and waste management included as part of the overall design.
The ‘Ome will also include photovoltaic cells on its roof, which will enable the property to be completely self powered.
Atoll estimates that each ‘Ome would be capable of producing enough energy to power six large households, approximately 30,000 kW of renewable energy.
Service and towing support to move the ‘Ome will be provided by a facilities management company, Atoll added.
It is planned that ‘Omes will be built on the Dubai mainland, but the design is applicable to almost any coastal location, and the company is considering the potential for builds in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and other island or remote beach locations around the globe.
Graham Henderson, owner of Palmerstone and the developer of the ‘Ome, said it was estimated that each ‘Ome will take around 22 months to deliver.
“Costs are anticipated to be less than building a yacht of comparable size, but the option of an ‘Ome means you are not required to purchase a mooring as you own one already, and so can use the ‘Ome as a conventional home, with your own choice of sea front views having created your own personal beach.”
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