The Waterpod was a floating platform that showcased the potential of nomadic, mobile shelters and water-based communities, both docked and roaming. It was designed to embody self-sufficiency and resourcefulness, encourage learning and curiosity, foster human expression, and facilitate creative exploration. Its ultimate goal was to provide alternatives to current and future urban living spaces in anticipation of a greater flux in environmental conditions.
To achieve this, the Waterpod emphasized cooperation, collaboration, augmentation, and metamorphosis, reflecting the need for people to rely closely on their immediate communities and seek out alternative living models. The project was envisioned as a singular unit that could expand into ever-evolving water communities - archipelagos that could mutate with the tides.
Like architecture, art is largely about storytelling - stories of the inhabitants, community, makers, and their reflections on the past and expectations of the future. The Waterpod was more than just a shelter; it was a flexible extension of the body, a home, and a community. Its only constant was change and flow, connecting rivers to visitors and historic to futuristic ecologies.
Mayra climbing the dome in the Waterpod, 2009
Waterpod Visitor at Worlds Fair Marina in Queens, 2009
Workshop with Bob Hyland on the Waterpod, 2009
Waterpod at Concrete Plant Park, 2009. Photo. Ian Daniel