In response to increasing divorce rates, an Amsterdam design and engineering practice has designed a floating house that literally will make splitting up a bit easier.
Working together with concept creator Omar Kbiri, co-founder of Maak, Studio OBA came up with Prenuptial Housing in hopes that it would provide “a solution for the increasing number of marriages that end up in divorce.”
The aptly named Prenuptial Housing targets the problem of dividing real estate when spouses split up. Prenuptial Housing consists of a floating house made up of two completely independent structures that are connected, but can easily detach and float away from one another when the marriage dissolves. In other words, when a couple drifts apart, they can literally drift apart.
“With the increasing number of divorces each year, our concept is – regrettably—becoming more and more relevant,” Kbiri told the Daily Mail. “I especially like the fact that we can stabilize the home front during an otherwise very hectic time. With this concept you namely don’t need to relocate after a break-up.”
The home’s exterior is made up of lightweight carbon fiber elements, along with a semi-transparent wooden layer that helps the home adapt to new environments if a split occurs.
The structure’s design was inspired by canals and floating structures in Amsterdam, according to Australian real estate site Domain.
The major challenge was coming up with a geometrical shape for the house that would make it look like a cohesive unit while it was connected, but would also be aesthetically pleasing when split in half, according to Studio OBA.
European countries with high divorce rates, such as Portugal, Belgium, and Hungary, are considered the most promising markets for Prenuptial Housing. Studio OBA hopes a prototype for the structure will be completed soon, so that orders can be taken starting in early 2017.
Despite the design’s gloomy outlook on marriage, it does hold out some hope for its owners: The units can be reconnected if the romance is rekindled.
