Panama will be home to the world’s first community of floating SeaPod homes, with the inaugural pod now in the water at Linton Bay Marina in Colon. Ocean Builders, a company specializing in innovative marine technology, has officially launched what it says are the first floating eco-restorative pod homes in the world. Perched three meters above sea level on the Caribbean coast of Panama, the futuristic units are designed to accommodate two people and are on sale now, with prices ranging from $295,000 to $1.5 million.
Part of a growing trend in an urban design known as seasteading, the SeaPod is described as the world’s first eco-restorative floating home
Part of a growing trend in an urban design known as seasteading, the SeaPod is described as the world’s first eco-restorative floating home. With a shape similar to an oversized lollipop, the pod is supported by steel tubes filled with air that push the structure up from below the waves. This engineering—developed by Ocean Builder’s president and head of engineering Rüdiger Koch—keeps the home substantially more stable than a vessel that floats directly on the water, making ocean living more comfortable. Inside, a personalized smart ring controls over 150 smart technologies, allowing owners to configure the home to their specific preference—for example, what music should be playing when they walk in. It’s also the company’s hope that as SeaPod communities form above water, marine ones will flourish below by growing on the steel, similar to an artificial reef.
It says SeaPod’s mission is to develop technology that makes oceans into an “eco-sustainable paradise.”
The pods have been designed to become marine habitats for fish and other creatures, and artificial intelligence cameras will monitor what goes on beneath the waves. Marine detection technology is available to alert pod residents when dolphins, whales, or their other favorite sea creatures are nearby.
Photos by Ocean Builders
