Panama based Ocean Builders, which specializes in innovative marine technology, is building smart elevated pods for living on water or on land.
1. Houses in the air
The pods were designed to address the lack of space in desirable seaside destinations. They can be installed in the ocean, floating, or on land. Both the SeaPod and the GreenPod come with an even more sustainable version, the EcoPod, and all have similar characteristics.
Every day thousands of people all over the world move closer to the top 15 major metropolitan cities which are within 50 miles of a coastline – a trend that will continue to grow.
Grant Romundt, CEO Ocean Builders
The pods offer 73 m2 of living space, spread over 3 half floors, with panoramic views from the huge windows. They are fit for 2 residents and the interior is completely customisable based on the customers’ desires. Depending on the finishing touches and upgrades, a pod can cost from $295,000 to $1.5 million.
Currently, the pods are only in Panama, but Ocean Builders claims it will have the first 100 custom pods either in production or delivered by the end of 2023, with a second rollout of 1,000 pods beginning in 2024.
2. Sustainability
The team is developing a solid waste incinerator that will turn toilet waste into a tablespoon of harmless non-toxic ash. Waste heat from the incineration process will then be used to heat the water for showers, baths and sinks. Liquids from the toilets will go to a blackwater storage tank for further treatment or periodic removal. A waterless urinal will also be offered to further reduce unnecessary water usage.
As for water waste, Ocean Builders partnered with ShowerLoop to work on reducing shower water consumption by up to 90%. This is done using a continuous active 3 step water filtration process. They also recommend using a Nebia shower head, which creates micro fine streams of water that increase the water pressure, reducing consumption 60%.
3. Smart home
The pods also function like a smart home, everything being controlled by a ring on your finger. Each ring is securely provisioned to just one owner and can unlock the front door, automagically configure any compatible Pod to pre-set preferences, activate the shower or bath to custom pre-set temperature and pressure, turn on music or playlists, configure custom light scenes and more.
Invisible wireless charging pads are built throughout the home, hidden under the surface of counters in each room with an indicator light that activates when charging has started.
