Floating greenhouse, Naaldwijk, The Netherlands

Floating greenhouse © Dura Vermeer

The floating greenhouse was developed for use in areas allocated for water retention, hereby giving these areas a multifunctional use. More areas will need to be set aside for water retention in the Netherlands in the future. The increasing pressure on the available space makes it necessary to use this space in a multi-functional way. Floating greenhouses can also limit the loss of land value when assigning additional locations for water retention. The use of floating greenhouses can limit loss and damage from flooding.

A point of attention when using floating greenhouses is that they need to be located in areas with permanent water, and that flexible connections for power, etc. are necessary to be able to adapt to fluctuating water levels. In existing water-rich areas greenhouses are not welcome, as these areas are generally already intended for housing, recreation or nature conservation.

The first floating greenhouse was built in 2005 and can be visited in the Flora Holland Business Park in Naaldwijk.

Floating greenhouse © Dura Vermeer

Engineering

The greenhouse’s floating foundation consists of a combination of EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) and steel fiber reinforced concrete. The greenhouse’s foundation is built directly on the water.

The greenhouse’s wastewater is treated in an individual wastewater treatment system. The greenhouse is designed as a presentation and exhibition space covering some 600 m2. The floating foundation has a dimension of 900 m2. [Pötz et al., 2009]