Building the gap

This thesis critically investigates the emerging domain of floating architecture, a field that spans ancient palafitic settlements and contemporary technologically advanced innovations. While "high-tech" is often used to describe the latter, this research refers not necessarily to luxury or high cost but to the application of engineered systems and innovative technologies. However, we want to bring light to the fact that most high-tech floating developments are designed for middle- to high-income contexts, rarely addressing the needs of vulnerable or at-risk populations. Through this exploration, we identified a critical gap in current discourse and practice: the absence of affordable, community-centered solutions that occupy a "middle ground" between cutting-edge prototypes and traditional Palafitic responses. By examining both ends of the spectrum, this thesis aims to develop a replicable design approach that bridges technological advancements with social equity, promoting climate-responsive, socially rooted, and context-aware aquatic architecture. The first part of the thesis establishes the broader framework: what floating architecture is, how it has been historically and contemporarily categorized, and what technical and social ambitions it holds today. Through an in-depth review of its typologies, material systems, and socio-environmental contexts, we examine the prevailing rhetoric and limitations of aquatic design, questioning what has been achieved and what remains unimagined. The research emphasizes the need to confront physical and climatic constraints, as well as economic and cultural exclusions, that hinder the democratization of floating solutions. The second part undertakes a comparative case study between Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Nueva Venecia (Colombia): two "successful" floating environments shaped by vastly different resources, cultures, and priorities. By deconstructing the spatial, material, and social logics of these contrasting realities, we analyze where their strengths converge, where they fall short, and what can be learned from both. This contrastive study forms the analytical core of the thesis. The final part of the research proposes an alternative vision of floating architecture: a hybrid model informed by traditional and technological knowledge systems. This includes the development of a modular, scalable, and adaptable "toolbox" of architectural parameters capable of addressing diverse geographies, climates, and economic conditions. Rooted in community needs and resilience principles, this model aspires to provide a realistic yet hopeful foundation for inclusive, water-based urban futures applicable to Latin American and European scenarios.