Things We Love: Modular Floating Farm

You’ll surely know by now that we have an innate love of all things modular. Modular construction allows for efficient repetition yet can result in flexible designs that are interesting and thought-provoking.  This is ever-present in Rotterdam’s Recycled Park – a modular park that floats on the river.

Made entirely from recycled waste, the floating prototype park has been designed as a nature-friendly environment that actively cleans the Nieuwe Maas River, stopping plastic from the city before it makes its way towards the ocean. It’s also a unique space for the public to visit with seating areas and gardens.

The 140sqm Recycled Park not only includes areas for human visitors but sections of the park serve an ecological function as habitats for snails, flatworms, larva, beetles and fish.

Illuminating the amount of waste that is currently in the open waters, Recycled Park also aims to highlight how materials can be re-used in creative and interesting ways. Litter traps capture plastics from the river, they are then tested, sorted and recycled to their best use within the park – even the seating area tiles are made from recycled PET bottles.

The park’s modular hexagonal sections enable the park to expand over time as new material is collected.

An exemplary use of modular methodology that benefits the city’s residents and the natural environment.