Find a lake, float out to the center, build a house

[Image: Fishermen on Lake Tanganyika, via Wikipedia].

"The matted growths of aquatic plants fringing its shores are cut off in sections, and towed to the centre of the lake. Logs, brushwood, and earth are laid on the floating platform, until it acquires a consistency capable of supporting a native hut and a plot of bananas and other fruit trees, with a small flock of goats and poultry. The island is anchored by a stake driven into the bed of the lake; and if the fishing become scarce, or should other occasion occur for shifting his domicile, the proprietor simply draws the peg, and shifts his floating little mansion, farm, and stock, whither he chooses."

—John Geddie, The Lake Regions of Central Africa: A Record of Modern Discovery (Edinburgh, 1883), as quoted by Giles Foden in Mimi and Toutou's Big Adventure: The Bizarre Battle of Lake Tanganyika

(Thanks, Valerie!)

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Blogger Bill Lindeke said...

Geoff:

This reminds me of some art I saw recently in Minneapolis, a film called Crush Collision by Chris Larson. The set is a house, which floats in the middle of a lake... a literal houseboat. Delicate and beautiful, proving that while no man is an island, sometimes households can appear to be.

http://www2.artsmia.org/wiki/index.php/Crush_Collision

August 24, 2007 12:35 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Here in Ireland we have a tradition of fortified artificial islands called crannogs.

In Peru The Uros construct artificial islands on Lake Titicaca.

August 24, 2007 4:36 AM  
Blogger Geoff Manaugh said...

Thanks, Bill! I've put up a quick post about that project – Lake/House - so thanks again for pointing it out.

And, Ronan, I love the crannogs - I'll see if I can find a post in there somewhere...

August 24, 2007 10:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hello! my friends designed something like that:
http://www.frontarchitects.pl/PROJEKTY/HOUSES/shauz/sha5.htm
http://www.frontarchitects.pl/PROJEKTY/HOUSES/shauz/sha2.htm

August 24, 2007 2:54 PM  
Blogger Geoff Manaugh said...

Wow, munditia, those are beautiful.

August 24, 2007 3:30 PM  
Blogger Geoff Manaugh said...

I've deleted a comment by anonymous; it contained a huge link that was making the margins go nuts.

That comment said: "here's a google map of lake Tanganyika... sadly, i couldn't spot any such island homes. if only google was able to go back in time to 1883."

August 24, 2007 4:09 PM  
Blogger Geoff Manaugh said...

munditia, I just posted the project by front architects: Single Hauz.

Thanks again.

August 25, 2007 12:16 AM  
Blogger munditia said...

you welcome! :)

August 26, 2007 6:09 PM  

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