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Luxury Living that Floats Your Boat

Hurricane season is expanding and sea waters are rising, but the desire for waterfront living is stronger than ever.

For many people, living on the water simply requires an understanding of the risks, coupled with the ability to suspend any associated fear. Miami-based Arkup LLC has a very luxe alternative.

The Arkup 75 (so named because it’s 75-feet long) is a house, technically. And it’s also a boat. But it’s far from your average houseboat. It’s more like a floating villa, or a yacht estate.

The LEED Platinum vessel was the brainchild of Dutch architecture firm Waterstudio.N, which set out to create luxury “large-scale floating projects in an urban environment” that address climate change with flexibility and sustainability. With a hybrid foundation featuring hydraulic stilts that can extend 20 feet, the Arkup 75 provides stability when docked and can literally rise above floodwaters or storm surges — making it particularly attractive in spots like south Florida that are vulnerable to sea-level rise and tropical storms. According to the company, the Arkup 75 is also rated to withstand a category-4 hurricane.

“The Arkup is hurricane resistant, flood-adaptive, completely off-the-grid, solar-powered and mobile,” Arkup co-founder Arnaud Luguet says in a news release.

Completed in time for the 2018 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and currently located in Miami (although the company will arrange for shipping, mooring, a slip with a long-term lease in a marina, and even a captain and crew for the buyer), the first Arkup 75 has four bedrooms and four-and-one-half baths in 2,700 square feet of indoor living space.

The open plan features a gourmet island kitchen with Miele appliances and a 775-square-foot living room overlooking the water through a wall of retractable glass that leads out to an expansive deck.

Upstairs are four large en-suite bedrooms and private outdoor space. Additional features include smart house automation; a rooftop solar array; floor-to-ceiling impact windows; and a rainwater-harvesting and purification system.

The Arkup 75 was designed by Dutch architecture firm Waterstudio.NL and is offered for purchase for $5,500,000, fully furnished with interiors by high-end Brazilian furnishing brand Artefacto.

“We are amazed by the interest raised by our next-generation floating homes” says Nicolas Derouin, co-founder of ARKUP, in a news release.

The existing Arkup 75 is also available for rent by the day, or buyers can order a bespoke version from $2,267,000. The 18-month build offers options including customizable finishes; premium kitchen and entertainment systems; a 500-square-foot retractable deck with a glass bottom; and underwater lights.

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