R+T Park Living Lab: The Buoyant Foundation

At the University of Waterloo’s R+T Park, an innovative project is tackling climate change-induced flooding head-on. Led by Professor Elizabeth English, the Buoyant Foundation uses the park’s stormwater pond as a real-life testing ground for innovative, flood-resistant architecture.

Born out of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Professor English’s vision is to create homes that float during floods and return to normal afterward. Traditional flood solutions like stilts often don’t work for everyone, but floating homes offer a sustainable, temporary fix to rising water levels.

R+T Park’s stormwater pond offers the perfect setting to test these floating foundations in real-world conditions. Researchers are examining buoyant stability, wind resistance, and material durability in flood-like scenarios. This hands-on research also provides students the chance to work alongside experts in environmental science.

Ready to turn your concept into reality?

Our Living Labs Initiative lets innovators test their ideas in real-world settings. Let’s collaborate!

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But this is just the beginning. R+T Park’s Living Labs Initiative is constantly evolving, and we’re actively seeking the next wave of innovators. Whether you’re a startup, a seasoned company, a researcher or student with a transformative idea, we want to collaborate with you. If you have a product, concept, or technology that could benefit from real-world testing, we’re ready to help you bring it to life.

Are you ready to be part of it? Join us at R+T Park, where collaboration fuels progress and the ideas of today become the solutions of tomorrow. Together, we can turn your vision into reality.