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This $30 Million Floating Villa Is an Endless Holiday, Wherever You Want It

If you start pinching your pennies now, you might still be able to raise enough money for the latest in ultra-luxe real estate, with a heavy dash of marine influence: floating villas.
Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want ($30 million) 8 photos
Photo: SAOTA/Admares
Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want ($30 million)Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want ($30 million)Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want ($30 million)Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want ($30 million)Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want ($30 million)Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want ($30 million)Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want ($30 million)
At the end of 2021, the first units of floating villas from Cape Town-based designers SAOTA and ARRCC, working in partnership with Admares, which holds the record for constructing the world’s largest floating villa, will become available. The announcement was made earlier this year and came accompanied by the first renders of these new luxury abodes – but, sadly, no details on when they might become available for moving in.

Residences by the water are extremely luxurious, but they have nothing on residences on water. This is the latest in ultra-luxury real estate, a combination of the comforts of living on land with amenities you’d usually find on a superyacht, with the possibility of minimal motion and, perhaps most importantly, the promise of self-sufficiency.

Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want \(\$30 million\)
Photo: SAOTA / Admares
Initially, floating villas were designed as residences for areas most affected by rising sea levels. When the danger of flooding is permanent, something that allows life on water would be one solution to the problem. This is clearly at the opposite pole of that, with each SAOC-designed villa coming with a price tag estimated at around $30 million.

That’s a lot of money there, unless, of course, you were planning on treating yourself to a custom superyacht. Each villa can be customized according to the new owner’s request and built wherever he might fancy living for a longer while. Though they can’t technically sail out, they will be built in such a manner as to be able to float freely in calm harbors.

Each villa is comprised of two levels, six bedrooms in total and such amenities as “a pajama lounge,” an infinity pool, and organic insertion of greenery. The bottom level is basically the island and features double-height spaces and plenty of plants. “All the spaces are analogous to and inspired by natural experiences offered by tropical islands around the world,” SAOTA says.

Materials used here are “hard” and bold, like rock and granite, which make a sharp contrast with the soft materials in neutral or nautical shades used for the interior décor. The upper level is inspired by yachts and is destined for comfort and wellness, including the bedrooms and the aforementioned pajama lounge that is described as “the refuge which gently hovers above the island.”

Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want \(\$30 million\)
Photo: SAOTA / Admares
The whole vibe here is “barefoot luxury,” which is different from the kind of barefoot us mortals do when we get up in the morning and blindly head to the kitchen to make coffee, eventually enabling us to go about our regular, non-millionaire lives. This is the type of barefoot that celebrities and rich influencers do in magazine shoots and on social media.

The exterior design features rough edges and contrasting cues but is also inspired by and meant to reflect the natural elements it will float among. The same goes for the interior: sofas and glazing mimic waterscapes, marble and bronze tabletops replicate the texture of water, reflective surfaces catch the gleam of the sun reflected in the water, while blue accents will remind you of last summer’s cruise in the Caribbean. Meanwhile, the upper level features timber and rope detailing, much like you would see on a yacht.

Depending on location, the villa can be docked at a waterfront location or, as noted above, left to float unencumbered. No word on how the latter will be done, but should the owner decide on it, the villa will be fit with solar panels to not rely on the grid to power up appliances. A seawater cooling system will circulate cool air when the weather is hot, while solar thermal collectors will serve for heating when temperatures drop. The hull includes sewage water treatment and potable water production plants.

Floating villa is the permanent home you can live on off the grid, wherever you want \(\$30 million\)
Photo: SAOTA / Admares
Now, imagine floating away (but not exactly away) in an endless vacation. Because you’re a multi-millionaire and can afford a floating villa as a permanent residence.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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