On September 22nd, a crowd gathered around a dock at the Linton Bay Marina in Panama to watch as the SeaPod by innovation technology company Ocean Builders was unveiled. Panama’s President Laurentino Cortizo was among the onlookers waiting to step inside the luxury floating home. But the event went sideways — literally — when the prototype suddenly toppled over, leaning into the adjacent dock. It may not have been the most auspicious start for the spaceship-like pod home meant to kick off Ocean Builders’ vision of an eco-sustainable paradise, but nobody was hurt, and the company says it’s eager to try again.

Designed by Dutch architect Koen Olthuis, the SeaPod is supposed to represent a new way of living in harmony with coastal ecosystems. Ultra-minimalist and nearly all-white, the unusual home features 830 square feet of living space spread across three levels, including a bedroom, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and storage areas. It’s perched on a 7.5-foot-high pillar connected to a floating base hidden beneath the surface of the water. This stabilizing base uses more than 1,688 cubic feet of air-filled tubes to stay afloat. To get to and from the home or order supplies, occupants wear a smart ring that summons a vehicle or a food delivery drone. Prices range from $295,000 for the smallest and most basic pods up to $1.5 million.
Titanic II is gonna be a banger. #seapod
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