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For those of you out there who have Jacques Cousteau fantasies, a semi-submerged floating house may be just the thing you need. Italian architect ^[5] Giancarlo Zema ^[6] specializes in marine aquatic architecture and currently offers two different types of floating, semi-submerged houses that are designed to be docked in atolls and sheltered bays so that the inhabitants can spend their leisure time viewing underwater sea life.

The Trilobis (above), named after the Trilobyte, is a 20 mt long non-polluting, self-sufficient harbour yacht meant for cruising reefs. Electricity for the craft is supplied by solar power. Photovoltaic panels are integrated into a foam-cored fiberglass skin, which provide power during the day. At night and on cloudy days power is provided by batteries. The underwater bit sits 3.0 meters belwo sea-level, has a transparent observation room which allows unfettered view of marine life. Due to the shape of the Trilobis, is can be arrange in circular colonies.

The Jellyfish is a similar to the Trilobis, but is more of a floating house than a yacht. It is also intended for 6 people, and has 5 different levels, most of which are above water. The bottom level is completely submerged and has a marine observation room.

These are hot, but before I start planning my ocean retirement, what I want to know is how many of these have actually been built, and are there any real photographs of them out there?

Via The Cool Hunter ^[7]