Rotterdam 2030 calls for places to escape. Over the last decades new innovations changed the lifestyle of a lot of people, in ways beyond expected. These innovations changed the use of social media, mobile phone, climate change, immigration policies and so on. Innovations in social media platforms changed the way of interaction, so did the mobile phone. Climate change changed our mindset. The world has more awareness for taking a plane or being a vegetarian. Some cities are overfloating by the income of new immigrants. One innovation is designed as solution, the other is meant to make life easier. Either way, change is undeniable. 

The Netherlands is coping with an increasement of the population. Different districts in the Netherlands are claiming to invest in new properties to accommodate these people with a home. Rotterdam is one of these districts and wants to build 50.000 new homes before 2030 (Woonvisie Rotterdam, 2016). This semester nine students researched the demographics of Rotterdam, the plans of the municipality for Rotterdam 2030 and new trends in dwelling.

According to the stats (Manifesto – Living in Rotterdam 2030) the numbers of single living households are growing. Rotterdam lacks a place for these single persons. The municipality wants to invest in families, but ignores the demand of the single living households. The municipality also claims to invest in a diverse city, but these are empty promises since their mindset is only pointed at the families.

These single living households could be filled by the growing number of young adults in Rotterdam, or an elderly person wanting to live by itself. These people are tired. Tired of everything and anyone. Why? Due to these innovations and changes, humanity created a world where we ask a lot from people. People are constantly on their phone, telling the whole world what there doing, but having a real conversation is rare. People are throwing themselves at their jobs, to accelerate and become the best of the best. Everybody has its own perception of this pressure, but sometimes it is just too much. A lot of people are coping with these feelings of tiredness, emotionally exhausted and a feeling of emptiness. These feelings combined is called a burn-out and according to CBS Statline the number of people with a burn-out has increased since 2015. 

Drifter house is a design for people who want to escape. An escape from life, responsibilities, work, social media and more. According to the Oxford dictionary a drifter is a:

Drifter {/ˈdrɪftə/}

1. A person who is continually moving from place to place, without any fixed home or job.

2. A fishing boat equipped with a drift net.

The principle of the Drifter house is a rental cabin of fifteen square meter and a non-rental boat of five square meter. The cabin is the first step in de escape and the boat the second, where you can literally drift away from anything and anyone. The boat is the definition of the Drifter house, where the drifter can move from place to place with his boat and moor to one of the rentals.

Zwaanhalspark is the first location and thus the starting point of this project for the rental cabin and the non-rental boat. The rental cabin finds it base at the side of the park near the water. Entering the cabin is the first step in leaving the world behind. The cabin is designed with a kitchen, dining area, closet space, a bathroom and lots of outdoor space. The cabin has its connection with the park, a rooftop garden and a platform facing the water. The boat is moored to the platform and is the second step in the escape. Drifting away on the water while sleeping or relaxing. The boat is designed with a twin bed, some place to store stuff and two places to sit and relax.

The design of the Drifter house is in total twenty square meter, which is pretty small. According to the stats of the Manifesto, Rotterdam houses apartments who are to big (over fifty square meter) for a single household. Life is already happening on the street, at public places and at work. Rotterdam also benefits by the design on the water, in which the city densifies but not expand. 

Change is undeniable. Rotterdam 2030 calls for places to escape. Drifter house is the solution.