Driving climate-responsive urban development through integrative studies and transformative technologies.

Urban Water Laboratory, was founded in 2017 by Waterstudio which has over a decade of experience in developing innovative floating solutions. UWL is dedicated to tackling the pressing challenges posed by climate change and rapid urbanization on global water systems. We specialize in integrative studies, utilizing advanced methods and tools to simulate, analyze and propose long-term strategies for climate-responsive urban developments.
Our mission is to drive resilient urban growth by embracing transformative technologies and reimagining the relationship between water and land. Through our multi-scale, interdisciplinary approach, we provide comprehensive planning strategies that seamlessly integrate water-based solutions into urban landscapes. Our team of experts, spanning architecture, engineering, environmental science, and urban planning, collaborates to create adaptable, sustainable environments for a resilient future. At Urban Water Laboratory, we empower cities and urban stakeholders to proactively respond to the dynamic forces of climate change.

Mission and vision

Floating solutions drive climate-responsive urban development, offering resilience to climate change while accommodating urban growth. By embracing transformative technologies, cities reimagine the relationship between water and land, creating adaptable, sustainable environments for a resilient future.

Innovation with emerging floating solutions plays a crucial role in addressing the challenges posed by climate change and rapid urbanization. These solutions offer a promising avenue for tackling the impacts of climate change, such as increased flood risks, while also accommodating the growing urban populations. By embracing and advancing floating technologies, cities can reimagine their relationship with water and leverage its potential as a transformative element in urban design and infrastructure. From floating buildings and neighborhoods to floating parks and resilient waterfronts, these innovative solutions provide opportunities for sustainable and adaptable urban development. Through data-driven research, experimentation, and collaboration, the exploration and implementation of floating solutions can lead to resilient and climate-responsive cities that are better equipped to navigate the challenges of the future.

Research on performative urban strategies by utilizing waterscapes, to offer city planning authorities and businesses a more flexible and resilient approach.

The Urban Water Laboratory (UWL) by Waterstudio is a research institute and think-tank dedicated to exploring the potential of water in enhancing urban functionality. Our primary focus is on developing innovative ideas and conducting research aimed at creating improved cities by using informatics and algorithmic processes.

The urban environment is inherently complex, shaped by a multitude of interactions, systems, and challenges. Physical complexity arises from interconnected infrastructure, which must adapt to changing demands for transportation, land use, utilities, water, and green spaces. Social complexity stems from diverse cultures and communities, requiring attention to evolving social issues such as inequality and cultural diversity. Economic complexity arises from the convergence of sectors and industries, necessitating strategies that align with changing trends and consumer demands. Environmental challenges further add to the complexity, requiring cities to address sustainability, climate change, and emerging environmental issues. Managing this complexity is crucial for creating sustainable and adaptable cities that meet the evolving needs of their inhabitants.
Knowing that by 2050, around 13% of the world’s population will live in areas exposed to submersion by rising sea levels or coastal storms, we have arrived at a situation where we are forced to rethink the way we can use waterscapes in the built environment. Considering the unpredictability of future developments and unanticipated needs, we should come up with flexible strategies. Floating solutions in an urban environment provide a tangible solution to these problems that is both flexible as well as sustainable.
Our focus is on developing algorithmic models utilizing data-driven methods and techniques that can effectively address the complex dynamics of urban systems, particularly for the emerging concept of floating urban components and their relations with the existing urbanscapes.
Leveraging our existing knowledge, data-driven impact assessments, analysis, and generative design approaches, we collaborate closely with developers, planners, and municipalities to create flexible, high-performing cities optimized for resilience, sustainability, and livability, ensuring that they are prepared for future uncertainties.