Living with Water: Literature-Based Exploration of Stilt and Amphibious Housing as Resilient Architectural Solutions for Flood-Prone Communities in Pakistan

Abstract

Floods are frequently damaging natural hazards in Pakistan, where significant monsoon events in floodplains expose millions to displacement. Traditional post-disaster reconstruction often replicates vulnerable housing typologies, sustaining destruction. Architectural scholarship shows that innovative housing designs can mitigate flood impacts at the household scale. This paper adopts a literature-based approach to review global examples in flood-resilient housing and proposes two architectural solutions adapted to Pakistan’s flood-prone settlements: stilt (hanging) housing and amphibious (ship-type) housing. Drawing on vernacular traditions in Southeast Asia and contemporary projects in the Netherlands and Bangladesh, based on design principles, socio-cultural advantages, and limitations of these typologies. Findings suggest that stilt housing offers cost-effective, culturally familiar, and rapid mobilization in areas with predictable flood levels and stable soils, while amphibious housing provides adaptability to variable flood depths which requires higher initial investment and community education. Both typologies highlight architecture potentials to reduce displacement, protect livelihoods, and improve resilience. The study concludes that literature supports the conceptual viability of these solutions in Pakistan but emphasizes the need for pilot projects, and policy integration in future research.by framing housing within disaster strategies, the paper contributes an architectural framework for “living with water” in the face of climate change and recurrent flooding.

Following this introduction, this article reviews literature on global and regional responses to flood-resilient housing, architectural solutions for stilt and amphibious housing typologies, literature-based methodology adopted for comparative suitability and policy challenges, recommendations for future research and integration into Pakistan’s housing strategies.