Floating Village Proposed for Protection Against Floods and Quakes

George Avalos reports: "A 'floating village' project is being eyed in north San Jose’s Alviso hamlet by tech company Arx Pax, using a technology that would deploy a group of pontoons beneath the buildings to protect the development from floods and earthquakes."

Arx Pax invented the technology, which uses principles similar to the 1.5-mile-long Hood Canal Bridge that traverses Washington state’s Puget Sound. Arx Pax calls the technology the SAFE Foundation, or Self-Adjusting Floating Environment.

Arx Pax has submitted to city planners a preliminary proposal for a Alviso three-building, mixed-use development, including homes, offices, and retail.