Floating and Amphibious Architecture in Waterfront Built Environments: A Systematic Review of Climate Adaptation and Regenerative Potential

Abstract

Waterfront built environments are increasingly exposed to hydrological variability and climate-related pressures that challenge conventional land-based building typologies. This systematic review examines permanently buoyant floating systems and flood-responsive amphibious systems as water-adaptive approaches to climate adaptation and regenerative waterfront development. Peer-reviewed studies indexed in Scopus and Web of Science were reviewed for January 2015–August 2025, with searches last updated on 15 August 2025. The review combines PRISMA-guided selection, bibliometric mapping of the screened publication landscape (N = 1410), and qualitative synthesis of the core evidence base (N = 63). Regenerative potential is operationalised as credible only where supported by explicit ecological, socio-spatial, governance-related, or performance-oriented evidence, including life-cycle assessment, post-occupancy evidence, ecological monitoring, habitat enhancement, blue-green infrastructure integration, or documented implementation mechanisms. The findings show that floating typologies dominate the evidence base, whereas amphibious approaches are less frequent but more directly associated with in-place flood adaptation. Persistent gaps concern regulatory frameworks, infrastructure interfaces, life-cycle assessment, ecological validation, and long-term post-occupancy monitoring. The review concludes that scalability depends on context-specific siting, institutional permission, regulatory approval, and verifiable environmental performance.