Nothing to rust, nothing to paint
The hull is sealed PE100 pipe. No coatings, no anodes, no blasting.
Nautilus Innovation
Modular floating platforms for resorts and remote-island construction.
An engineered floating work and building platform for resort construction, remote islands, Caribbean lagoons, marinas and waterfront projects. It ships in standard containers, assembles locally and can later be reused for public decks, floating pickleball or padel courts, and floating accommodation.
Nautilus Water Suites is the hospitality craft built above the hull—either a static PE100 pipe platform or a classed, self-propelled modular steel craft.
Built project / Miami 2024 / real photography
A floating padel court—built, installed and in use.
This is the completed Yntegra Floating Padel Court, not a render. Nautilus supplied the earlier modular steel-hull system for the two hull sets beneath the court. The project shows how a floating platform can become a high-value resort and waterfront amenity.
See the project, photographs and system distinctionShips in containers, bolts together on site
Factory-made parts, assembled by a small local crew with no welding.
Engineered for what it carries
Buoyancy, freeboard and stability are checked for every use and loading case.
The brand architecture
Nautilus Innovation builds the platform. Nautilus Water Suites builds up the craft.
The engineered floating foundation is a Nautilus Innovation platform. Nautilus Water Suites is the sub-brand for the completed floating accommodation built on that platform—structure, interiors, services and guest experience included. The same modular floating structure can serve as a construction work platform, floating pickleball or padel court, public event deck, landing stage or waterfront hospitality space. Explore the wider resort design, procurement and construction practice at Nautilus Innovation ↗.
Nautilus Innovation / Pipe Hull System
A modular floating work platform that never needs painting.
0paint on the hull, ever
0welds on the pipe hull
1 boxof pipes floats an 85 m² work platform
4 daysto assemble with a crew of four
How it works
Hull, frame and deck—each doing one job well.
Sealed pipe hull
Large-diameter black PE100 pipes are capped, air tested and fitted with a pressure gauge in the factory. Each pipe is its own watertight compartment.
Treated hardwood frame
KERAS GL20 keruing glulam spreads the deck load across the hull. Every member is fully machined before ACQ pressure treatment, then labelled for assembly.
Deck and wearing surface
Hardwood boards form the working deck. For vehicles and tracked plant, an optional 3.2 mm galvanised chequer plate becomes a sacrificial, replaceable wearing layer.
Built to be lifted
Lift points and landing blocks are carried by the frame, so the pipes only carry their own weight out of the water.
Standardised buoyancy
ISO 4427 PE100 pipe, sized to the project.
Standard outside diameters run from 630 to 1,200 mm, with walls from about 19 to 68 mm. Pipe size and wall are selected for handling, impact, loading and operating depth.
Every pipe is factory air tested at 0.30 bar for one hour, with a test record for its serial number.
Timber treatment specification
ACQ-treated keruing, specified for a marine working platform.
The structural frame uses pressure-treated keruing hardwood rather than creosote-treated timber. Treatment protects against decay and insect attack; the architectural coating is a separate finish.
- Primary structure
- KERAS GL20 keruing glulam
- Secondary structure
- Solid keruing, ACQ pressure treated
- Preparation
- All cuts, holes, seats and profiles machined before treatment
- Treatment standard
- CSA O80 preservative-treated wood, or the approved project equivalent
- Deck
- Reclaimed Belian, EN 350 natural durability class 1; no preservative treatment required
- Fixings
- Grade 316 stainless steel throughout the timber assembly
- Finish
- Leave to silver naturally, stain, or apply a compatible marine paint system
- Quality record
- Treatment certificates supplied with the timber kit; project retention and penetration confirmed before manufacture
First use / working life
A reusable floating work platform for construction.
The modular work platform can carry materials, a small vehicle or tracked plant; land over a folding ramp; or work with an optional spider crane. Spuds hold the floating structure as a stable construction deck in sheltered water. When the project ends, the platform is ready for its next use rather than disposal.
- 7.24 × 11.8 m standard deck, about 85 m²
- About 13.5 t product carried without crane
- About 9.5 t product carried with a 3 t class spider crane
- Optional chequer-plate wearing layer for tracked plant
Stability and operating evidence
Wide, shallow and checked across every loading case.
loading conditions
meet the IMO 2008 Intact Stability Code, Part B 2.2 pontoon criteria
range of stability
against a minimum criterion of 20°
transverse GM
from loaded to light condition
damage heel
with one outer pipe flooded and the crane aboard
The platform remains afloat if one pipe floods. Freeboard—not stability—sets the product rating for the standard work platform.
These figures apply to the current standard three-module work-platform design. Final ratings are confirmed for the configuration, load, water and approvals route, then verified by load and inclining tests at launch.
Built and shipped
Standard boxes. Four days. No welding.
A complete work platform ships in two closed 40 ft high-cube containers. Because the boxes fill by volume rather than weight, the platform travels as standard freight to any suitable port.
- 01Unload and set out the nine pipes
- 02Place the primaries and fit the straps
- 03Pin the modules together
- 04Drop in the bay frames and secondaries
- 05Lay the hardwood deck
- 06Fit ramp, spuds and bumpers; commission and launch
Resorts / remote locations / Caribbean
Floating building platforms designed around difficult access.
Remote resort projects need useful marine infrastructure before the guest facilities are complete. The Nautilus system arrives as standard freight, bolts together with a trained local crew and starts work as a stable floating construction platform. When construction is finished, the same modular asset can be reconfigured for hospitality, recreation or accommodation.
Resort construction platforms
Move building materials, compact plant and project teams across sheltered lagoons and resort shorelines. Configure the deck, ramp, spuds and optional crane around the construction sequence.
Remote-island logistics
Ship the pipe hull and treated timber kit in standard 40 ft containers to locations where transporting a conventional barge or welded pontoon is difficult. Assembly is local and requires no welding on the hull.
Caribbean waterfront projects
Develop work platforms, landing stages, public decks, floating sports courts and Water Suites for suitable Caribbean and tropical sites. Wind, waves, hurricane exposure, moorings and local approvals are assessed for each location.
Best suited to calm and sheltered water. Every resort, island and Caribbean project receives a site-specific review of loads, freeboard, stability, access, mooring conditions and the applicable approval route.
First use to second life
One modular floating structure. Multiple commercial uses.
01 / first use
Floating work platform
A hard-working modular deck for island, marina and waterfront construction—moving materials, carrying plant and supporting crane operations.
Construction asset02 / second life
Three families of use
The flotation and structural platform stay in service. The deck layout and what is built above it change.
Floating public spaces
Accessible waterfront bars, cafés, event platforms, swim decks, social spaces and landing stages.
Floating pickleball and padel courts
Full-size pickleball or padel courts on a stiff, level floating base, with lighting and perimeter systems engineered into the platform.
Floating accommodation
Build upward into a complete Water Suite. The Escape Edition demonstrates two storeys of floating accommodation plus a roof terrace.
Built precedent / Miami 2024 / Yntegra Group
Yntegra Floating Padel Court.
The completed court demonstrates the destination value of a floating sports platform. Nautilus supplied the earlier steel modular hull system—two hull sets comprising eight modules, installed in two days—for Yntegra Group's Art Basel activation in Miami.
System distinction: these photographs show the built Yntegra court on the earlier steel modular hull route. They do not depict the new PE100 pipe-hull platform described above.
- Developer
- Yntegra Group
- Debut
- Art Basel, Miami · 2024
- Resort application
- Signature amenity developed for Rosewood Exuma, The Bahamas
Project imagery courtesy of Yntegra Group. Select any photograph to open the official project story.
Nautilus Water Suites / two hull routes
Choose the operating route—then build the Water Suite.
The original 2021 external render set shows the premium Water Suite concept on the enclosed modular steel hull: the route for a self-propelled, classed craft. The Escape Edition applies the same accommodation ambition to the static PE100 pipe platform.
Self-propelled / enclosed modular steel hull
The original Water Suite concept, shown in full quality.
These are the polished external-party visuals used for the original Nautilus Water Suites proposition. They show the intended architecture, outdoor living and interior standard—not the converted-barge reference shown later on this page.
Static / non-propelled / PE100 pipe platform
Escape Edition: accommodation without onboard propulsion.
This version is pushed or towed into position, then secured on the project-specific mooring system. It is the pipe-hull route for sheltered-water resorts and remote locations where the accommodation remains static.
17.8 × 7.9 moverall deck
≈ 140 m²hardwood deck
2 storeysplus roof terrace
Staticpushed or towed into place
Water Suite plans and answers
The built-up craft, all in one place.
The original render set, floor plans and the practical Water Suite questions stay with this application of the Nautilus platform.
Is the Water Suite the hull platform?
The Nautilus Innovation platform is the engineered floating foundation. Nautilus Water Suites is the completed hospitality craft built on it—structure, interiors, services and guest experience.
Can the Water Suite be two storeys?
Yes. The Escape Edition shows open living at deck level, a private suite on level two and a roof terrace above. The final layout and loading are engineered for each project.
How is the Escape Edition moved and positioned?
On the PE100 pipe system, the Escape Edition is intentionally a non-propelled accommodation craft. It is pushed or towed into position and held on the project-specific mooring system. Its precise registration and approval route is agreed with the relevant authority for the country and operating area. Where the brief requires its own propulsion, the steel modular hull is the appropriate route.
Where are the floor plans and exterior elevations?
The plans-and-elevations download above includes the deck plans, upper-level plan, roof-terrace plan, sections and exterior elevations for the current Escape Edition concept.
Two systems / two operating routes
Self-propelled craft or static platform.
| Decision | Self-propelled craftClassed steel hull | Static / non-propelledPE100 pipe platform |
|---|---|---|
| Hull system | Enclosed, modular marine-steel hull designed for the vessel brief. | Sealed PE100 pipe hull beneath a treated hardwood frame and deck. |
| Movement | Own propulsion and steering, configured for the intended operating profile. | Pushed or towed into position, then secured by spuds or a project-specific mooring. |
| Best suited to | Water Suites and accommodation craft that need powered operation. | Work platforms, public decks, sports courts and static floating accommodation. |
| Approval route | Class, flag, survey and powered-vessel requirements for the jurisdiction. | Local platform, pontoon or accommodation-craft requirements. |
| Nautilus example | Nautilus 55 and the original 2021 Water Suite concept. | Pipe Hull System work platform and static Escape Edition. |
Nautilus archive / Steel Solution v1.0 / 2021
One modular hull, built up into the Nautilus 55.
The steel route is now shown as one continuous system: transportable fabricated modules form the hull, the hull supports the accommodation structure, and the completed Nautilus 55 becomes the working proof of the idea. The 2021 design was developed in towed and propelled versions, with optional sponsons for additional beam, buoyancy and stability.
17.4 moverall length
5.0 / 6.2 mbeam / with sponsons
178 m²total floor space
Towed / propelledtwo 2021 design routes
The modular steel story / real photographs
Modules to hull. Hull to completed craft.
These are photographs from the Nautilus 55 build archive—not concept renders. Read left to right to see the shaped end modules, the connected hull units and the completed two-storey craft afloat.
Nautilus 55 archive documents
The original steel-hull drawing, specifications and practical information.
Archive design basis: the figures and documents above describe the 2021 concept and must be reconfirmed for any new project, location, classification and certification route.
The final registration, rating and certification route is confirmed for each country, operating area and use before the design is finalised.
How we work
From brief to handover in six clear steps.
- 01
Brief
What the platform carries, where it goes and the water it sits in.
- 02
Engineer
Hull, frame, deck, buoyancy, freeboard and stability.
- 03
Manufacture
Pipes capped and tested; timber cut, drilled and treated.
- 04
Ship
The kit travels in standard 40 ft containers.
- 05
Assemble
A local crew bolts it together with our drawings and supervision.
- 06
Operate
Jet wash, gauge checks and straightforward deck upkeep.
Frequently asked
The practical questions.
What is a modular floating work platform?
It is an engineered floating structure assembled from repeatable hull and frame modules. The Nautilus work platform is sized for construction loads, shipped in standard containers and bolted together locally without welding the pipe hull.
Can it support resort construction in the Caribbean?
Yes, where the water and operating conditions are suitable. A Caribbean resort platform can be configured for materials, plant, access, landing-stage or later hospitality use. Wind, waves, hurricane exposure, freeboard, stability, moorings and local approvals are checked for the specific site.
How is the platform delivered to a remote island?
The standard work platform packs into two closed 40 ft high-cube containers: one for the PE100 pipes and one for the machined timber kit. A trained local crew can bolt it together on site without welding the pipe hull.
Can the system become a floating pickleball court?
Yes. The module family can be configured as a full-size floating pickleball court or floating padel court, with the court surface, perimeter systems, access, lighting, freeboard and stability engineered for the site.
Can it support floating accommodation?
Yes. The platform can support non-powered floating accommodation such as the two-storey Nautilus Water Suites Escape Edition. Structure, loading, services, moorings and the approval route are developed for each location.
Does the pipe hull need painting or anodes?
No. PE100 does not corrode. Care is cleaning off marine growth and checking the pipe pressure gauges.
How is the timber frame protected?
The keruing frame is fully machined first, then ACQ pressure treated. It is not a creosote treatment. The completed timber can be left to silver, stained or finished with a compatible marine paint system, and treatment certificates are supplied with the kit.
What if a pipe is damaged?
Each pipe is sealed on its own, so damage floods only that compartment. The standard work platform remains afloat with one outer pipe flooded, and the pipe can be repaired or replaced.
Can the platform be lifted out of the water?
Yes. Lift points and landing blocks are built into the frame, so the pipes are never used as supports out of the water.
Which system is intended to be propelled?
The PE100 pipe system is deliberately non-propelled: a workboat pushes or tows it, and it holds position on spuds or moorings. The steel modular system is the route for a craft that needs its own propulsion and a rated powered hull. The applicable registration and certification are set for each jurisdiction and operating brief.
Where can it be used?
Calm and sheltered water: lakes, lagoons, marinas and resort shorelines. Exposed sites require a project-specific check.
Who approves it?
Requirements vary by country and use. We set out the engineering, registration and approval route for each project as part of the design.
A platform for the next project—and the one after it
Tell us what you want to put on the water.
Share the location, the load and the water conditions. We will come back with a platform layout, the containers it ships in and a budget.
Email hello@nautilus-innovation.com