The Floating Temple

Cambodia is known for its ancient temples and monsoon climate, but seasonal flooding continues to displace communities and damage infrastructure across the country.

As an architecture student interested in climate-responsive design, I created a floating pavilion inspired by Khmer temples like Angkor Wat. The structure uses modular platforms and tensile sails to provide fast, mobile shelter during floods, while also serving as a symbolic beacon of safety grounded in cultural identity.

1. Revit (used for initial ideation)
2. Sketchup (used for 3D modelling details)
3. Adobe Illustrator (for image editing, vector drawing, and layouts)
4. D5 (for model rendering)

Flooding is a regular and devastating issue in Cambodia. The Mekong River regularly overflows during monsoon season, and climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of these events. Many rural areas lack access to permanent flood infrastructure or safe evacuation zones, leaving families vulnerable. While temporary shelters are sometimes used, they are often poorly ventilated, culturally generic, or take too long to deploy.

There is a need for flexible architecture that can move with water, be easily assembled, and feel like a part of the community, not just an emergency solution.

Designed to be quickly assembled with minimal tools or technical knowledge, a raft provides a stable floating foundation that can be deployed during emergencies when time and access to resources are limited.

Because it’s modular, the raft can scale up or down depending on the size of the group it needs to support. It can be towed or anchored in flood zones, allowing families or aid workers to create temporary shelters in areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. Its simplicity makes it useful not just for architects or builders, but for anyone seeking immediate relief during severe flooding.

The idea for this design began while studying the form of Angkor Wat and other Khmer temples. I was drawn to how the structures rise in stepped layers and center around vertical spires, which give a sense of both stability and aspiration. I wanted to reinterpret that silhouette in a way that could float—something light, open, and quickly deployable, but still symbolically grounded.

The final concept uses modular platforms that can be towed by boat and connected in clusters, allowing flexibility depending on the size of the community. The structure is topped by a canopy of tensile sails that resemble the layered forms of Khmer towers. These sails can open or close depending on the weather—offering shade from sun, protection from rain, and a sense of ceremony.

The floating base is built from modular wood frames that connect together like tiles. Under each panel, sealed plastic barrels are strapped in to provide buoyancy, which are attached using standard ratchet straps and metal brackets. This not only helps speed up assembly, but also can ease transportation costs.

The upper portion of the pavilion is constructed from tensile sail cloth stretched over a lightweight timber frame. The sails form pyramidal and stepped shapes, evoking the silhouette of Angkor Wat’s towers.

I included secondary corner sails for visual richness and rain protection. The sails are clipped to key wooden joints and tensioned using cords and eyelets. This system is low-tech but reliable, and easy to tighten or replace in the field.

Inside the pavilion:

1. Wooden benches run along the inner edges for sitting or sleeping.
2. Each bench contains hidden storage compartments for cushions, blankets, and safety supplies.
3. A central lantern hangs from the peak of the structure to provide light at night and act as a beacon during storms. This lantern is also symbolic, inspired by temple fires and guiding stars.

The result is a structure that looks monumental from afar but can be folded and stored compactly.