The recent flooding across the UK has seen hundreds of householders desperately trying to prevent water from entering their houses.

Most use the centuries-old approach of piling heavy sandbags at their doors and windows.

But what if your house was buoyant - rising at the same level as the surrounding water?

Earlier this year, Baca Architects was granted permission to build Britain's first amphibious house by the banks of the River Thames in Buckinghamshire - one that rests on land, but in the event of a flood rises with the water.

The Environment Agency is interested in the idea of such floating homes, says the agency's flood risk engineer Tony Andryszewski who often works at a flood test centre, set up to investigate new technologies for flood prevention and control.

The agency is keen on seeing how other countries approach the problem, he says, especially in the Netherlands.

The Dutch are widely acknowledged as having the best flood management technologies in the world.

I'd hate to think what the maintainance cost are.

It’s that or building them on stalks. You don’t see George Jetson with a bucket and a pile of sandbags, do you?