Powered by solar panels and sustained by a half-acre plot of farmland, these 12 connected buoyant platforms together form an autonomous off-the-grid dwelling for the couple that built the complex over the course of more than 20 years.

Located off the coast of Vancouver Island in Canada, Freedom Cove, as it is called, has everything one could wish from a dream home including pools, beaches, gardens, greenhouses, galleries, towers, workshops and guest rooms

Its creators, artists Wayne Adams and Catherine King, spend their time painting, writing, carving and making music as well as entertaining guests – visitors are welcome in the summer, but can only reach this remote location by chartering special boat taxis.

Like the science-fictional floating city of Armada in China Mieville’s novel The Scar, each piece is tied together and seems to have been accrued almost organically over time.

Living off the land (and water), the couple fishes for food off the sides of the platforms and grow their own vegetables and fruits in a half-acre farm area above. An array of solar panels provides energy with generators used for backup.

“A retired ballerina, Catherine maintains these floating gardens while Wayne’s incredible sculptural talents support them. The gardens host frequent visits from whale and bear watching groups in the area. Guests leave with a candle casted from the moulds of various sculptures. They live on a very meagre annual income. “