NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • Herald NOW
    • All Herald NOW
    • Ryan Bridge TODAY
    • Herald NOW Business
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Herald NOW Business
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • Generate wealth weekly
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Gisborne
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Business

UFO boat: The home of the future?

Mark McConville of Caters
Other·
3 Dec, 2016 01:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Could this UFO-shaped house boat be the home of the future if sea levels continue to rise? Photo / Pierpaolo Lazzarini /Media Drum World/Caters News

Could this UFO-shaped house boat be the home of the future if sea levels continue to rise? Photo / Pierpaolo Lazzarini /Media Drum World/Caters News

Could this $1.5 million UFO-shaped house boat that inventors insist will one-day fly be the home of the future if sea levels continue to rise?

Like something from a sci-fi movie, the stunning concept design pictures show the sleek floating villa with room for up to one hundred people to party on the sea.

Other pictures illustrate the spacious kitchen and bedroom with the house boat slated to include three floors.

Up to 100 people can party on the sea on the UFO-shaped boat. Photo / Pierpaolo Lazzarini /Media Drum World/Caters News
Up to 100 people can party on the sea on the UFO-shaped boat. Photo / Pierpaolo Lazzarini /Media Drum World/Caters News

The UFO 2.0 is the work of Italian automotive and yacht designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini (34) from Rome.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"People are worried about the sea worthiness, but in reality, there is not kind of risk compared to other similar sized boats we are used to sailing with," he said.

"The possibilities of usage and layouts are unlimited for this proposed model. The UFO 2.0 can be used for several purposes including hotel reception, gym or a floating restaurant.

"Furthermore, the external deck can be customised into garden platforms and teak can be installed instead of panels."

A Kickstarter campaign is due to begin in the next few weeks to fund the project, with a total of one million Euros earmarked for the construction of the first prototype.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
The house boat has three floors for living in. Photo / Pierpaolo Lazzarini /Media Drum World/Caters News
The house boat has three floors for living in. Photo / Pierpaolo Lazzarini /Media Drum World/Caters News

UFO 2.0 will be composed of a central shell divided into three different levels: the main living area (80 sq m) with kitchen, storage and bathroom; the sub level (50 sq m) with a seabed view bedroom and large bathroom with a 50 sq.m terrace as an upper deck/floor to control the vehicle.

"The floating villa is equipped with 2 x 80 hp electric engines that are able to move the floating structure with an estimated maximum speed of nine knots," said Mr Lazzarini.

"Inside the disk, we have lot of storage space, and is possible to set up sixteen batteries which with solar panels and wind/water turbine will provide an unlimited autonomy to the floating UFO 2.0."

The UFO 2.0 will have to be delivered by helicopter due to its enormous size.

The bedroom on the lowest floor has a view of the seabed. Photo / Pierpaolo Lazzarini /Media Drum World/Caters News
The bedroom on the lowest floor has a view of the seabed. Photo / Pierpaolo Lazzarini /Media Drum World/Caters News

"Being 20 metres in diameter the only way to transport the structure to the delivery place will be the delivery by military cargo helicopters," said Mr Lazzarini.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"This UFO will also fly and the first delivery is expected in 2018."

Investors say the boat will be able to fly, too. Photo / Pierpaolo Lazzarini /Media Drum World/Caters News
Investors say the boat will be able to fly, too. Photo / Pierpaolo Lazzarini /Media Drum World/Caters News
Save
    Share this article

Latest from Business

Premium
Personal Finance

Relationship property: Why an outdated law helped fuel a $6m legal bill

16 Apr 03:00 AM
Premium
Business

That meeting you hate may keep AI from stealing your job

16 Apr 01:34 AM
Premium
Companies

Three Ray White real estate agencies in liquidation, owing $5.3m

16 Apr 01:00 AM

Sponsored

Cyber incident recovery out of step

15 Apr 02:43 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
Premium
Relationship property: Why an outdated law helped fuel a $6m legal bill
Personal Finance

Relationship property: Why an outdated law helped fuel a $6m legal bill

Incoming Law Commission president Judith Collins will inherit a backlog of law reform.

16 Apr 03:00 AM
Premium
Premium
That meeting you hate may keep AI from stealing your job
Business

That meeting you hate may keep AI from stealing your job

16 Apr 01:34 AM
Premium
Premium
Three Ray White real estate agencies in liquidation, owing $5.3m
Companies

Three Ray White real estate agencies in liquidation, owing $5.3m

16 Apr 01:00 AM


Cyber incident recovery out of step
Sponsored

Cyber incident recovery out of step

15 Apr 02:43 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP