Houseboats Take Comfortable Living To The Open Waters

Living on a boat is a unique experience. It takes a special kind of person for that. As always, this option presents both advantages and disadvantages but we’ll get to those another time. Right now we want to show you a few interesting houseboats that we find inspiring for a variety of reasons. They’re each cool in their own way, whether the design is futuristic, traditional or rustic, adapted for full-time living or just for weekend getaways.

Floatwing.

Modular floating house
Floating house modular design

Portuguese company Friday has brought a lot of innovations in the field of technologically advanced nautical and water-related leisure devices and equipment and one of their most impressive creations is called Floatwing. It’s a floating house with a modular design that the company developed mainly for casual getaways. The dimensions can vary according to each client’s needs and the length of the structure can be extended in order to include up to three bedrooms. It can be shipped anywhere in the world. Find out more about the project from our full article found here.

River Kwai Resort.

X Float house
Island Shaped Floating Home Design concept

The Kamchanaburi region of Thailand is well-known for the popularity of floating houses and rafts on the Kwai Bridge river. To those a new design was added in 2015. It’s called X-Float and it’s a creation of Agaligo Studio. The floating structure is an addition to Project X2 River Kwai Resort. It has a modern design and its units were built off site and then towed there once completed. The X-Float units have lightweight steel frames and are cladded with fiber cement siding and plywood. Feel free to check out our article on this floating resort for more details.

Amstel river house.

Amstel river house
Amsterdam's river Amstel
Amsterdam's river Amstel living

The team at +31 Architects designed a really interesting project in Amsterdam. They came up with an ingenious concept for a floating house on the Amstel river. The unusual thing about it is the fact that half of the structure is submerged under water while the other half sits on the surface, opening out to the surroundings. The project is called Watervilla Weesperzjide. The floating house has sliding glass doors that open the living space and kitchen to a terrace and an overall modern and chic interior.

Copenhangen harbour floating house.

Danish boatbuilder Laust Nørgaard house boat

Some might argue that a houseboat is too small to be able to function as a permanent residence. Although that is true in some cases, creations like this 70 square meter structure prove the opposite. This houseboat was built by Laust Norgaard for his family and can be found in Copenhangen harbour. It has two bedrooms and a modern and stylish design.

Floating house with large windows.

Danish boatbuilder Laust Nørgaard porch house boat
Danish boatbuilder Laust Nørgaard small living room boat

This floating house was designed with a dark-stained wood exterior and with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that open the interior spaces to a small terrace and to the surroundings, offering expansive views of the water. The overall design was adapted to suit the inhabitants’ active lifestyle. Large windows and doors allow them to jump of and go swimming every morning.

Danish boatbuilder Laust Nørgaard kitchen area

Danish boatbuilder Laust Nørgaard black kitchen

A series of sliding shutters provide privacy when needed and also help control the amount of natural light entering the rooms. The kitchen, dining area and living space share an open floor plan and all the rooms are furnished with simple and modern pieces.

Water Villa

Water Villa by Framework Architects and Studio Prototype view

Some houseboats are even larger and more complex than that. A good example is the Water Villa designed by Framework Architects in collaboration with Studio Prototype in Amsterdam. This is a floating home which has three levels. One of them is situated below the water and houses the sleeping areas. The two other contain the living spaces and the work areas.

Water Villa by Framework Architects and Studio Prototype 1
Water Villa by Framework Architects and Studio Prototype 2

The three floors are connected by an inner patio. Its role is to bring natural light into the lower level but also to help with the organization of the spaces. Wooden shutters matching the facade of the structure provide shade and privacy when needed. The interior is open, spacious and decorated with a light color palette based on neutrals.

Airbnb floating house.

Airbnb floating house in London
Airbnb floating house in London view

As in the case of any other type of home, floating houses can be designed to look rustic, traditional, modern and even futuristic. So far we’ve seen a few really interesting houseboats which had modern and contemporary designs. Let’s now have a look at something a little big different. We’re talking about the floating house that Airbnb clients can rent in London.

Airbnb floating house in London colorful
Airbnb floating house in London interior

The structure is 8 meters tall and weighs 70 tonnes. It has two bedrooms, a living space, a bathroom and a small garden. It also contains a doghouse. The house floats along the Thames river and can be rented for community events and overnight stays. Its whole design is traditional, featuring a simple and cozy interior with a steering wheel in the kitchen.

Futuristic Floating Home

Futuristic Floating Home

Other designs such as the Trilobis 65 look like they’re taken from a sci-fi movie. This particular project was designed by Giancarlo Zema and can be used by up to six people. It’s a semi-submerged house with a very futuristic look. The main concept behind the project was to offer anyone the possibility to live in a unique environment and to enjoy a self-sufficient and non-polluting home.

Futuristic Floating Home interior

The house has a total of four floors connected by a spiral staircase situated at the center. It was designed to dock with ease alongside similar models. The first level is fully submerged and above it the driving deck and the social areas are located. The submerged level is smallest one of all and it offers extraordinary underwater views from the observation deck.

Island-Shaped Floating Home Design

Island-Shaped Floating Home Design

Another futuristic concept is that of the RE:Villa. Like the Trilobis, this is a concept waiting to become a prototype. It was designed by WHIM Architecture and the plan is to be built out of recycled plastic. The structure is shaped like an island and has a a floating dock for auxiliary vessels. The roof and terrace are covered by greenery.

Island-Shaped Floating Home Design corner
Island-Shaped Floating Home Design concept

The interior contains a shared social area, a private zone and service rooms. The design also includes a garden. The designers want to make this a self-sufficient structure able to use rainwater, although the other aspects of this concept are still unknown at this moment.