Favorites

Before: A 1955 addition, denoted by the carpet, boxed in the original bay window.

In traditional Japanese architecture, spaces are divided into "tsubos," a Japanese unit of floor area that’s the equivalent to approximately 35.58 square feet.

All of the floating houses were towed to their moorings from multiple building sites over the last two years.

"For most of us, this is the first home we’ve owned and the first house we built ourselves. These are all floating homes, with specific requirements for materials. It wasn’t easy,” explains resident Wouter Valkenier.

The houses have three sets of water pipes that all run under the “smart piers.” The central clean water supply enters the house and is pumped up to the roof, where it is preheated in solar collectors. Drinking water is pumped down to an underwater heat exchanger in the channel outside. Recovered heat is used back inside the homes. The “black” water from the toilets goes directly out to the sewer, but water used in washing machines and dishwashers (“gray” water) also circulates through the heat exchanger. The shower water is upcycled—filtered, disinfected with ultraviolet light, and reused.

The garage highlights the Lubkes’ structural engineering expertise with a 13-foot concrete wall built by Dolan Construction.

The living room once had low ceilings, but moving the insulation to the roof plane allowed for dramatic plays of volume and light.

The site is located in Fairfax, California, at the end of a dead-end street. Set in a forest with views to the north, its natural surroundings provide a peaceful retreat from daily life. The steep hillside and narrow driveway made access for construction challenging, and the number of vehicles on site had to be restricted.

Out of the Valley designs and manufactures freestanding, outdoor saunas that are separate from the main house. “You can have these spaces in the garden in either rural or urban spaces, or in a woodland so you can walk out to it as part of the experience,” says McKelvie. “Cold water swimming is becoming much more popular and many of our clients want waterside saunas to take that experience to the next level.” The Quarry Sauna is a bespoke sauna built on the shores of a lake.

Rear garden with new terrace and stair

Floor Plan of Composition House by Studio Prineas