Collection by Andrea Smith

Modern Floating Homes and Houseboats

Smooth sailing meets sophisticated design at these aquatic abodes.

Kayaks and windsurfing equipment are stored in the main cedar-clad volume.
Kayaks and windsurfing equipment are stored in the main cedar-clad volume.
View of the boathouse from the lake.
View of the boathouse from the lake.
Cedar slats help this Ontario lake house float soundly atop still waters. Photo by: Raimund Koch
Cedar slats help this Ontario lake house float soundly atop still waters. Photo by: Raimund Koch
The floor-to-ceiling windows at either end of a Seattle boathouse allow light to stream through the entire 1,000-square-foot space.
The floor-to-ceiling windows at either end of a Seattle boathouse allow light to stream through the entire 1,000-square-foot space.
The couple plan to add a kitchen garden to the platform just below the terrace that connects to the kitchen.
The couple plan to add a kitchen garden to the platform just below the terrace that connects to the kitchen.
A wooden patio wraps around three-fourths of the house boat. The living room cushions can be removed and used on the deck. A ladder dips into the water for swimming in the summer.
A wooden patio wraps around three-fourths of the house boat. The living room cushions can be removed and used on the deck. A ladder dips into the water for swimming in the summer.
"Generally floating houses are very expensive, and very ugly," Capdevila says. "I wanted to build a floating house that was affordable, easy to build, secure, and very well designed."
"Generally floating houses are very expensive, and very ugly," Capdevila says. "I wanted to build a floating house that was affordable, easy to build, secure, and very well designed."
A C-Frame catamaran currently docked in Prague’s Holesovice neighborhood, Port X is a buoyant dwelling for modular, modern living. Prague’s Atelier SAD finished the concept last fall, collaborating with a company that develops sailing boats to fabricate its curved exterior.
A C-Frame catamaran currently docked in Prague’s Holesovice neighborhood, Port X is a buoyant dwelling for modular, modern living. Prague’s Atelier SAD finished the concept last fall, collaborating with a company that develops sailing boats to fabricate its curved exterior.