Floating home

Floating home by i29 architects is part of Schoonschip, a floating village of 46 households that aims to be Europe’s most sustainable floating community. Based on an urban plan commissioned by CPO Schoonschip, more than 100 residents moved into a revitalized canal and settled on the water. The site is self-sufficient in energy, uses circular building practices and serves as a model for sustainable living.

Within the given boundaries of each waterfront plot, each home is unique in architecture and interior design. All residents chose their own architect. The client challenged us to maximize the space within the boundaries of the plot passport. The floating house has a diagonally tilted pitched roof. In the floor plan, this results in an optimization of usable space and a beautiful terrace, but it also gives the house its characteristic architectural form.

The floating home is characterized by a dynamic variety of spaces both inside and outside. All spaces are open to the three-story atrium. The layout provides a split-level connection to a loggia terrace just above the water level. Moving through the house, different perspectives and views appear each time. The upper floor living area has an adjacent semi-enclosed terrace.

With simple but clever interventions, this project was completed within a tight budget. Much effort has gone into creating a strong architectural gesture that also has a smart and spacious interior. Moreover, the floating home is extremely energy efficient, environmentally friendly and built with a small footprint. The floating village has its own smart grid to which all homes are connected to share energy.