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Houzz Tour: Industrial Floating Home in Seattle
A Seattle couple downsizes to a dreamy floating house on Lake Union, with a putting green, local artwork and an industrial aesthetic
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
If you're going to downsize, you may as well do it with flair. When a Seattle couple who loved to boat to the nearby San Juan Islands decided to cut their primary living space in half, they chose the romantic dream of living on Lake Union in Seattle. After finding a slip they met with architect Dan Nelson. "I'm very hands-on when I meet with clients; we sat down together and I immediately started sketching concepts while they told me what they wanted," Nelson says.
One thing the couple wanted was a home with unique character. The city waterfront's gritty industrial history inspired the design. "A lot of the floating homes in Seattle are Craftsmans plopped on a platform," he says. "The clients wanted their home to have unique character, and I was drawn to the wharfy industrial warehouse aesthetic."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who loves to go boating
Location: Seattle
Size: 2,174 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms
That's interesting: Construction is not allowed in the residential slip area, so the home was built in an industrial shipyard area, then floated over.
One thing the couple wanted was a home with unique character. The city waterfront's gritty industrial history inspired the design. "A lot of the floating homes in Seattle are Craftsmans plopped on a platform," he says. "The clients wanted their home to have unique character, and I was drawn to the wharfy industrial warehouse aesthetic."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who loves to go boating
Location: Seattle
Size: 2,174 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms
That's interesting: Construction is not allowed in the residential slip area, so the home was built in an industrial shipyard area, then floated over.
One of the big challenges of building a floating house is the size constraints. The home is limited by the size of the float and a height restriction, in this case 22 feet. These constraints, along with the industrial history, inspired a boxy design. "It's a storage crate aesthetic," describes Nelson. The homeowner calls this place "The Floating Cannery."
The owners are also able to pull their Cobalt boat right up to the house, making it easy to hop in and head for the San Juan Islands.
The owners are also able to pull their Cobalt boat right up to the house, making it easy to hop in and head for the San Juan Islands.
Nelson had the float made in Vancouver by a barge manufacturer. He designed the house and sent specs to the manufacturer, which engineered a float that could handle the size and weight of the house and its contents. Such floats are made of foam and rebar encased in concrete. After the float was complete, it was shipped by barge down to Seattle.
Materials used on the exterior of the home include rot-resistant western red cedar, board and batten siding and Trespa panels. "Originally we looked at rusted steel, but the owner wanted a more finished look, so we went with the Trespa," explains Nelson. Trespa is a very durable composite material.
Materials used on the exterior of the home include rot-resistant western red cedar, board and batten siding and Trespa panels. "Originally we looked at rusted steel, but the owner wanted a more finished look, so we went with the Trespa," explains Nelson. Trespa is a very durable composite material.
Painted steel railings lead to the front door, which is covered in sheets of copper. "We added portholes throughout, which added a nautical theme," says Nelson. The Trespa panels surrounding the door have rich color variations that mimic the look of Cor-Ten steel and copper.
The home was also built with energy efficiency in mind. A rain screen system prevents rot often caused by building such a tight envelope. The heat pump system is the most efficient one you can buy, and the home is superinsulated and has a very small footprint. In fact, can you even call it a footprint when it's on a float? Discuss amongst yourselves, or in the Comments section.
The home was also built with energy efficiency in mind. A rain screen system prevents rot often caused by building such a tight envelope. The heat pump system is the most efficient one you can buy, and the home is superinsulated and has a very small footprint. In fact, can you even call it a footprint when it's on a float? Discuss amongst yourselves, or in the Comments section.
| Inside, the main living space has two large aluminum windows that open like garage doors. Friends kayak right up to the doors when they stop by for visits. "My clients can watch the fireworks on the Fourth of July right out the doors; they set them off from a barge in the lake," says Nelson. |
| The kitchen's glass tile backsplash and zebra wood cabinets add high design to the industrial look. The first level has concrete floors throughout. |
Dark glass tiles cover the powder room walls.
| Beneath the portholes is a tucked-away study area. Nelson took cues from yacht design, which incorporates lots of built-ins and clever storage solutions. |
The couple loves to collect art, particularly from local artists. Nelson set the house up to best feature their collection.
The upstairs hallway has a skylight to let in the natural light without damaging the artwork with direct sunlight, and a series of LED lights shine on the paintings.
The interior railings, like the outdoor ones, are steel but have a more refined mill-finished design.
| A cozy guest room's built-ins hold lots of books and collected objects. The textures soften the industrial aesthetic. |
Clear glass shower doors always make a tight bathroom space feel larger, as in the guest bath.
| The master bath takes the industrial aesthetic up a few glamorous notches. |
A spiral staircase leads from the first floor to the roof deck. Putting it on the exterior meant they didn't lose any second-floor space to another staircase.
Half of the roof deck contains this golf green; the other half is a spot for lounging. "With a lack of new slips in town, building a new float house was a unique opportunity," says Nelson. "It really is a romantic Seattle dream."
Modern Houseboat in Vancouver, B.C.
Laboratory House Bridges Old, New
Modern Houseboat in Vancouver, B.C.
Laboratory House Bridges Old, New
Ideabook published on June 11, 2012.
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Such an amazing house, would just love to spend at least one day in such a gorgeous house.
Are there more houses like this one in Seattle, if so, please feature them too.
leigh, I would think "them's the breaks" when you dont' buy the slip on the end; I would think you'd have to know another float full of house was coming someday. They did stay within all of the given restrictions (size, height especially) of the floating neighborhood.