Live Your Dream Ultramodern Life in This Amsterdam Houseboat
Living rooms, kitchens and other common areas benefit from views, demand less by way of privacy and are thus set on the surface. But below the surf sit bathrooms and bedrooms, enclosed by the cool dark water all around. This Amsterdam houseboat is the Watervilla Omval, an ultramodern dream with more space than you’d think looking at the top level.
A wrapping aluminum-clad exterior rounds up into a rooftop deck to create additional outdoor space without compromising the small site footprint, curvilinear form or violating the building rules for height (limiting the above-water portion to just 3 meters tall).
Derived from (and driving) the form is a looping solid that forms the floors, ceiling and short sides of the home (blocking out neighbors, too), but which leaves windows on the important mainland and seaside facades.
This modern-but-site-specific dutch houseboat was designed by Plus31, and even in the packed residential waterways of Amsterdam it will definitely stand out from the crowd.
More from the architects
“Living on the water gets more and more popular in Holland. The clients/ owners who came to our office always love the typical charms and characteristics of living on the water but did’t like the standard “caravan” appearance of the existing houseboats. More and more people want to live on a contemporary houseboat that has been designed for their specific needs, the houseboat at De Omval is an obvious example of this wish.”
“The clients wanted a boat with an open floor plan where they could enjoy the views to the water and the outdoor space to a maximum. The distinguished curved line of the facade directly derives from this desire and the restriction that the boat couldn’t be more than three meters above the water.”
“The living area and open kitchen are located on the waterfront, from here one has a panoramic view at the Amstel and you can enter the floating terrace. Following on from the living area and kitchen the bedroom is located on a split level. The split level introduces an open route to the ground floor of the boat and, at the same time, makes it possible to create a terrace on the south side without exceeding the maximum building height.”
