This one goes way back in our history. We initially met when we worked as boatbuilders in a well known shipyard in northern Germany. Since then, boats and especially houseboats, played an important and distinguished role in our lives. Christian lived on a number of different boats and the dream of a location independent way of life stuck to us ever since. In our graduation project, we combined our design and craftsmen skills and set out for an evolution of the current status quo in the houseboat industry. We came up with a fully self contained concept and a contemporary method to produce it. We are convinced that this concept is the first in Europe that actually meets the requirements of both house and boat.
Onboard freshwater production? Check!
Onboard sewage treatment? Check!
Solar energy? Check!
Geothermal heating? Check!
Electric propulsion? Check!
The exterior is dominated by the look and feel of raw marine grade aluminum. It’s maintenance free, corrosion resistant, and overall durable so once the boat is in the water it can stay afloat. Even during winter, the hull is strong enough to withstand light ice on the lake. With a very shallow draft of 0.6m, the houseboat can reach those remote spots that regular powerboats just won’t reach.
The interior of this concept is, of course, adaptable to the individual owners’ needs. That being said, we have our own opinions about the ideal layout. We both lived in various small spaces – a fishing cutter, a catamaran, a dutch flatbottom ship, and various rolling homes. So from our first hand experience we came up with this layout, which combines open floor living with just the right amount of multi-functionality. For example, the bathroom can almost double its size by using the hallway; same goes for the dressing room on the portside. The living-room stretches out onto the aft deck from where you can directly jump into the water. How neat!
This concept is the result of our bachelor thesis in spring 2018. We documented the whole process and made a book. Feel free to flick through some selected pages!