Schwimmhaus: The Sustainable Modern HouseBoat
by Alexandra Kain
The Schwimmhaus by German architects Confused-Direction is a green hausboot (oops, house boat) designed to float around or just stay put on the shore. Its modern pre-fab aesthetic sets it aside from most maritime-y houseboats, and a green roof adds freshness and sustainable cred. Still under construction, Schwimmhaus is being built from wood salvaged from an old farm house in addition to other sustainable building materials.
Based in Oldenburg, just a boat’s float up the Hunte River to the North Sea, Confused-Direction is a young design co-op founded by Flo Florian and Sascha Akkermann. With backgrounds in technical design and carpentry, respectively, Confused-Direction dabbles in furniture, interior and architectural design. You may remember Sascha’s fold-up chaise lounge, the poissonmobile from 2006.
The Schwimmhaus is set for completion this spring. No word yet on whether they’re planning on making the hausboot commercially available but I can imagine a waiting list in eco-conscious houseboat-friendly cities like Seattle or Portland. It’s inspiring to see designers take on alternative dwellings - if we can’t significantly reduce the melting of our icecaps and glaciers, we may all be living afloat someday.
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I agree with most of Ms. Kain’s comments. However, there is not likely to be much of a market, and certainly not any waiting list in Portland or Seattle, or any other city in the US. The problem is that all US waters that can accommodate floating homes are governmentally-owned and essentially every possible berth that might be available is already owned and occupied. NO more berths are being created, and in fact, in most jurisdictions, governmental agencies want living on the water in a permanent dwelling to be abated. This has already happened in most of the country. The view is that living on the water should not be allowed, because the waters belong to ALL the people, and when people live on them, they are restricting their use for recreation by the general public. Very sad.
And, a point of definition. The Schwimmhaus is, by accepted definition, a “Floating Home” not a “houseboat.” Houseboats are recreational, self-propelled vessels. Floating Homes are permanently berthed dwellings.
Just thought you might want to know.
Stan Barbarich