Floating House by Robert Nebolon

Sarah and Kimo Bertram from San Francisco never imagined they would one day live in a floating house. However, after spending almost three years looking for a home of their own and viewing countless properties, an advertisement offering moorings for houseboats caught Sarah's eye.
And so the Bertrams joined the houseboat community in Mission Creek, San Francisco.

The couple commissioned architect Robert Nebolon to help them realise their dream houseboat and, together with general contractor Bart Elmer, he created a floating loft. Inspired by the typical box shape of the wheelhouse of a derrick in the dock, the houseboat resembles a two-storey box that protects its occupants against wind and water. Paying homage to the shipyards and industrial buildings, the houseboat has a saw-toothed roof and tall metal casement windows offering expansive views of the sea. Even the colour chosen for the front door and the circular staircase inside was deliberate: it is "International Orange", the same colour as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

From outside, the 2,100-square-metre floating house impresses with its blue-white facade. The interior is open, light and modern. The black metal frame of the windows contrasts beautifully with warm larch wood. In the bathroom, too, where the Vero double washbasin by Duravit offers lots of space for the daily routine – whether on the high seas or in the harbour at Mission Creek.