newitalianblood

This floating steel house is situated at the very centre of sixteen’s century Amsterdam, flanked by the monumental herenhuizen on the Prinsengracht. As local regulations require that floating houses should retain a “maritime character”, this house is based on a simple (dekschuit) traditional boat model. As maritime design frequently inspired architects in the past, it was a delightful challenge to design this small and compact house. Technically too it is a combination of boat building and contemporary housing technologies. One of the most profound examples of this combination is the use of porthole windows inserted into a double glazed fixed window. The structure is made of steel profiles with a continues 4 mm steel skin welded on the outside. Insulation is glued to the steel skin on the inside, followed by a humidity screen and stucco.