A Dutch architect named Koen Olthuis has upped the houseboat game by creating zero-emission living quarters and boats, according to Inhabitat. His firm, Waterstudio, paired with Arkup to make luxury living out on the sea sustainable. As they put it, they are creating a “unique avant-garde concept of life on the water.”
First of #Waterstudio‘ s #TinyFloats delivered at Andijk in Holland. This mini floating villa has all functions and a tiny boat house ! pic.twitter.com/eGiZIjQVFg
— koen olthuis (@koenolthuis) August 27, 2017
Arkup’s background is building luxury yachts which are fully solar-powered and sustainable. Though houseboat living isn’t new, pairing that lifestyle with consideration for the environment and comfort, brings new opportunities. Olthuis brings his experience with exploring “living, working and recreational space on water.” Through their combined effort, they’ve created a house with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms and a hydraulic system to power you from marina to marina whenever you get bored.
They’re off the grid and feature their own waste management systems for all those bathrooms, plus mechanics for harvesting rainwater purifying it.
The 4,350-square-foot homes have their own self-elevating systems, which means that when there’s a flood or hurricane, they monitor their own level and raise themselves if necessary.
The entire home is stabilized by 40-foot-long hydraulic legs, which is also what lifts them out of the water, and you can look out onto the terrace through shock-resistant glass panels.
Safe, luxurious, and gorgeous. Now we just need a high rise version.
