I have been working off an old ship moored in the River Thames for six months now. It is part of an experiment to see if I would really like to design and live on my own ship. Whilst designing it would certainly be fun, the jury is still out about actually living on the water.
The Homeboat designed by Don Sgarbossa and Richard Di Bartolo is the latter's fifth attempt at designing a house boat, each one being a development of the last. This one attempts to give the “house” part of the equation something of the cruiser aesthetic.
Incredibly the Homeboat has 147 square metres of space and can comfortably accommodate two couples and up to 12 guests. That is a pretty impressive party.
The boat itself is curiously shaped and is constructed as a steel frame with white fibreglass hull. It takes most of its power from an array of solar panels. Internally, there are the inevitable nautical touches to the design, but the most impressive attribute is the 360 degree view from the upper cabin. That space also serves as the kitchen, and main living area.
If I ever decide to build my own house boat such command of the views is one characteristic I would like to emulate.
Gratitude to Habitus living.
Gratitude to Habitus living.