Houseboat on the Eilbekkanal

Hamburg, Germany

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Houseboat on the Eilbekkanal

Hamburg, Germany

Firm

martinoff architekten

Type

Residential › Private House

YEAR

2010

The concept of the house boat derives from the particular conditions given by the location of the Eilbekkanal. The lower deck, which is the main floor, is positioned directly above the water surface and forms a closed back against the high embankment wall while opening up towards the water on three sides. The upper floor follows the direction of the Canal and opens on to a generous outer deck while providing a distinct amount of transparency in cross direction at the same time. This leads to a meandering shape in which floors, walls and ceilings are expressed in the same way.

The access to the house boat is provided by a little footbridge which leads from the bank to the upper deck. Upper and lower floor are connected by an internal staircase. The room layout follows the overall concept. Living spaces on the main floor claim the orientation towards the water with circulation areas organized in the rear parallel to the bank of the canal. A continuous veranda deck is positioned on the waterside along the entire length of the living rooms. Sliding façade elements allow the living space to extend on to the veranda. The upper floor accommodates the kitchen and dining area with access to the outer deck as well as ancillary rooms. A separate pontoon provides a terrace for the living areas on the lower deck and can be accessed over the veranda.

The construction consists of a maintenance-free reinforced concrete pontoon and a lightweight timberframe structure. The highly insulated facades are cladded with larch sheeting.