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This tautly designed houseboat, Watervilla De Omval, floats in the Amstel river of Amsterdam. The design has, unlike most floating houses, a very contemporary design without losing the characteristic appearance of the typical houseboat.



Living on the water gets more and more popular in Holland. The clients/ owners who come to the office of +31 Architects always love the typical charms and characteristics of living on the water but don’t like the standard “caravan” appearance of the existing houseboats. More and more people want to live on a contemporary houseboat that has been designed for their specific needs, the houseboat at De Omval is an obvious example of this wish.


above: livingroom detail and bathroom

above: fireplace in the livingroom

The clients wanted a boat with an open floor plan where they could enjoy the views to the water and the outdoor space to a maximum. The distinguished curved line of the facade directly derives from this desire and the restriction that the boat couldn’t be more than three meters above the water.




The living area and open kitchen are located on the waterfront, from here one has a panoramic view at the Amstel and you can enter the floating terrace.





Following on from the living area and kitchen the bedroom is located on a split level. The split level introduces an open route to the ground floor of the boat and, at the same time, makes it possible to create a terrace on the south side without exceeding the maximum building height.






To accentuate the round lines of the facade it is carried out in with shiny aluminum. The white plastered walls and ceilings follow the curve of the facade creating a seamless transition from the exterior to the interior.




Floor plans (click to enlarge for clarity):



+31ARCHITECTS was founded in 2005 by Jasper Suasso de Lima de Prado and Jorrit Houwert. They both graduated at the Technical University of Delft in 2001.

Location: Amsterdam
Architects: J. Suasso de Lima de Prado, J. Houwert
Area: 200m2
Building contractor: Ardesch/Dijkhuis groep
Photographers: Iwan Baan, Colin Morsch/ Gianni Basso

information and images©+31Architects