Many people dream of living in a house close to the water that would allow them to explore nature at a slow pace. A houseboat is an even better solution to escape from the world around you and dive into the world within. Usually moored close to a town, houseboats enable inhabitants to live a dream lifestyle, making them feel as if they are on holiday every day.
The Fàng Song is a floating home created by design firm Crossboundaries and features a clever space-saving layout inspired by tiny home design. It was commissioned by Marianne Friese, a Berlin, Germany-based client who wanted to own a flexible off-grid getaway.
What she’s got is a “tiny home on the water” that blends Eastern and Western design concepts, hence the Chinese name Fàng Song, which translates to “Relax!” The floating house, which has been completed in March 2022, is powered by a solar panel system and includes a series of interconnected, multipurpose areas.
When Marianne first saw the boat, she thought it resembled a bus floating on water and instantly fell in love with it, already envisioning it as the perfect getaway for family and friends, but also as a tiny abode for living and working in.
“Crossboundaries has re-designed a fully solar-powered motorboat with high-end, tiny-home characteristics that enable it to function as a slow-motion traveling nest,” the design firm explains. “The five-year-old boat caught Marianne’s eye [...] With enough space for up to two persons as well as guests, it had the potential to easily become a personal retreat for re-energizing and a cozy getaway to invite friends and family.”
Photo: Crossboundaries
The boat has a total length of around 50 feet (15 meters) and a width of 13 feet (4 meters). It offers 667 square feet (62 square meters) of livable space spread over one floor and also includes an outdoor terrace with seating. It was built in Germany and is currently moored in Stößensee, on the western outskirts of Berlin.
The interior of the houseboat has been arranged based on the “permeability” concept, which means rooms are open to a circulation space that allows permanent exterior views and offers access to fresh air.
Moreover, the floating motorhome features large windows throughout, which not only lets plenty of natural light get in, but also helps optimize ventilation inside. In terms of interior design, Crossboundaries went for a very bright and cheerful design with contrasting primary red and yellow tones. While the color palette might not be to everyone’s taste, it is meant to celebrate creativity, as is the entire highly customizable fitout.
Crossboundaries’ founder and architect Binke Lenhardt has said the project was the perfect opportunity for them to explore what micro-dwellings can become. “It allows for testing flexibility in micro-dwellings where each room assumes multiple programmatic roles. The appeal of water in this project is to explore the possibility of adapting, while challenging assumed and conventional norms,” he explained.
Photo: Crossboundaries
For the interior, they used durable materials such as rubber flooring from Noraplan and adaptable furniture pieces, like folding beds and tables, crafted from two types of plywood, lightweight poplar plywood and a stronger multiplex birch, both of which have been coated with high-pressure laminate.
The available floor space has been divided into a living room that also hides the sleeping space, a kitchen, a small office space, a bathroom, and a terrace. The living room occupies a large portion of the house and features a large sofa bed, shelving, and a fold-away work desk in front of a large window. The vibrant yellow sofa forms part of a larger unit that has multiple functions: divides the space, conceals the fold-away bed, and provides the owner with storage space.
Actually, the designers acknowledge that a challenging part of the design was finding storage solutions. And they needed storage space not only for the owner’s belongings, but also for the beds and mattresses when not in use. The adaptable furniture pieces were the solution, and they even used the floor to conceal ample storage spaces.
The interior lounge extends to an outside terrace featuring a comfortably-looking seating arrangement. This is the perfect place to enjoy a pleasant evening with friends and family surrounded by water.
The kitchen is simple and airy, follows the same color palette as the rest of the house, and is equipped with cabinets, a sink, an oven, a four-burner propane-powered stove, and a fridge. There is also a red dining table that can be folded away when not used.
With sliding floor-to-ceiling windows that open to the water, the bathroom is fully functional and features a full-size shower, a sink and vanity, and a toilet.
Photo: Crossboundaries
The houseboat’s control panel is placed in front of a large window and includes all the technical equipment necessary to put the boat in motion and operate it. Though the owner won’t be able to take her floating house on oceans for obvious reasons, Fàng Song can navigate lakes, rivers, and other inland waterways when the wheater allows it.
For additional sleeping space, there is also a fully hidden bed that, when flipped down, floats above the technical instruments, almost entirely concealing the control panel.
The capacity of the solar panels installed on the boat’s facade and rooftop is not disclosed, but the design team does mention that the floating tiny house can operate solely on solar power on sunny days and will cruise for about 31 miles (50 km) per day.
Though construction of Fàng Song has been finished relatively recently, the owner is already planning for the future and wants to upgrade her houseboat with a water purification system and a biological sewage treatment unit so that she can enjoy longer journeys on water.
After spending a few years as a copy editor, Ancuta decided to put down the eraser and pick up the writer's pencil. Her favorites subjects are unusual car designs, travel trailers and everything related to the great outdoors. Full profile
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