tepid water

This new floating home is located on Lake Union, in the heart of the Seattle. The clients requested a contemporary home which would provide the spaces required for comfortable living and gracious entertaining. Due to the limited allowable footprint and the desire of the owner to maximize both interior living and outdoor entertaining spaces, the plan flips the typical residential model by locating public spaces on the upper level and private spaces on the entry level. The design promotes flexibility of use and affords maximum exposure to views and light for the living areas.

Lake Union Floating Home's various decks are recessed into the volume and changes in materials and surfaces provide differentiated interior uses. In bedrooms, the placement of glazed doors and windows was carefully considered to maximize views, to accentuate visual connections to the neighbouring floating home community, and to provide natural light. Vandeventer + Carlander Architects have chosen exterior materials for their aesthetic qualities and low maintenance. Aluminium panels cladding the entry level bathrooms complement the storefront windows on that floor. The upper level features rain screen cladding with fibre cement panels. These integrally coloured panels complement the lighter toned Alaskan yellow cedar framed windows. The exterior composition is a direct reflection of internal uses.