Making Waves: The Architectural Brilliance of Float House by TiggColl Studio

There is an undeniable, romanticized allure to living on the water. The gentle sway, the tranquil surroundings, and the freedom of canal life are concepts we have always appreciated here at The Coolector. However, the harsh reality of traditional narrowboat living often involves cramped quarters, relentless damp, and frustrating maintenance.

London-based architectural practice TiggColl Studio has brilliantly subverted these aquatic compromises, delivering a spectacular new spin on the houseboat. Enter Float House, a bright, spacious, and meticulously engineered family home that completely redefines what it means to live on the water.

The catalyst for this remarkable floating residence was the specific needs of clients Phil and Narinda. Having resided in a private houseboat community on the Grand Union Canal in Ruislip, northwest London, since 2018, the couple and their two teenage children absolutely loved their waterside lifestyle.

Yet, as the children grew older, their traditional canal barge became increasingly uninhabitable. Plagued by damp, leaks, a solitary tiny bathroom, and a severe lack of storage, the walls were quite literally closing in. Furthermore, after Narinda was diagnosed with a health condition affecting her joints and daily mobility, navigating the steep, awkward steps of a standard barge was no longer a viable option. They needed a home that offered level access and uncompromising comfort, without having to abandon the community they loved.

To solve these complex challenges, TiggColl Studio collaborated closely with structural engineers Engenuiti and marine engineering specialists Marmus to conceptualize a genuinely innovative foundation. Rather than a traditional single hull, Float House sits atop a modular structure comprised of 10 interlocking steel hulls secured in place with a heavy-duty gantry.

This stroke of engineering genius means individual sections can be easily removed from the water for routine maintenance without having to dry-dock the entire home. Crucially, the design places the primary living spaces entirely above the water’s surface, rather than sunken below it.

This provides the family with essential step-free, level access directly from the mooring, elegantly solving the accessibility issues of their previous vessel.

Rising from this steel foundation is a beautiful, highly considered architectural volume. Restricted to a strict maximum length of 20 metres to fit the mooring, and a width of just four metres to allow neighbouring boats to navigate the narrow canal, space was at an absolute premium.

The architects framed the building using 20 glue-laminated pine portal frames, cladding the exterior in handsome, water-resistant horizontal Accoya wood slats that will weather brilliantly over time. To maximize the internal footprint within these strict parameters, TiggColl incorporated clever cantilevered window bays.

These subtle protrusions provide invaluable extra space for kitchen worktops and the children’s beds, delivering what the architects perfectly describe as “that all-important Shakespearean sense of elbow room.”

Inside, Float House is a masterclass in space-efficient, contemporary interior design. The layout effortlessly accommodates an airy open-plan living and dining space, three comfortable bedrooms, and the luxury of separate toilet and shower rooms.

The aesthetic is incredibly warm and inviting, defined by the rhythmic visual of the exposed pine portal frames overhead. This natural warmth is perfectly balanced by high-quality engineered oak flooring and the sleek, modern contrast of stealthy black kitchen cabinets.

It is a stunning triumph of bespoke design, proving that with enough imagination and engineering prowess, life on the water doesn’t have to mean compromising on modern luxury, accessibility, or spectacular style.

---