Archinect - News

Cairo’s historic Nile river houseboats are about to be a thing of the past

2022-07-15T14:55:00-04:00

Colourful houseboats anchored along the Nile have been fixtures of Cairo since the 1800s. Last month the government ordered their removal, saying the boats were unsafe and lacked permits—no surprise, since it stopped renewing the permits two years ago. It has recently begun towing them away. Officials are coy about their plans for the riverbank. If the past is any guide, the boats will be replaced by restaurants and cafés, their lush gardens buried under concrete.

As the New York Times pointed out recently, the houseboats carry quite a bit of cultural significance as the site where Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz wrote his seminal 1966 novel Adrift on the Nile and several other classic tomes. Egypt is pursuing an aggressive redevelopment of its ancient capital propelled by private development and plagued by a reliance on materials like concrete that have claimed whole neighborhoods and even a historic watchmaker’s shop in recent years.

Seattle houseboat gets a second life on land

2021-08-11T09:01:00-04:00

A historic houseboat in Seattle’s Madison Park neighborhood is getting new life thanks to a 3-year renovation project from local firm Best Practice.

The firm’s effort expanded the houseboat’s original 1,200-square-foot footprint with an 800-square-foot black metal facade addition that will help an area couple find a more comfortable fit for their growing young family.

Per the architect: “This residence began its life as a floating home on Lake Union! It was transported and firmly affixed to the ground near the shore of Lake Washington, but we still like to think of it as a Boathouse. With a charming street presence, the design team crafted an open interior space with vaulted ceilings, new basement living spaces and a primary suite upstairs in the new addition.”

Best practice turned the existing bedroom into a whimsical space for the couple’s daughter. An open floor plan replaces the clutter of the previous layout and features a vaulted stained cedar ceili...

Two young architects convert a lifeboat for an Arctic adventure

2020-05-19T16:38:00-04:00

Their design featured two double cabins, bunk beds for guests, a sitting area, chart table, kitchen, composting toilet and a shower. A wood-burning stove would provide some Scandinavian hygge on those chilly arctic nights...Small wind turbines were fitted and the roof was covered with solar panels...The original tarpaulin was replaced with curved windows while the rear superstructure of the boat was cut away, making way for a new plywood and fibreglass cockpit.

Calum Watson profiles two young architects who bought a retired Scottish lifeboat, converted it and set off on a 5,000km (3,100 miles) journey to Norway and beyond.

Clansman Lifeboat No.1 after conversion and upgrade | photo by DavidSchnabel

h/t @ c.c. o'hanlon

Airbnb celebrates London's Deregulation Act with floating house on River Thames

2015-05-18T20:39:00-04:00

Airbnb is sailing a full-size floating house along the Thames this week to celebrate new rules to support home sharing in London. The publicity stunt follows the passing of the Deregulation Act last month, which means Londoners are now free to rent their homes for up to 90 days a year without risk of fines or having to secure planning permission before doing so.

For more information and your chance to stay in the floating house click here.