When architect Julius Taminiau and his girlfriend needed more space for their growing family, they left their tiny Amsterdam flat and bought what was the best deal in town at the time, an old houseboat in a floating community. They decided to sell the boat (for 1 euro) to make way for their dream houseboat.

To achieve two full floors within the five-meter height limit set by the docks, Taminiau built the lower rooms partially-submerged. With a nod to Japanese design, Taminiau relied on the proportions of a tatami mat to layout the rooms, paying attention to weight distribution so the home would afloat. The boat was built 100 kilometers away (on water) and sailed to its moorings.

Nearly one half of the home is devoted to Taminiau’s office and an independent studio complete with kitchen, bathroom, and self-crafted transforming couch bed that can be rented out for extra income. The middle of the boat is dedicated to kids’ bedrooms and toilets and the remaining side houses the parents’ bedroom and the kitchen and living room above it.

The floating community where the family is moored is very dense and Taminiau thinks it could be a solution for growing cities to add housing stock. He likes being close to his neighbors and says it’s a real “floating village”.