Floating Barn is a lakeside residence designed for long Latvian summers. The two-story house features living spaces, a bathroom and a small deck on the first floor, and a sleeping area is located on the second floor. By using one material for both walls and roofs, a homogenous look is achieved. The pontoon base of the house features storage tanks for clean water, filtered graywater and fuel.
The plans call for the use one kind of wooden material for both the walls and roofs, giving the finished house a modern, homogenous look, as if the entire structure was cut from one block.
On the deck side, the side wall is made of glass to provide views of the water and to let in natural light. The overhanging roof also provides shade for the long summer nights of Northern Europe.
For inspiration we looked at old fishing shacks that used to line the riverbanks in the Baltic Sea port of Pavilosta, Latvia. Rather than building on the land directly, however, the modern buildings would be tied to piers on the water. This would allow the homes to be easily towed to other docks, if needed, or grouped together in a floating community.
Architects
Design Team
Uldis Lukševics, Linda Leitāne-ŠmīdbergaArea
80.0 sqmProject Year
2012Photographs
Courtesy of NRJAProject Year
2012Photographs
NRJAArea
80.0 m2