Moored on the Grand Union Canal in Ruislip, north-west London, the Float House introduces a novel design approach to waterside living, combining a modular substructure with a demountable superstructure. The design is testament to how creative thinking and innovative technology can overcome constraints and meet a family’s needs for an accessible home on water. We hope it will become a prototype for creating enjoyable and sustainable living environments in difficult-to-reach canal, river or lake locations. 

TiggColl was approached to design a new bespoke home on the water to replace the client’s canal barge, which lacked the living space and accessibility requirements for a growing family with changing health needs. Vastly improved level access was central to the brief, as was having a home that sits above the water, unlike traditional canal barges. The previous barge’s internal floor level was below the water line, leading to cold and damp conditions. Crucially, the family wished to remain within a co-operative of 35 houseboats at a private residential mooring in this beautiful but confined location.

TiggColl collaborated closely with marine and structural engineers to develop a unique system of 10 interlocking steel hulls secured together by a gantry. Each section can be individually floated away from the gantry and lifted to the canal bank, making maintenance straightforward without the need for extensive infrastructure.

Paul Colfer, senior associate, TiggColl

 

Project data

Start on site June 2024
Completion May 2025
Gross internal floor area 77m2
Construction cost £395,000
Construction cost per m2 £5,100
Architect TiggColl
Client Private
Structural engineer Engenuiti
Principal designer TiggColl
Landscape design and installation Topia Landscapes
Marine engineer Marmus
Main contractor Stella Rossa
CAD software used AutoCAD, Rhino
Annual CO2 emissions 8.16 kgCO2/m2
Predicted design life 30 years
Embodied carbon 624 kgCO2/m2
Whole-life carbon 644 kgCO2/m2

 

 

 

Architect’s choices

The Float House’s external elevations are clad with horizontal Accoya timber slats, a sustainable and durable material selected for its waterproofing qualities and its ability to weather naturally, providing a dynamic appearance that works in harmony with its surroundings. An exposed glue-laminated spruce timber structural frame provides continuity and combines a contemporary and pared-back aesthetic with a warm, calm and natural feel. The home is fitted out with high-quality, understated materials and finishes, including oak flooring and a sleek black-painted kitchen with composite worktops.

Paul Colfer, senior associate, TiggColl

 

Specification

Access to the Grand Union Canal in this location is restricted by low bridges, both upstream and downstream. Due to the absence of a dry dock or quayside, traditional methods of maintenance, such as removing the houseboat by crane, were not feasible. In response, we collaborated closely with a marine and structural engineer to develop a unique system of 10 interlocking steel hulls, secured together by a galvanised gantry. Each section can be individually floated away from the gantry and lifted to the canal bank, making maintenance straightforward and manageable, without the need for extensive infrastructure.

The ambitious brief was to create an open-plan family living space, a main bedroom suite, two children’s bedrooms and a shared family bathroom, all within a plot size of 4 x 20m, dictated by the canal width. Passing distances to ensure a safe navigational route and the length of the mooring was restricted by existing canal barges both upstream and down. TiggColl used cantilevered timber window bays to create additional worktop spaces within the kitchen and bed spaces within the children’s rooms. Along with integrated ventilation panels and solar shading, the expressive window bays define the bankside elevation of the home.

Paul Colfer, senior associate, TiggColl

Selected products

Roof
GreenCoat PLX standing seam metal roof
Anthracite Grey: RR2H8/SS0087
Roof throughout
ssab.com

Cladding
Accoya
Untreated
External elevations
accoya.com

UV-protective finish
Osmo
Osmo UV Protection Oil
Cantilevered bays
osmouk.com

Â