BYTR: Houseboat

The Dutch studio has renovated a typical houseboat that roam the city's many canals, combining a luminous double-height interior with a striking, but discreet wooden façade.

In Utrecht, Dutch architecture studio BYTR has reconverted a typical houseboat — a floating house — that roam the city's many canals. The 100 year-old structure had become too small for the current inhabitants, and the studio was asked to intervene.

In their renovation project, BYTR payed special attention to the surroundings: the houseboat is located close to the city's Rijksmunt museum, as well as series of other historical buildings. The architects also carefully considered the added value of living so close to the water: the proximity can allow for privacy, optimum views of the surroundings and abundant natural lighting.

The project allows inhabitants to experience the full height of the boat in a central core, where a staircase is placed. The one-floor dwelling features a series of different levels, which harbour the different rooms in sensible proximity, creating a series of voids between them. Light pours into the airy space. Outside, the wood-clad façade is comprised of a series of diverse slats, combined in a striking rhythm of different widths and heights. The resulting relief creates a distinctive, but discreet presence in the city.

Top and above: BYTR, Houseboat, Utrecht, The Netherlands 2012

BYTR: Houseboat
Architects: BYTR
Team: Eliot Meyer, Koen Pörtzgen, Richel Lubbers
Client: private
Completion: 2012
Contractor: Arkenbouw Post, Marknesse

BYTR, Houseboat, Utrecht, The Netherlands 2012

This system turns the outdoors into a custom experience

A fully configurable structure, designed to blend seamlessly into the natural landscape while providing shelter from sun, wind, and rain.
It exists - it’s called CODE.