Floating House

Portland, OR

Project Overview:

The owner of the floating house is a water lover. She always knew she would return to her roots in Portland. Having lived on a 600 SF floating home on Lake Union for almost 20 years, she also knew she couldn’t give up that kind of proximity to the water. She finally happened upon the perfect location for her forever floating home – a spot at the very end of a floating home moorage on the Willamette River with a 270° view of the city.

With her spot secured she turned to Phil Sydnor of Integrate Architecture and Planning in Portland to help design her dream home. Phil and the homeowner, along with Project Designer Ana Gonzalez, worked collaboratively for over a year to create this one of a kind floating home.

The exterior of the home is inspired by the language of the original Willamette and Columbia River floating homes of the 30s and 40s — low slung rooflines, large eaves, and horizontal siding. The team was looking to create an aesthetic they lovingly termed “modern river shanty.”

The Nakamoto siding was selected specifically for the way it plays into that aesthetic. The horizontal shou sugi ban cedar provided the perfect weathered, timeless effect the team wanted. The homeowner was particularly excited about the siding’s slightly blue tint and how it plays off the water, and the pinkish hints throughout the wood grain were a perfect compliment to the color scheme of the home. The home is exposed to a lot of elements and insects on the water, so the durability of the siding was also key in their decision.