Floating Homes

Liveaboard life: Self-sufficient with Solar

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In last weeks video series I introduced you to Teresa Carey and her home on her sailboat. This week is a followup on Teresa and how she manages off the grid using solar as her power. When Teresa Carey is sailing she knows just where all her energy comes from and … Read more

Rintala Eggertsson Architects

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This architectural and design firm in Oslo, Norway has designed everything from bridges to nature observation towers, from swinging platforms to art pieces that release wooden birds or are set on fire. However, Rintala Eggertsson Architects have also designed a few tiny houses…or potential tiny houses.

Sami Rintala and Dagur Eggertsson’s work has been featured all over the world and they pride themselves on designing with a balance between man and nature. Many of their designs incorporate nature as a major element, but also have a modern, industrial feel to them. Their tiny homes in Norway, Italy and Thailand use nature as part of the design.

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Shantyboat Interview

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A Shantyboat/Tiny Floating House Interview with Seattle’s Bryan Lowe (by Derek “Deek” Diedricksen of Relaxshacks.com)

Bryan Lowe ordered a copy of my book “Humble Homes, Simple Shacks…” a ways back, and as in many fortunate cases with those who have done the same, it became a common ground on which we began emailing back and forth on our love of tiny shelters/houses, and more specifically, shantyboats. Bryan too, is Harlan Hubbard obsessed (I’m telling you READ “Shantyboat”- its pretty amazing/gutsy).

Well, back on track, it only seemed fitting to grab an interview, for all to read, from a guy who actually runs the blog http://www.shantyboatliving.com, so here you go….And thanks to Kent Griswold, for helping to spread the word as well, and to the many other friends that are part of this whole community (can I get a “Whoa Bundy!?”). Ahem….cough….bad eighties references aside, here’s our “yap session”…..

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Floating Guest House

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As many of you know I am a huge fan of floating homes and have often thought of starting another blog focusing just on them. Recently through a google alert I discovered this little floating guest house in Portland, Oregon. Designed and constructed by a company called Studio Hamlet Architects, PLLC based in Bainbridge Island, WA. Julia Zander was kind enough to send me some wonderful photographs and gave me permission to share this project with you.

Floating Retreat
This floating guest house is nestled among a community of eclectic houseboats on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. The project was designed to work as a part-time residence for a couple’s use while their main floating home is being built. After moving into the main house, the guest house will become a vacation retreat for visiting family and friends.

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Sausalito Floating Homes

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If you love houseboats or floating homes, you may want to make a walking tour of the famous Sausalito Floating Homes part of your next trip to the San Francisco Bay area. I thought I would profile these particular floating homes because the community is maintained by homeowners and individuals rather than city officials. This makes this waterside neighborhood unique in that the designs of these homes, that are docked in Richardson Bay, are up to the owners.

M Skaffari/Flickr

The famous Sausalito floating homes community has a history that stretches over a century. During the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s improvised floating homes made from scrap wood, old tugboats, elegant ships and even old Pullman cars were built by professional artists, and since the dock areas were so small, most of the floating homes stayed small. Some of these homes are now offered as vacation rentals and there are usually a few for sale. Some of the homes have names including the Taj Mahal, the Train Wreck and the Pirate.

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