London-based architecture studio TiggColl has reimagined the traditional houseboat with Float House, a bright, modular floating home designed to make life on water more accessible, resilient and family-friendly. Located within a private houseboat community along the Grand Union Canal in Ruislip, northwest London, the project responds to long-standing challenges associated with narrowboats, including limited space, damp conditions and difficult maintenance.
Designed for clients Phil and Narinda and their two teenage children, Float House replaces a conventional canal barge that had become increasingly unsuitable as the family grew. While the clients loved their waterside lifestyle, their former home suffered from persistent damp, restricted storage and poor accessibility, issues that became particularly pressing after Narinda was diagnosed with a condition affecting joint mobility.
Rather than adapting a traditional houseboat model, TiggColl took a fundamentally different approach. The architects developed a step-free, above-water living environment, ensuring that all primary spaces are raised above the waterline to reduce cold and moisture — an important consideration for health and long-term comfort.
A Modular Solution for Water-Based Living
At the heart of Float House is a modular floating base made up of 10 interlocking steel hulls, developed in collaboration with structural engineer Engenuiti and marine engineer Marmus. This system allows individual sections to be removed from the water independently, simplifying maintenance in locations where dry docks or cranes are unavailable.
Above the hulls, the superstructure is framed using 20 glue-laminated pine portal frames, giving the home both structural clarity and a warm, rhythmic interior character. The building is externally clad in horizontal slats of Accoya wood, a durable, water-resistant timber well suited to harsh canal-side conditions.
TiggColl’s co-founder David Tigg explains that accessibility was central to the design:
“It was important that any new home on the water was crucially above it, not within it, as cold and damp can significantly exacerbate mobility conditions.”
Space Efficiency Within Tight Constraints
The architects were required to work within strict spatial limits , 20 metres in length and just four metres in width, ensuring the house could fit its mooring while allowing safe passage for other canal boats. Within this compact footprint, TiggColl delivered a surprisingly generous and flexible layout.
The home includes:
- Open-plan living, dining and kitchen spaces
- Three bedrooms, including dedicated rooms for the children
- Separate toilet and shower rooms
- Ample integrated storage throughout
One of the most distinctive architectural features is a series of cantilevered bay windows projecting from the facade. These provide additional usable space for kitchen worktops and bedside ledges while enhancing daylight, views and ventilation.
Tigg describes these extensions as offering “that all-important Shakespearean sense of elbow room,” helping the narrow structure feel expansive rather than restrictive.
Light, Warmth and Honest Expression
Inside, the exposed pine portal frames define the interior aesthetic, paired with engineered oak flooring and black kitchen cabinetry. The restrained material palette allows the structure itself to become the visual focus, reinforcing the studio’s ethos of clarity and human-centred design.
Co-founder Rachel Coll describes the approach as “radically human,” noting that the visible structure creates a calm, legible environment that feels both modern and deeply connected to nature.
Key Design Highlights
- Modular steel hull base enables off-site maintenance
- Fully step-free access throughout the home
- Above-water living spaces reduce damp and heat loss
- Bay windows increase usable space without widening the footprint
- Durable, low-maintenance materials suited to canal environments
A Prototype for the Future
Beyond serving one family, TiggColl sees Float House as a scalable prototype for floating homes across the UK and beyond, particularly in constrained or hard-to-access waterways. As land scarcity, climate resilience and alternative living models become increasingly relevant, projects like Float House demonstrate how thoughtful design can unlock new possibilities for life on water.
The photography is by James Retief
