For Paul Wanzer of Hoshide Wanzer Architects + Interiors, designing his own houseboat was a dream realized. “I grew up in Seattle,” he says. “For many people here, living on the water is the ideal.” When Wanzer and his wife took the plunge, they found a partner in Ren Chandler of Dyna Builders, a firm experienced with the style. “Houseboats are in the fabric of the Northwest, and people have a romantic nostalgia about them,” Chandler notes. “You must love them to build them, they are a special kind of challenge.”
The modernist Wanzer floating home isn’t the rustic dwelling you might picture. For privacy, the front façade is composed of black HardiePanel, two runs of narrow clerestory windows, and an oversized sliding door made with strips of cedar. Inside, glass walls wrap the rear exterior to capture water views. “It’s a constant parade of sailboats, kayaks and marine life,” says Wanzer. And when the family wants solitude, they simply pull exterior wood shutters over the glass. It’s a case of reality living up to the fantasy and as Wanzer explains, “I look at the view and pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming."
The back of the home is lined with glass to take in dazzling views of Portage Bay.
A floating home designed by architect Paul Wanzer and constructed by Dyna Builders is shielded on the front by sliding wood screens.