Shaping Beauty

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All photos by Maarten Brante: courtesy of Juul Steyn.

Portholes, cozy and industrial interiors and a decked patio on overlooking Amsterdam harbour. Juul Steyn built his home starting from a concrete warship that used to transport diesel from England to France during World War II.

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“For this project we were looking for a combination of the industrial look of the original concrete barge and  a cosy atmosphere for our family to enjoy daily life” says owner Juul Steyn to ArchiPanic.

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During war times, steel was precious for ammunition, tanks, airplanes and ships while concrete was a cheap and reliable alternative material to build simple cargo boats. The 27m long and 7m wide boat was originally composed by a concrete base topped by small yellow cabin and a tank “that were taken down with a delicate “and nerve-breaking” bulldozer work” says Juul Steyn who commisioned the project to SPRIKK studio.

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Visitors board from the rear of the boat. The cabin-looking concrete construction of the upper floor is externally cladded with wooden planks and features rectangular windows on the sides. Inside it hosts a plan kitchen and a cozy living room with a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall window that opens to a decked terrace on the bow of the boat.

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Painted metal stairs lead below-deck where two large bedrooms and a bathroom can be reached via a narrow corridor. “One of the key elements of our dream houseboat is the naval atmosphere” say Juul Stein. Classic portholes in each room allow light in and match white painted concrete and wooden walls. The bathroom combines a grey plasterwork, wooden furniture and industrial-style details.

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Juul Steyn is a self-proclaimed “house-boat fanatic” who launched a rental house boat platform as well. The project was commissioned to SPRIKK studio, a Rotterdam-based studio who works on both interior design and architecture.

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From concrete warship to dream home – All photos by Maarten Brante: courtesy of Juul Steyn.

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Via Archipanic - Read the full article