Welcome to The Float House, proof that life on London’s canals can be warm and elegant 

London is home to more than 4,000 houseboats. But there’s a houseboat, and then there’s a floating house – namely The Float House by TiggColl Architects. Moored on the Grand Union Canal in Ruislip, northwest London, this waterborne dwelling is specified to the standard of a contemporary apartment, while also pioneering innovations in modular floating homes.

Designed as a fully accessible family residence, The Float House avoids the compromises typically associated with floating structures. The clients previously lived on a traditional canal barge, which lacked both adequate living space and the accessibility required to support a family. Keen to upgrade, but wanting to remain within their cooperative of 35 houseboats at Hampton Hall Farm, a private residential mooring, they sought a solution. ‘We wished for a home that was beautiful and practical,’ says The Float House’s owner, Narinda Desrosiers. ‘Starting this new build was a huge leap of faith, but we never gave up hope that our vision was achievable.’

Unlike conventional barges, where internal floor levels often sit below the waterline, The Float House elevates all habitable spaces above it. Inside, the plan has been calibrated to maximise space and daylight, with generous glazing framing views across the water. The result is a calm, light-filled interior that feels open and connected to nature, rather than dark or enclosed.

Externally, the building is clad in horizontal Accoya timber slats, chosen for durability and performance in wet environments. The timber will weather naturally, developing a soft patina that helps the house settle into its canal-side context. Inside, an exposed timber structural frame adds warmth, complemented by engineered oak flooring and a black-painted kitchen with Dekton worktops. TiggColl, explains founding director Rachel Coll, wanted to ensure the houseboat ‘touches the surroundings with a sense of lightness – bringing nature, reflectivity and sunlight as close as possible’.

Size is, of course, one of the primary constraints of houseboat design. TiggColl was tasked with fitting an open-plan family living space, a principal bedroom suite, two children’s bedrooms and a shared bathroom within a 4m by 20m footprint (dimensions dictated by the canal width and mooring length). To achieve this, the architect introduced cantilevered window bays that extend beyond the main structure, increasing internal volume. Combined with integrated ventilation panels and solar shading, these bays give the canal-facing elevation its distinctive character.

Beyond spatial planning, the construction process itself presented significant challenges. Low bridges along the canal ruled out conventional approaches such as craning the structure out of the water or transporting it to a dry dock. In response, TiggColl collaborated closely with marine and structural engineers to develop a bespoke modular system made up of ten interlocking steel hulls secured by a gantry. Each hull can be detached, floated away independently and lifted onto the canal bank for maintenance.

The timber superstructure follows the same modular logic. Once the floating base was launched, the frame could be rapidly assembled on site, minimising disruption to both the canal and the surrounding community. ‘We hope that [The Float House] will become a prototype for creating enjoyable and sustainable living environments in difficult-to-reach canal, river or lake locations,’ says founding director David Tigg.

By combining technical ingenuity and comfort, The Float House challenges preconceptions of canal living and offers a compelling model for adaptable, low-impact housing in constrained environments. It is, says Desrosiers, ‘a home that has surpassed our dream: peaceful, surrounded by nature with breathtaking views out across the water’.