Real estate
Provincetown, located on the tip of Cape Cod, sheltered from the Atlantic by a massive dune landscape, is considered to be one of the most sought-after recreational areas on the US east coast. Serviced by Cape Air and fast ferries from Boston, maintained in the traditional New England style, loved by families as much as by the chicest of the gay community, the price tag for its real estate is the only limit to its access.
The Cape Cod Boat House – with personal courage and taking advantage of a few legal loopholes – was motivated by this demand, exploring uninhabited areas and creating new “real estate” out of nothing.

Design
The client’s idea of a “floating mailbox” was the starting point.
Creating a house that is also a site, that faces the wind instead of a geographic direction (which can be arbitrary), that features an aerodynamic roof which collects natural resources (water* & energy), that includes a “walk around” of/on the structure, and that factors in many technical and environmental circumstances, were all components of the design concept.
The Boat House accommodates a porch on the main deck, a kitchen and living area, and a bathroom. On the upper deck, a master bedroom (facing the wind) and a guest room (facing aft) can accommodate four people. A dinghy and other small crafts belong to the property as well.
* The water-collecting system was later dropped due to sanitary concerns and the availability of town water at the dock – a good tie to the community.

Construction
Most parts of the structure were either “ready-made” or “made to order”. They were assembled on various inland sites into a structure that could be transported in two sections (due to height restrictions) to a harbor.
Three pontoons create a floating platform. A wooden framework is posted on top of it. All the walls, the floors, and the roof brace the framework and platform.
The pontoons are made out of aluminum. The floor of the main deck is mahogany, all other wood used is fir. The roof is made of corrugated aluminized steel. All the windows are fixed and made out of tinned safety glass. A precisely arranged set of louvers with hatches on the inside allows for control of the ventilation throughout all spaces.
Solar panels that are integrated into the shape of the roof deliver all the electricity to a battery bank in order to run the lights, electric equipment, and the refrigerator. A hot watermaker/cabin heater and the kitchen range run off of two portable propane tanks.

Location
The Boat House can be towed anywhere and anchored in any sheltered body of water.

In The Movies
Storm
July 2014
July 2015