Floating Prefab Concept Rethinks the Houseboat

A C-Frame catamaran currently docked in Prague’s Holesovice neighborhood, Port X is a buoyant dwelling for modular, modern living. Prague’s Atelier SAD finished the concept last fall, collaborating with a company that develops sailing boats to fabricate its curved exterior. While images of the fully wired home on the water make for great photo ops, Port X is at home built for both land and sea.

"The main idea is that you can connect and expand," says architect Jerry Koza. "You can live in three modules, then add another for a studio or a meeting room. As lives change, after five or six years on the river, or, say, your child leaves home, you can move it into the mountains near the slopes. It’s about freedom."

The curved roof, a play off the hull of a ship, was inspired by a previous Atelier SAD home project in the Czech town of Liberec. Koza, along with engineer Tomas Kalhous and architect Adam Jirkal, have spent years finding the right location and obtaining permissions. After the rigid approval process, they’re finally able to showcase the flexibility of the concept, which can range from a one-person dwelling to a family-sized float with a 1076-square-foot floor plan and a 538-square-foot terrace. With a cost of roughly 55,000 euros per unit, and available for order later this year, the Port X home can be wired to survive off the grid. 

"It’s oriented for the river," says Jirkal. "It doesn’t have an engine. We wanted it to be as low to the water as possible, to really work with the water."