Canal-side elegance on the Looiersgracht

Canal-side elegance on the Looiersgracht

Moored beneath the trees of the Looiersgracht, Cara is a schark with a facade drawn with a tailor's precision. In the canal belt a houseboat is part of a protected streetscape, so the design had to belong to its setting as much as to its owners. Quietly composed, Cara pairs classic Amsterdam proportions with a crisp, tailored facade.

A facade that answers the canal houses

Horizontal cream boarding is punctuated by tall windows set in deep red frames, echoing the brick of the canal houses across the water. The result is understated from the quay and exquisite up close, with every board and frame aligned to give the facade its calm rhythm.

A roof terrace among the elms

Above, the roof becomes a private terrace within the canopy of the elms: a rare outdoor room in the heart of the city. It is a houseboat that respects its setting and quietly raises it.