A Micro Houseboat That You Can Tow With Your Bike

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Updated October 11, 2018

Bicycles, in all their human-powered glory, can have a number of neat accessories attached to them. Saunas, micro-campers and other clever towable shelters are some of the possibilities available to cycling enthusiasts. But this portable micro-houseboat by Royal College of Art graduate Daniel Durnin takes us by surprise: it's light, small and yes, it floats.

© Daniel Durnin

Inhabitat/via

Cheekily dubbed "Water Bed" and featured over at Inhabitat, the mobile architecture project is conceived as a kind of "tent-on-the-water." Given its tiny size, it's meant for someone (or two, in more cramped quarters) to sit, lie down, and also features a small table for preparing tea and snacks.

© Daniel Durnin

Building upon traditional boat-making techniques, Durnin designed Water Bed in consideration of the abundance of waterways of London. After a tiring day of cycling around, instead of setting up a tent on land, one can put the Water Bed into the water, and take a rest. The micro-houseboat's walls are made of canvas, which act as operable, roll-up windows to let in fresh air.

The idea was to reconnect people to a larger, natural landscape, both in and out of the city, says Durnin:

I hope that the work will reawaken our connection with nature using the waterways as a catalyst and restore balance to the more networked living space that we now inhabit, not just in London but across the globe.

So what's better than a bike-towable micro-camper? One that rolls on the road and floats on the water -- perfect for those who really want to get away from it all, preferably by bike. More over at Inhabitat and Daniel Durnin.