When designing his new home, -based architect Paul Wanzer chose to think inside the box but off of the land altogether. A principal at , he teamed up with for a modern cubic volume floating on Seattle’s Portage Bay. His design inspiration? The Costa Rican philosophy of pura vida, which emphasizes connection with nature, simple pleasures, and easy living.

All three of those tenets are found within the one-bedroom, two-bath abode, which replaced an aging that had occupied the slip for decades. The prior home had sat on an old-growth log float that was likely from the early 20th century, so Dyna built a brand-new concrete float for Wanzer’s new residence. The rectangular structure was then built in a shipyard before being towed into place.

The design team made the most of the 1,780 squar

See Full Page