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D avid Ballinger may not be the type of houseboater you're familiar with, but he may very well repre- sent the future of the pastime. Ballinger hails from England, and as such, is not as familiar with the wide-open spaces Americans generally enjoy. While studying at the University of Westminster in London, he roomed with two of his best friends in a flat directly across from two pi- rate ships harbored on the River Thames. "I always felt that the pirate ships com- manded the best views and often wondered what it would be like to live on a boat," Ball- inger says. He recognized that most people in London are accustomed to living in small spaces, as there are over 23,000 people per square mile in the inner city, and as such, living on a houseboat wouldn't be that much of a stretch. Once this idea was combined with the at- traction mobile living had for Ballinger, the dream of the MetroShip was born. The process of bringing the boat to life was a long one, however. Ballinger dabbled with ideas for years, researching the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, while taking inspiration from the New York loft condo style as well as a mid-century Eichler home post and beam style. Ballinger also looked at existing houseboat designs for ideas. "While many have improved designs, none of them went far enough for my modernist vision," Ballinger says. In short, Ballinger was looking for an open-plan, loft-style space, designed with straight, clean lines. Wright and other archi- tects used this style in buildings constructed in the 1940's and 50's and most are still con- sidered modern, even half a century later. Ballinger also wanted his boat to be as maintenance-free as possible and have the reliability of a house rather than a boat. This drove many of his decisions, including the choice to go with Honda outboard engines, complete with five-year warranty. "I wanted the interior to be open plan and with higher ceilings than traditional boats— you can't be comfortable if you're cramped," Ballinger says. "I wanted someone to walk into the MetroShip and not only be im- pressed at the level of comfort, but I wanted people to immediately feel at home." The Future Of Houseboating? British designer brings modern design to the water By Brandon Barrus feature 32 Houseboatmagazine.com