Uau Studio Unveils Lucia: A Foldable-Roof Floating Home on Lake Como

Italian architectural studio Uau Studio has introduced Lucia, a novel floating dwelling designed for Lake Como that draws inspiration from traditional fishing boats, known locally as ‘batèl’. This innovative project, featured in Designboom, reimagines lakeside living with a focus on mobility, modularity, and a striking sculptural roof.

Inspired by Alessandro Manzoni’s novel “The Betrothed,” Lucia is conceived as a lightweight, mobile micro-home that navigates the waters of Lake Como. Its design emphasizes a contemporary architectural language for a structure that is both a dwelling and a vessel, offering a fresh perspective on how people can interact with lake environments.

A Sculptural Retreat

Lucia’s most distinctive feature is its foldable roof, a sculptural element that can be adjusted to create varying degrees of openness and privacy. This mechanism allows residents to adapt the living space to different weather conditions and personal preferences, blending indoor comfort with the surrounding natural beauty of the lake. The home’s white, streamlined silhouette is designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and functional as it drifts across the water.

Compact and Adaptable Living

Operating within a compact 25-square-meter footprint, Lucia is organized as a single-level living space. The interior is designed for flexibility, suitable for short stays and temporary hospitality. Uau Studio has prioritized efficiency through the use of multifunctional and adaptable interior elements. Furniture is conceived as modular components that can be reconfigured to suit various domestic needs, maximizing the utility of the limited space.

The design also incorporates an accessibility-focused approach, ensuring barrier-free circulation throughout the single-floor layout. This thoughtful planning makes the dwelling comfortable and usable for a wide range of occupants.

Sustainable Mobility and Materials

Lucia is equipped with a flat-bottom structure and an electric propulsion system, designed to facilitate navigation while minimizing reliance on traditional engine systems. This approach aligns with a broader goal of reducing the environmental impact of lakeside living.

The material strategy for Lucia centers on reuse and local sourcing. Interior elements feature birch plywood panels and reclaimed materials gathered from the lake itself. This commitment to sustainable materials underscores the project’s connection to its environment.

Integration with Lakeside Infrastructure

The project is situated within the context of Lake Como’s established hospitality infrastructure and its network of lakeside settlements. Lucia is envisioned as part of a larger system called ‘Darsena Link,’ a series of docking platforms distributed along the shoreline. These platforms serve as extensions of existing villages, integrating functions such as energy generation, cultural exchange, and recreational activities.

These Darsena Link platforms are designed with principles of energy self-sufficiency and zero land use in mind, incorporating elements like solar charging stations, public gathering spaces, and access points for water sports and small markets. This integrated approach aims to foster social exchange and productive landscape interaction, creating a cohesive ecosystem for lakeside living.

Lucia extends the historical role of boats as agents of movement and exchange, positioning floating habitation as a modern answer to living on and with the water. It is a project that merges mobility, domestic space, and landscape interaction into a unified, forward-thinking concept for architectural practice.

Key facts
Project Name | Lucia – Il Batèl
Architect | Uau Studio
Location | Lake Como, Italy
Key Feature | Foldable sculptural roof, modular interior, electric propulsion

This development is significant for architects and designers interested in innovative residential concepts, modular construction, and sustainable approaches to living in waterfront environments. Lucia demonstrates how architectural design can reinterpret traditional lifestyles and integrate with local infrastructure to create adaptable and environmentally conscious solutions.

Source: Designboom, https://www.designboom.com/architecture/sculptural-foldable-roof-white-floating-micro-home-lake-como-lucia-uau-studio/

Datos clave