a pleasure boat

pictures from project a pleasure boat

diaporama

Conversely to any ground design, the first challenge –and interest- when designing a yacht interior, is probably that each piece of the puzzle has to be questionned with regards to its specific environment: the sea.
A boat moves, pitches, wobbles… and you can neither rely on a precise natural light direction, orientation, nor on a view. The surroundings will hopefully be as different and varied as possible.
So every table corner, every door, bed or drawer must be thought anew.
Yachts also offer an interesting paradox : whilst weight and space limit are major issues, yachts are places of leisure and fun. There is no room on board for the unnecessary, yet you want a cosy interior and have no backyard shed to store your numerous extra chairs and toys away…
Last but not least, the sea and life at sea, induce new behaviours in users - who become "passengers" or travellers and invite them to take a fresh look at their constantly changing environment.


The project is driven by a desire for fluidity and breathing: to let the air and the
passengers circulate as freely as possible throughout the boat. Not to clutter up the spaces nor to obstruct the relation to the landscapes by an overload of objects or an overly present design. Tidyness and visual calm allow one to make the most of the surrounding horizon and sea views. Therefore great care is taken with alignments, concealments, and calm compositions of the elements together.
Each piece of furniture is designed to allow a harmonious experience of life on board, in harmony with the element: chairs in the living room are safely half embeded into the hull covering; coffee tables are modular and turn into dining tables, or hide smaller accent tables ; beds are shaped to maximise the floor surface in the cabins…
Yet this rational approach is soften by the choice of rich textures and colours. The colour scheme is composed of more than a hundred references, organised room by room in specific harmonies. This diversity enhancing again the feeling of an enlarged space within the entire boat.
Each deck is treated differently: the bamboo panels on the lower deck follow the shape of the hull, creating boat-specific curved spaces and shell-like, protective cabins. The main levels is wide open onto the aft deck, enhancing indoor-outdoor fluidity. On the bridge deck, all the elements align with the horizon line, setting a restful lounge. The sun deck looks up to the sky and sun.


In conclusion, the interior design organises two opposite movements : the first is turned inwards, taking care of every details of life on board, with the comfort and safety required. It is all about making life easy inside, to initiate a second movement, outwards, this time: a boat offers a different perspective on the world and
allows you to discover new horizons…


In 2010, the ship's design won The ShowBoats Design Awards in the Recreational Area for Guest Use Award category.

a pleasure boat

• Private commission


• Completion

2009

• Yard

Heesen Yachts