‘vlotkamp’— which literally translates to‘raft camping‘— is a floating pop-up hotel realized by tobias knockaert & kika merlin on a lake in flanders, belgium. the project features 8 rafts with tents, only accessible by canoe, and follows a tree house initiative last year called ‘boomkamp’. the project puts the focus on adventure and reliving childhood dreams, and is exercise on making belgian local tourism attractions and a good escape during COVID-19.
all images courtesy of vlotkamp
a short canoe trip comes with a great reward – 24 sqm big
after their tree house hotel ‘boomkamp’ initiative last year, tobias knockaert & kika merlin learned that people are really interested in having local alternative accommodations. COVID-19 also played a major role in increasing the demand for such experiences. the couple was triggered by the international committee of the red cross- who exploits a lake just behind their corner- to work out a concept on water.
a little hotel – town seen from the air
the couple went all-in on the experience and forced future visitors to have themselves canoeing to the accommodation. the final result was to have different small modules on the water, creating a small village. the different modules had to be in the middle of the lake, giving the best experience. every raft is made out of 5 floating modules with a durable sibley tent put on top.
reviving childhood dreams on a raft
tobias knockaert & kika merlin designed a custom exoskeleton to tighten the canvas and provided a sturdy base to withstand the most extreme summer conditions, like a summer storm. the floating devices consist of recycled blue barrels and end-of-life tires to protect the raft and canoe against bumping. the couple had to overcome several technical issues such as anchoring, electricity, and emergency situations, before putting the rafts on the shore.
saying hi to the drone
one solution to minimize resulting wind forces was to anchor only one corner of the raft. by doing this, the whole raft acts as a flag and rotates away from the wind direction. inside, there is a king-size double circular mattress, topped with some nice cushions and a bunch of cozy decorative elements. there are 2 outdoor seats and a small table, and for those who drank too much wine, there is an onboard emergency toilet, which works with wood snippets. extra features that you’ll find on the domain: a wheelchair-accessible raft on the shore, a bar, and a care hotel are some extra features that can be found on the domain.
boarding the raft with a canoe
looking for the right raft. Every raft is named after a fish, swimming in the lake
the circular mattress and cozy decorations inside
drinking some wine while watching nature is just what you’ll want to do when arriving on the raft
watching the sunset reflect on the water on a hot summer evening
spacious enough for an aperitivo
recycled barrels were used as floating devices
Early-stage renders pretty much resemble the final result
project info:
name: vlotkamp
designers: tobias knockaert & kika merlin
location: polderwind, zuienkerke, belgium
designboom has received this project from our‘DIY submissions‘feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: yasmina karam | designboom
