A pair of architecture graduates have teamed up with Airbnb to create one of the more pleasant objects likely to be found floating on London’s River Thames – a buoyant guest house.

Twins Nick and Steve Tidball – who graduated from London’s Bartlett School of Architecture and now work as creative directors in advertising – have paired up with the accommodation giant to create a city crash pad described as “Primrose Hill meets Pixar.”

The Floating House – carrying the address ‘Number 1, The Thames’ – offers bespoke living quarters including two bedrooms, a bathroom and a living room, as well as its very own garden complete with dog kennel and wisteria.



“For the Floating House, we were inspired to create a fairy tale structure in the middle of London – something that would allow people to see the city from a different angle,” said the twins.

“It was crucial to us that this was a real house, not just a stage set. That’s why it had to provide more than just bedrooms and a bathroom. Visitors will get to enjoy a hand-picked book collection, a dog kennel, and their very own private garden – the kind of things that make a house a home.”

The pop-up house is floating up and down the Thames for five nights from 18-23 May. A competition on the Airbnb website is offering users the chance for users to win a free night’s stay on the vessel, complete with free massages and a dinner cooked by Michelin-starred chef Robert Ortiz.

To read an interview with Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk, from the Q1 2014 edition of Leisure Management magazine, click here.