Flohom and Seadwell Unveil Floating Showerhouse at The Wharf

When boaters arrive at The Wharf in Washington, DC, they are greeted with upscale amenities and accommodations in the bustling neighborhood’s recent multimillion-dollar expansion. As the premier waterfront destination continues to grow, the marina is enhancing facilities to make boaters feel at home. Introducing the Floating Showerhouse, a collaborative innovation by Flohom and Seadwell — blending luxury design and convenience to elevate the guest experience.

Located on The Wharf’s Market Docks at the north end of the Washington Channel, the Showerhouse is a spacious floating restroom and shower facility with a cozy hotel feel. After enjoying a day on the water or exploring the District’s historic streets, marina guests can step inside the 30-foot-long, pristine-white, ADA-compliant facility, separated into four private washrooms, each featuring en suite showers, electric water heaters, toiletries and outlets for electronics.

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Experience Luxury at the Waterfront

Flohom, a startup that builds houseboats for upscale lodging experiences, partnered with Seadwell, a floating architecture and development company, to bring this concept to life. The unique floating structure is built with high-quality commercial grade finishes and high-end details. 

“We’re creating a societal shift to the water,” says Flohom co-founder and CEO Brian Meyer. “This project is an example of a premier destination with a need to upgrade an amenity, and the marina didn’t have to go through the arduous process of zoning and planning on land to redo a bathroom facility.” 

Michael Bruce, Flohom partner and founder of Seadwell, says The Wharf Marina was the perfect location to debut the first Showerhouse. Bruce led The Wharf’s waterside Development Team, overseeing construction of all marinas and public piers. This afforded him a unique understanding of the property’s needs as he collaborated with Meyer and the Wharf to replace the former restroom with a modern aesthetic and elevated user experience.

“What’s unique about this location is that it’s at the north end of the Potomac, so it’s a destination marina where guests are usually making a night of it and want to get changed and cleaned up,” says Bruce. “That’s why this marina really needed this key piece to complement the boaters’ experience.” 

Weekends at The Wharf’s Market Pier are lively with vessels ranging from commercial charter operators and Carefree Boat Club members to day-docking transients. The new Showerhouse provides exclusive accessibility to marina guests in a safe, gated location. 

“There’s a heavy amount of traffic down there and a lot of demand for nice facilities whether it’s to accommodate a guest of a commercial operator or somebody just grabbing lunch at The Wharf,” says Leigh Diemert, general manager of The Wharf Marina. “I think this is an incredible maritime innovation and new concept for real estate on the water.”

The Wharf boasts new restaurants, retail, green spaces, year-round attractions, and marina perks including a swanky boaters’ lounge, dock shop, and one of the only fuel docks on the Potomac River. Upcoming events and holiday celebrations include the Christmas Boat Parade held annually on the first Saturday in December.

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Innovation Delivers Solutions to Marinas

The advantage of this style of Showerhouse or another type of floating amenity space is not only the fresh new look and guest experience, but also the convenience for marina owners looking to upgrade. 

“A lot of marinas are built in close confines or have fully developed uplands, so there’s not a lot of space for them to upgrade or add amenities,” says Bruce. “There’s land restrictions, and due to higher water level issues throughout coastal regions, floodplain requirements have become more onerous.” 

This type of floating facility provides another avenue for marina owners as they look to improve their property and reduce headaches with floodplain, zoning and permitting challenges. The process reduces land disturbances from construction zones, and the team works with developers and staff through the entire process to customize the property’s needs, design and functionality.

Flohom plans to expand to additional facilities in the future such as floating event spaces, dock offices and more, says Meyer. 

“We’re excited to explore opportunities and shift society to a more water-centric lifestyle, and this is just one small example of the many things that can be done,” says Meyer. “This concept already exists and is prevalent in other parts of the world, so we aspire to modernize it for people here in the United States.” 

Stay tuned for updates at flohom.com and seadwell.com

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