Property Watch: Iconic Portland Floating Home ‘Aqua Star’ Is for Sale

After drawing out the plans for this floating home at 3am, Buzz Gorder, a local designer and creative director, decided it needed a name. “I put Aqua Star on it because it’s kind of like naming a product,” Gorder told Portland Architecture. When people asked for clarification, Gorder’s response was straightforward: “It’s on the water, and it’s bright like a shining star.” The home, finished in 1984, still shines inside and out, which might be why it’s since shown up in a few movies and TV shows over the years, including Portlandia, HGTV’s Extreme Homes, and Hear No Evil (1993).

There’s the sculptural exterior, the distinct domed silo construction actually manufactured in a Midwest silo factory and trucked to Portland courtesy of a job Gorder had with Nike. The original anodized aluminum on the building has been replaced by powder-coated metal, with strips of mahogany inset with twinkling lights at the doors.

Inside, a recent remodel has preserved many of the home’s unique qualities, such as the stainless-steel paneling on walls and ceiling and the soaring domed ceilings. As expected from the exterior, there are curved walls galore—probably more than 50 percent of them swoop in some way.

Still, several new features are modern. Think quartz counters and plenty of storage in the kitchen, new tile in the bathrooms, and durable vinyl plank flooring primed for life on the river. These all play well with the home’s original charm, often weaving in a little wink to the aquatic setting. Case in point: In one corner of the living room, a vintage metal freestanding stove still takes pride of place, while opposite it, a custom artisan glass chandelier looks like a cluster of bubbles floating over the dining table.

Meanwhile, the layout seems readymade for a party. (We’d expect as much from a home that once hosted the Knievel family.) The living room is anchored by a backlit wet bar with a waterfall counter, including built-ins for the vinyl, while nearby there’s easy access to the massive deck for when guests spill outside. A cheeky motorized disco ball hangs in the primary bedroom.

But that doesn’t mean there’s not serenity to be found, too. Thanks to a prime location at the end of the dock and so, so many windows—big picture units lining the main living spaces, and bands of them in all the upstairs rooms and primary suite—there are nonstop river views to mull over. As Gorder said, “I think every morning, you wake up here, you feel good. It kind of brings you alive and makes a good direction for the day to start.” Such is how the home brings a whole other kind of shine—truly iconic.

• Address: 3307 NE Marine Dr #2, Portland, OR 97211
• Size: 2,737 square feet, 2 bedroom/2.5 bath
• List Date: 3/10/2025
• List Price: $1,350,000
• Listing Agent: Daniel Comfort, Galene Buchholz, and Amy Sedgwick, Floating Homes Portland, MORE Realty

Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer who has focused on Pacific Northwest design and lifestyle since 2008. Contact Dalton here. 

Editor’s Note: Portland Monthly’s “Property Watch” column takes a weekly look at an interesting home in Portland’s real estate market (with periodic ventures to the burbs and points beyond, for good measure). Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].