Some researchers attribute the "House-Ship" to symbolic romanticism. They note that this building was constructed during the heyday of Soviet avant-garde, when architects boldly proposed unconventional solutions.

Architect Friedman transformed a residential building for workers into a semblance of a floating vessel. One end of the building is curved in the shape of a ship's bow, while the opposite end is crowned by an eight-story tower that serves as the "stern." The facade is also designed in a "shipbuilding" style: the glazed first floor visually separates the "Ship" from the ground, the gallery of balconies with metal railings resembles decks, and small balconies serve as bridges and lifeboats. The walls of the brick building in the main section are plastered and painted dark brown. The two sections house 212 apartments with spacious kitchens and bathrooms.