In the tallest wooden building in the Netherlands, Patch22, the apartments are sold completely empty. With a new floor structure, the owner of the apartment can lift the floor to run plumbing and fit other installations however they like. Adjusting and re-arranging an apartment has never been so flexible. The concept was developed by architect Tom Frantzen, who is also the developer along with contractor H2O.
All the wood in the 30 metre high building has been left exposed, including the load-bearing post and beam structure in glulam and the CLT walls. The floor structure is made up of concrete slabs and specially designed steel I-beams to allow for the unusual solution. Dutch building regulations meant that the stairwell and lift shaft had to be made of concrete.
The initial procurement process back in 2009 was also interesting, since the greatest focus was on sustainability rather than purely economic considerations. The building is energy-neutral, for example, due to solar panels on the roof that supply the power. The structural engineers were Pieters Bouwtechniek.
Read more at patch22
