The WAF shortlist: A ship-shaped home and a recreation centre for everybody

14 August 2019 Sustainable construction

We proudly present two more finalists for the World Architecture Festival’s Best Use of Certified Timber Prize, supported by PEFC: a ship-shaped residential building that uses wooden façades to capture the sunlight in the perfect way, and a recreation and cultural centre flexible enough to meet the needs of a whole community.

Freebooter – GG-loop

Freebooter is a residential project in Amsterdam, consisting of two spacious apartments.

Inspired by the Netherlands’ maritime past, Freebooter becomes a modern-day ‘ship on land,’ with many references to wind, water and sailing. The floor plan of each apartment references a ship’s layout and is organic and free-flowing.

The project’s name is a reference to the historical figure of the ‘Freebooter’, private freelancers who explored the high seas. It was their spirit the architects sought to bring to the apartments.

The use of light was of special importance in the project. After a year-round study of light conditions, the architects found the optimal shape and positioning of the louvers in the façade, maximising the distribution of light while allowing for an appropriate level of privacy.

The building consists of a structure of PEFC-certified Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), provided by Binderholz, and steel. It was prefabricated offsite, allowing for an exceptionally fast build-time of three weeks for the four floors. Finishing the building took place over six months.

Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre – iredale pedersen hook architects

Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre (PRACC) in Pingelly, Australia, invites local residents and visitors of all ages to sports events, music performances and social gatherings.

The facility consists of four pavilions containing a sports hall, event spaces, bars, a community kitchen, a cultural centre and a bowls club – the gathering place for most of the towns elders. All zones are fully accessible for wheelchair and assisted users.

Hardwood was used in flooring, decking, cladding and panelling of the construction. The sports hall is a portal frame structure using a Pinus radiata LVL box construction system, while the cultural room is lined with deep brown recycled Eucalyptus wood. PRACC is the largest timber building constructed in Western Australia since 1940.

The entire building was constructed off site, transported to Pingelly and quickly assembled there. The building is easy to maintain and flexible enough to meet the current and future needs of the community.

Discover more finalists of the Best Use of Certified Timber Prize next Wednesday!

The Best Use of Certified Timber Prize, supported by PEFC

For the second time, the World Architecture Festival and PEFC will reward the Best Use of Certified Timber Prize, recognising architects for using certified timber as a main construction material for buildings outstanding in sustainability, innovation, quality or aesthetics.

39 architects from 18 countries entered their projects into the prize. The winner will be selected at the WAF in Amsterdam, on 6 December 2019.

Photo credits: Francisco Nogueira, iredale pedersen hook architects - Peter Bennetts