Freebooter: A Triumph of Biophilic Architecture by Giacomo Garziano

Setting New Standards in Home-Owner-Centric Design and Energy Efficiency

Freebooter, a residential project in Amsterdam, is a tribute to the courageous spirit of the Dutch Freebooters, historical figures who assembled freelance sailing teams for high-sea adventures. This design, according to Garziano, embodies the Dutch's pioneering and innovative spirit. The project is GG-loop's first residential project in Amsterdam, setting the standard for future projects based on biophilic, home-owner-centric design, energy efficiency, high-quality interior spaces, and natural materials.

The Freebooter project is a celebration of craftsmanship in contemporary design. The two-apartment block boasts an eye-catching louvered exterior that serves as a focal point for the neighborhood. The interior layout reveals a combination of window features, timber interiors, and layered finishes, fostering a sense of well-being and connection to nature. The picturesque Zeeburgereiland provides the perfect backdrop for family living and entertaining.

Freebooter's design aesthetic is extravagant without being invasive, visionary and futuristic while paying attention to local cultures, customs, and sensibilities. The construction of the key internal elements required strong craftsmanship and timberwork, as well as solid structural expertise. The project represents the result of extensive research in the field of timber construction. A hybrid system of cross-laminated timber and steel structure was developed to optimize the interior space and construction time.

The project was initiated in Amsterdam in October 2014, with construction starting in May 2018 and ending in December 2018. The hybrid combination of timber and steel proved to be the most efficient through the whole process. Initial tests with a more typical concrete structure were held to compare the two solutions. The chosen hybrid system proved to be the most qualitative solution, only 10% more expensive than a generic concrete structure.

Designed and developed by Amsterdam-based studio GG-loop, the residential project is an expression of the studio’s philosophy of responding to the design brief with the experience and well-being of the end-user in mind. The movement of the sun year-round was studied to create the parametric shape and positioning of the building’s louvers, allowing optimal sunlight to flood the apartment while at the same time maintaining the necessary privacy of the inhabitants. The floor-plan and organic lines were also created with careful consideration to daily use and the typical tasks of the dwellers.

The Freebooter project was awarded the Golden A' Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design Award in 2019. This award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.