The multifunctional, flexible and sustainable building ‘Patch 22’ in Amsterdam Noord is an innovative and audacious project. It won the 2009 sustainability tender ‘Duurzaamheidstender Buiksloterham’ and was developed on the initiative and at the expense and risk of the architect Tom Frantzen and construction manager Claus Oussoren. The tower is located on plot 22, hence the project’s name, which is also a reference to Joseph Heller’s famous novel, published in 1961, ‘Catch-22’.

Wooden boxes
The building is 30 metres high and as such is the tallest wooden building in the Netherlands. The project is audacious because of the choice of materials combined with its size. In order to make the building sufficiently heavy it has a concrete ground floor, on top of which are six wooden 200 m2 ‘boxes’. The boxes are angled in relation to each other. The building is provided with balconies at the front and rear.

Sustainable 
The materials used and the energy management system are sustainable. Energy is generated by means of solar panels and pellet boilers, making the building entirely self-sufficient. Patch 22 is entirely flexible in use. Pipes and cables are located underneath detachable panels in the floor, enabling the interior layout to be easily altered if desired. This flexibility means that the building can be redeveloped in the future, giving an extra dimension to the sustainability aspect. The result is a playful and distinctive building.