The Friendship Boat is now an office for a remarkable advertising agency. A rebirth project of the infamous Badboot (a ferry boat that partially sank).
The place brings visiting and working to a whole new level of collaboration, immersed in vegetation and fresh playful colours which stimulates creativity and thinking out-of-the-box.
Special Mention- Global Future Design Awards 2020
Firm | Lucas Freire Architecture
Architect/Designer | Pedro Lucas Freire
Category | Interior Design Built
Team | Pedro Lucas Freire
Country | Belgium
Photographer/Copyright | ©Jeremy Vanmaelen
Why would you dream to work at an exclusive location overlooking the water when you can be on the water itself?
When clients come come to the boat you give them a whole new experience: coming on board for a meeting!
The boat was found with a very thin hull that was not isolated at all.
There were two large openings are also provided for heat blowers to warm up the boat during cold weather days.
To drastically reduce the energy consumption of the future office there were made some adjustments.
For example, insulated wooden panels have been placed against the hull and an extra layer of glass was added to the windows everywhere.
This way the walls became thermally insulated and finished with recycled wood that requires no paint or maintenance.
All windows with single glass were thus transformed into double glazing.
For the floor, a custom mix of polyurethane and epoxy was cast in a custom-made fermacell mesh, on top of grains that have been accurately scattered around the slope from 6 percent to 1 percent.
The floor has a protective layer against noise and scratches, so that high heels or the rolling of office chairs the floor would not damage it.
All zones have a well-balanced balance between communication and privacy. The same applies to the flow between the two levels. The Friendship Boat is a social office boat.