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Architects: Creative Crews
- Area: 135600 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:W Workspace
Text description provided by the architects. Bangna, a district in Bangkok known for its highways, is now emerging as a key logistic corridor to the Eastern Economic Corridor of Thailand. AIA East Gateway is the first workplace project to transform Bangna from mundane office towers along dusty roads into a vibrant, active, and friendly work environment.
AIA East Gateway was designed and developed to challenge the conventional office tower model, where people enter through a grand but empty plaza, wait for elevators, and work in bland cubicles. Here, people are welcomed by a water garden, a large bio-retention pond that regulates water levels to prevent flooding in the area and promotes biodiversity. Stormwater is collected and filtered through green roofs and bioswales. The water garden is especially important in this project, as Bangna is below sea level and prone to floods during the rainy season. The proposal combines functionality and aesthetics in one design.
There has been a question if high-density office towers are still relevant in the post-pandemic era when many have adopted work-from-home arrangements. Creative Crews and our clients believe that social interaction and community are essential for enhancing teamwork and productivity. As the drawbacks of working from home become apparent, such as lack of personal space and blurred boundaries between work and life, we reaffirm our conviction that a proper working environment is still needed in today's society. Moreover, a higher-density workplace allows for sharing an efficient energy system in the building, compared to individual household energy consumption, similar to mass transportation. Together, people can achieve their team goals faster than working individually without communication, just like taking public transport instead of driving their own cars.
The AIA East Gateway building envelope features insulated glass to reduce heat transfer and energy consumption. The sun-shading fins are designed with varying lengths according to the orientation of the building, creating a dynamic facade that enhances the tower massing. The tower massing is shaped to highlight the gaps where sky gardens are located on different floors, creating a spiral effect leading to the tower's top.
The workplace design aims to attract people back to the office by offering a more hospitable environment than before. The pandemic has changed the workstyle permanently, requiring more flexible and collaborative spaces. The design also promotes a healthy and active lifestyle by integrating exercise spaces, a swimming pool, a jogging track, and biophilic design elements. Edible gardens, landscape trails for walking meetings, and landscape steps for informal gatherings or relaxation are some features that make this office building a new-generation workplace.
This project sets a precedent for densification in the Bangna area, demonstrating how a future workplace can be designed with sustainability, wellness, and innovation in mind.
