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Architects: Skarn Chaiyawat
- Area: 1100 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:DOF Sky|Ground
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Manufacturers: Lamberts, Alumet, COTTO, Lysaught, TGSG
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Lead Architects: Skarn Chaiyawat, Krit Chatikavanij
Text description provided by the architects. Nextech is a company that provides Information Technology infrastructure and data-storage solution
services. Their previous office was at the heart of Bangkok’s business district and after a long period of
paying the costly rental prices in an office building, they decided that it was time to build their own headquarters. During the time that tech industries are the leader in moving towards a paperless working environment, online working and cloud storage have proven that work can be done from anywhere. This new concept has challenged traditional office space design and utilization.
The new headquarters is situated on a 400 square meters plot of land, tucked inside a small soi near
Punnawhiti BTS station. With some distance away from central Bangkok, building codes regulate the height
at a maximum of 15 meters. The floor plans are maximized but not for conventional reasons. The building
is divided into two masses: office space and service core. Separating between the two is a breezeway that
runs through the whole height of the building, letting in natural light and ventilation. This creates a pleasant
atmosphere in open-air spaces which not only greet visitors before entering the office but also provide
leisure areas for small breaks between working hours or casual discussions. It also acts as a space that
architecturally divides the building, connects workers from different floors, and breaks the rigidness typically
found in standard office blocks. Another key element that passively creates comfort in the building is the
placement of the service core, which is strategically oriented to face the south to provide a buffer from direct
sunlight. This also keeps the excessive heat away from the main occupiable space of the building.
On the interior, the 2nd - 5th floor provides flexible open-plan spaces for various usages. The spaces support
diverse activities to suit the need of a modern working environment where the need for individual desks no
longer dictates the whole floor. Multi-purpose space can accommodate workshops, events, and changes in
the future. Apart from the flexibility, the key architectural element of the office space is the double-height
ceiling. Sacrificing half of the floor area on the 3rd and 5th floors, the high ceiling creates a bright and airy
atmosphere, taking full advantage of natural light. The dynamics between low and high ceiling heights offer
a pleasant change of scale as well as spaces for different functions. Where privacy and enclosed space are
required, rooms are placed between spaces with lower ceiling height, while multi-purpose and lounge areas
can take the full benefit of the higher ceiling spaces. Air-conditioning units are carefully placed in the most
effective location, avoiding any interruption to the openness of the space. Built-in furniture with a ventilation
grille was carefully crafted to conceal the AC units to achieve aesthetic quality and allow convenient
maintenance.
Externally, metal sidings wrap the building on almost all areas of the exterior wall, especially around the
service core. Not only keeps the inside temperature balance, but also provides aesthetic touch which
withstands the weather and requires minimum maintenance. The surface quality and vertical ridges of the
standing seams create patterns that come together with the other two exterior elements of the building. On
the east side, U-Glass channels blurred off undesired views of nearby apartment blocks while allowing natural
light into the building. On the west side, stainless steel mesh screens off direct sunlight and provide a
pleasant view of the outside.
