Attitude BU
At Thailand’s largest and oldest university, Bangkok University, a multipurpose sports and activity facility provides a dynamic destination for students — and creative landscape architectural design overcame prominent site challenges to connect people and places and greatly enhance usability. Located adjacent to the university and divided by a 10-lane highway, the long and narrow project site presented distinct challenges, including setback limitations on all sides and limited usable area. It features three rectangular buildings situated in a linear fashion along the length of the site, and approximately 1/5th of the site is adjacent to the highway and the associated noise implications.
Due to these challenges, the three buildings are separated from one another and felt disconnected and useable space was limited. However, each building features a rooftop with panoramic views, and the landscape solution to connect all three rooftops provided a transformative impact to the overall facility by expanding spatial connections, enlarging usable area and celebrating the long views. In addition, the design provides a wider variety of passive and active uses, helping to establish as a 24/7 destination for students.
The design unites the three buildings while providing contextual solutions for each. At the more active Building A, higher-energy sports like boxing, jogging and futsal are better suited to accommodate the adjacent highway noise, while the service core provides buffering; aesthetically, vibrant colors like red, orange and yellow complement the space’s active nature. The more passive Building C — where students enjoy quiet moments and activities like yoga and Pilates — is located by the quieter residential area and features a cooler palette with shades of blue. The common and transition building, centrally located, acts as a transition and common area for leisurely activities. The design includes a sloping lawn, working counter, and outdoor furniture with a diverse color palette united with planting and green tones. The color tones match the mood of the activities — and were so successful they were then carried into the interior design.