The first consequential decision in the architecture was to angle the typical office bar at mid-point of its footprint to outline an urban plaza porous to pedestrian circulation. This leaves the optimization of the core and shell plan for workspace unchallenged but delivers a tangible reward in the quality of public space generated. The angles used to bend the building and its proportion and to define the butterfly section are entirely intuitive. The parti in plan follows existing good practices in workplace planning, while at its edges, a controlled articulation of in-and-outs significantly confers visual interest thanks to the hypnotic interplay of light and shadow as sun rays hit the exterior surfaces. This two-story structure cantilevers those cut outs on the upper flooring, essentially becoming canopies shielding direct light to the floors below.
A free standing structure with a canted canopy signals access to the two levels of parking below grade. Upon arrival from the parking garage, visitors encounter a butterfly theme embodied in a folded roof and a folded facade: folding is the leitmotif of this project. The multiplication of those roofs breaks the scale of the anonymous office bar into visually comprehensible units that when knitted together add richness and texture to the massing. The symmetrical angling of two planes around an axis applied to the facade demonstrates that its repeated application yields architectural unity rather than a chaotic jumble of discrete design episodes.
Although this is a speculative office building for technology companies and one tenant only, its overall appearance yields a form of humane modernism at the scale of the pedestrian. The numerous overhangs at the first floor and the recesses on the second floor, and cost-effective solar control, allow for a significant amount of glass to be used while still making this a LEED Platinum building.
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