the butterfly scheme won in the end

During our Concept Master Plan Design Phase, we presented a multitude of Design Options to our friends at Filinvest Land Inc. including; Central Park, The Cross, The Spine, Pinwheel, Blades, Fingers, Butterfly, Wiggles, Cut Sandwich, The Great Wall and Rotunda. Though everyone was amused by the name “Cut Sandwich”, down deep, we new this wouldn’t fly. My favourite schemes were Fingers and Butterfly. In the end there was unanimous support for the “Butterfly” scheme.

Megablock is a commercial office development located in the Northgate precinct of Filinvest City, Alabang, Philippines. It targets a LEED Silver environmental rating, illustrating the collaborative Design Team’s commitment to Sustainable Design. The “Butterfly” arrangement of buildings, consists of 4 commercial office towers, 25 levels in height, with a total GFA of over 180,000m2. It was designed for our client Filinvest Land Inc., to cater for the BPO market which works both day and night/ “graveyard” shifts.

In-between the butterfly wings is a luscious green landscaped park and retail centre. These spaces can be used for seasonal events or simply to relax in the pleasant garden surrounds.The public Park is an amenity to be shared by the Northgate Community and gently ramps up above the retail spaces creating a natural amphitheater. Bridge links connecting the towers at high level act as break-out spaces and informal meeting rooms promoting interaction.

 

140724_Top Angle Render 140724_street view

BPO offices in Alabang

Megablock is a commercial office development located in the Northgate precinct of Filinvest City, Alabang, Philippines. The “Butterfly” form consists of 4 commercial office towers, 25 levels in height, with a GFA of 45,000m2 per tower.

Crone Partners designed the towers around a significant public parkland and piazza retail space that can be used as a performance space for seasonal events or festivals.

The office floor plates are designed to maximise workspace flexibility, with large, clear span floor plates with a NLA of 2,100m2. These can be broken up into strata offices or used as whole floors.

The development was designed for the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) market where employees work a morning and graveyard shifts. The various outdoor landscape areas provide a pleasant outlook and place of respite where workers can connect and relax after a stressful day.

Megablock is a green building targeting a LEED Silver certification through the US Green Building Council.

140724_street view

Foster + Partners Unveils New Images of 425 Park Avenue | ArchDaily

Foster’s new offering in New York. A sleek, modern, commercial building emphasizing the vertical lines of the building. A grand lobby space smartly rendered in 3D to show it illuminating the streetscape. That’s why they’re one of the best!

Foster + Partners Unveils New Images of 425 Park Avenue | ArchDaily.

1353087164-2084-fp464074-indesign

180B comes to life

After months of construction work in the basement levels of 180B the building is finally coming alive. The amazing truss structure that spans the railway lines in Brisbane is exposed at ground level and can be seen over 5 levels of the podium. Hyder Structures worked closely with Crone Partners to design an innovative structure that spans the railway tunnels with diagonal bracing and uses the core itself to straddle the railway lines.

The unique side core commercial office building is 34 levels in height and has over 60,000m2 of NLA with large open floor plates.

It is a thrill to see this image provided by Watpac Constructions and see the shape of the office floor plate coming out of the ground, having worked on the project since its early conception in 2008. Crone Partners won the project in a Design Competition and have enjoyed working collaboratively in the design process with our client Daisho.

I’m also impressed seeing our site Architect Nick Grbavac giving good scale in his yellow hard hat in front of one of these amazing columns. Nice shot Nick.

180 b trusses

P1040069

180B axo view

REX Designs Conjoined Media Towers with Retractable Facade for Middle East | ArchDaily

An umbrella facade that opens and closes depending on outdoor environmental conditions. Wow!

REX Designs Conjoined Media Towers with Retractable Facade for Middle East | ArchDaily.

GIF_13_14_Cropped