THE EXTRO


STATUS // UNDER CONSTRUCTION
CLIENT// SINGHA ESTATE
LOCATION // BANGKOK, THAILAND


The Extro is a project that could not have been conceived at any other time. It is a design that reflects the new Bangkok, a new culture. Centered around the priorities of the modern urban lifestyle, the architecture focuses jointly on technology and well-being. Thinking creatively about the needs of the modern generation, the project will appeal not just to one demographic, but to anybody with a youthful, energetic lifestyle.

The form of the project takes maximum advantage of its location adjacent to Santipab Park. Through an innovative modulation of form and cladding, the building appears as 2 separate towers – each impossibly slender and elegant.

The geometry of these towers rises up to form a series of landscaped terraces with the taller tower continuing upwards, tapering to form a sharp, triangulated top – giving the architecture its distinctive skyline presence.





PARK SILOM


STATUS // UNDER CONSTRUCTION
CLIENT // NYE & RGP DEVELOPMENT
LOCATION // THAILAND


Urban Placemaking

From the outset the goal of the S2 project was to go beyond creating merely a building. It was to provide Bangkok with a supreme, quality business and lifestyle hub – one that would revitalize the Silom area and provide Bangkok with a new iconic landmark.

The notion of working around the civic responsibility of placemaking took centre stage in the development of the design. Pushing the building back away from Silom Road resulted in the creation of a major urban plaza linked directly to the Silom BTS Station. This space brings to mind the great urban piazzas of the world, with exciting landscaping, abundant opportunities for public engagement and fronted by a dynamic building and facitlities.

Urban Permeability

The goal of the design was to allow the base of the building to encourage public interaction. Unlike many office towers, Silom Square has been designed to connect to the city with direct BTS bridges and a large urban plaza. The design fosters using the base of the building, not only as a destination, but also as a way to connect to other parts of the city. To this extent, pathways for different user groups (school children, office workers, retail visitors, etc.) have been studied and constructively integrated in the building planning. The key to this strategy was making the building contribute to the urban context, providing useful spaces and amenities that will enliven the site and the neighbouring areas.

The Future Office

The office tower has been designed to achieve the highest international standards being achieved in modern office buildings. This starts at the main lobby, which provides a suitably elegant arrival point – linked directly to a ground floor drop-off as well as a direct bridge link to the Silom BTS Station. The typical office floorplate has been designed with an optimum depth to window ratio, promoting good natural lighting opportunities. A high-performance façade will reduce energy loads and create ideal working conditions within. The large floorplate area has been laid out to facilitate a wide variety of tenancy layouts and sizes. S2 is also blazing new trails in terms of providing exciting new spaces within an office tower. Large, 4-storey atria punctuate the main façade. These landscaped spaces offer a unique façade to the city whilst providing the tenants with an exciting place to work.

A New Retail Hub

Linking the office tower to the expansive civic plaza is a retail podium. Arranged over 4 floors, S2 retail is set to become a new landmark with a dynamic collection of shops and dining opportunities. In today’s world of decorated retail boxes set directly onto the street, S2 will feel like a different world – fronted by an elegant, landscaped plaza with an active façade that engages the public. The retail areas have been designed to break down the usual segregation between the office lobby and the shops. Instead, it encourages a seamless relationship with cafés, restaurants and other functions being as much part of the office/lobby experience, as for pure retail destination purposes.



MULBERRY GROVE


STATUS // LAUNCHED
CLIENT // MAGNOLIA QUALITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
LOCATION // BANGKOK, THAILAND


Mulberry Grove is a new prototype of multi-storey residential development that is designed as an intergenerational living community. We have a place that brings multiple generations of the same family together to live in an exceptional high-rise environment.

HB Design has gone back to first principles to generate a new architectural paradigm that responds to the needs of a multi-generational family. By thinking “out of the box” we have created a unique concept in high-rise living: a flexible living space called “the nook”, which can operate in many ways: an outdoor terrace, a high-rise garden or an additional internal area, like a study or home-office.

Mulberry Grove has been carefully designed to the highest international standards and in some cases exceed them. All public corridors, for example,  have been designed to be wider than most other residential projects. This allows seamless accessibility and ease of use for the elderly and/or disabled residents.

Materials have also  been carefully selected to suit each activity, not just for safety, but also for superior design aesthetics.

In addition, Mulberry Grove has been designed with exceptional facilities for health and well-being. The use of an innovative ventilation system (ERV) that filters and cleans the outside air to improve the indoor air quality combines with integrated sensors to increase the safety for the elderly.

The common facilities of the project are as diverse as they are extensive, catering to people of all ages and interests. These facilities have been designed into 4 distinct zones each occupying a different area of the tower:

  • Ground floor zone: co-working activities, including a study/ learning room
  • Mid-tower zone: wellness and sport activities such as swimming pool, hydrotherapy pool, gym, yoga and aerobics room, spa and massage rooms
  • Top of tower zone: social activities such as a resident’s lounge, a “living room” and a fine dining room
  • Crown zone: at the very top of the building, an area providing for outdoor sports and exercise complete with a roof garden






AWARDED


Property Guru Asia Property Awards 2019
Best High Rise Condo interior Design Thailand
Best Universal Design Development Thailand

BISHOPSGATE


STATUS // COMPLETED 2017
CLIENT // PRIVATE
LOCATION // SINGAPORE


This design for a private house with an unusual setting, as the main ground level was four metres above street level with a steep slope mediating between the two. The design concept was for two suspended blocks connected to a common core, which contained the main lift and stair. One of the blocks was an ambitious 12 metre cantilever expressed with an exposed steel truss.

The upper level volumes were expressed as open shells, facing each other and containing all the bedrooms, along with a family room. The linearity of the two shells also informed the site planning with a series of strips of varying widths expressed as pools, decks, walkways and landscape planters. The main living and dining areas were located on the ground floor and enclosed by a long span structure open to the landscaping on both sides. The structural design, by Web Structures in Singapore, was an inherent part of the architectural language and required very close collaboration.

With no street presence, the design had to provide for an appropriate entry sequence through what was clearly a basement. Hence, the basement was finished in fine materials with natural lighting washing the side walls via skylights. The façade of the building became a landscape project with cascades of planting and water. At the rear of the site, facilities included the main kitchen and a gym, and enjoyed light and air via a strip courtyard.




WHIZDOM 101


STATUS // COMPLETED 2019
CLIENT // WHIZDOM SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION CO.,LTD
LOCATION // BANGKOK, THAILAND


Masterplan

The 3 phases of Whizdom 101 Residential project form part of an integrated masterplan. Each of the towers is arranged in a fan-shaped array designed to maximize unobstructed views and to take advantage of optimum orientation in terms of sunlight and natural ventilation. The skyline composition of the 3 buildings breaks down the assembly into a series of visually distinct towers, each with a different height and orientation.

Architectural Concept

Whizdom 101 presents a new concept of highrise living. In the past living in a skyline tower was the privilege of the few and the wealthy. Units were large, extravagant and inaccessible to most. Whizdom 101 brings to Bangkok affordable high-rise living. Units have been designed to make the most out of modest area. Compact apartments, where every square foot has been carefully considered, feel large and well thought-out. Common amenities are lavish and reminiscent of 5-star tropical resorts with pools, landscaping and exotic materials.

Design Concept

The design breaks a large building into visually separate parts. From the street the building appears as two towers, connected by a common core. The height of the towers are staggered to further the dynamic skyline presence. Orientation of the main wings is predominantly north-south, optimised for both solar exposure and cross ventilation. The common core leads to 2 distinct corridors that minimize their length and provide both good natural lighting and ventilation – a key component of green building approach. Landscaping and common facilities are provided in varied environments, from lush gardens to exquisite lobbies and pools and lounge facilities on the podium.

Interior Design

Contrary to what might think, small spaces require much more care and attention when being designed. Much like a business class seat in an airplane, every square inch needs to be thought about and ways to enhance the spatial experience maximised. Whizdom 101 has been designed with the same approach, resulting in apartments that feel surprisingly generous, despite their compact size. Natural ventilation and lighting has been carefully integrated. This same care and attention has been brought to all areas of the project, from the gardens to the lobby to the pool and lounge areas.









ONE CENTRAL TOWER


STATUS // LAUNCHED
CLIENT // B.I.C
LOCATION // CAMBODIA


His Excellency Yim Chhay Ly, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, presided over the ceremony, said that the groundbreaking ceremony of the project is an important contribution to boosting and accelerating Cambodia’s economic growth.

The overall Masterplan is composed of a 22-storey Grade A office building and 3 high-end residential towers. A richly landscaped podium houses parking, amenities and 2500 sqm of retail on the Ground level.

The Masterplan concept is to create an oasis-like vehicle free central open space with extensive greenery and water features surrounded by the residential towers positioned in a radial fan shape. This strategy maximizes unobstructed views from apartment units to the central court. These residential towers also provide a backdrop for a mid-rise office tower located on the other side of the court.

All of the towers are designed with one connected podium and a half basement which allows flexibility of use to share parking and service access. The shape of the podium has been carved out with a non-linear outline to create a dynamic form for the roofscape to house common facilities and an organic experience on the ground scape for retail. The connected eco-deck is proposed to offer a mix of facilities for the apartments and offices and a micro-ecological green environment to the residences. This is part of the concept to create an effective and satisfying ‘Live-Work-Play’ environment and to give back to the community.

The grade-A office tower offers a 3m ceiling height. The central-core office planning is designed to allow flexibility for an open-plan single tenancy office or multiple sub-tenancies depending on market needs. The office tower is also designed with high-speed destination controlled lifts with and additional private lift serving the 2 executive floors which offer roof decks and inspirational views to the Mekong river.





PARKLINKS NORTH TOWER


STATUS // UNDER CONSTRUCTION
CLIENT // PARKLINKS DEVELOPMENT
LOCATION // PHILIPPINES


Project Bravo is located in Quezon City, Manila in the Philippines, on a bend in the Marikina River. Directly opposite from the project parcel is the future ALP Parklinks development, which will compliment the future value of this parcel with its new parkscape and rich amenities.

The site is broken down into 2 main portions; the Retail Mall on the west and the ALP Residential development on the east. The site is has a very limited depth of 43 meters wide with a generous river frontage of approximately 180 meters.

The primary views are towards the east and west. The view east is preferred for a number of reasons; the green park and the River Esplanade, the future Parklinks development, and the minimum proximity of 200 meters to any future building, which in a dense city like Manila represents a great asset. The view east also has the advantage of being an easier orientation to deal with in terms of solar orientation.

That being said, we believe that the western view also represents a very valuable proposition with the long range views of the city skyline, notably Ortiga CBD. However, this orientation does require us to deal with the roof of the low-rise mall.

The limited podium depth at 43m meant that any organization other than 2 parallel towers resulted in deal-breaking design compromises in the podium. The columns, the lifts, the core and the inclusion of retail into the lower levels made the planning of carparks and traffic engineering very challenging. The twin tower concept also carries compositional weight, whether it be KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, the twin towers in NYC or the Gateway in Singapore, there is a strong precedent for the twin tower configuration as a driver for iconic urban place-making.

The conceptual design has been predicated on three crucial performance drivers:

• To create a unit you really want to live in – planned from the inside out

• To create a place that you want to call home – thinking of the greater context, the facilities, the retail Mall and the River Esplanade

• A building of refined architectural character – given the prominent presence these two 50 story high towers will have in the urban context

An innovative concept of Adaptive Modular Design (AMD) has also been developed and carefully applied to the planning. The premise is to create a standardized structural framework within which multiple apartment typologies can be deployed. This modularity allows for flexibility of the Unit Mix in response to actual market demand, time optimization and future adaptability to end user requirements.

As part of design optimization, certain end-user driven concerns have been carefully considered. ACCU ledges have been located to maximize unobstructed views. Columns are purposely pushed out of the unit to allow for a better interior layout, free of kinks and obstructions. Flexible layout planning allows for unit adaptation and customization. Balconies are designed to provide a truly tropical experience, providing a seamless relationship between inside and out, as well as much-needed environmental shelter from solar gain and exposure to rain.

The project has been designed to be implemented in 2 similar phases. The design allows for the 2 phases to either completely independent or to share traffic engineering logistics, should that be required.

In the center of the podium is a pedestrian connection to the Retail Mall. Facing the river esplanade is a strip of double-height retail envisaged as a lively al fresco and lifestyle dining environment.

The arrival experience for the residential towers has been carefully choreographed. The drop off is open to sky and fronts a double-height residential lobby with a direct frontage on the riverside esplanade. It has been designed as either a naturally or mechanically ventilated space, depending on the weather conditions.

The Amenities are located on the podium roof and positioned to take advantage of the view corridors along the river. A second area of amenities has been designed as a sky terrace located on the 42nd level. This double-height open space, overlooks the River and democratizes the high-rise, giving the opportunity for all residents to enjoy the elevated views and entertain in a prime location.





ANANTARA RESIDENCE


STATUS // COMPLETED 2016
CLIENT // PRIVATE
LOCATION // THAILAND


A luxurious totally private spa, created to indulge in pleasure, respite and absolute well-being. The spa is carefully and elegantly designed to blend Thai style touches and contemporary western interiors, featuring a state-of-the-art Wellness Wet Lounge and a Sanctuary Treatment Suite. The spa treatments offered are tailor-made from exclusive selection of Anantara Spa.






EYSE SUKHUMVIT 43


STATUS // COMPLETED 2006
CLIENT // PRIVATE
LOCATION // SINGAPORE


The Promise

In the city of today, with its ever increasing density, the ultimate luxury is privacy. The guiding force behind S43 has been to create the ultimate private sanctuary right within the heart of Bangkok’s most desirable neighborhood – to create a development where the individual can feel at home, surrounded by exclusivity and intimacy.

Many developments promise the same “sound bites” – be that the promise of an oasis or the delivery of the exceptional. Most often, this is the product of the marketing team, with the actual project falling far short of these aspirations.

S43 has taken the delivery of the promise to heart and work tirelessly to ensure that from the outset the high standards set have been achieved or exceeded. The outcome is a project that is fundamentally different from the competition. A place that will be an exceptional home with an attention to detail that reflects the true meaning of luxury.

The Delivery

The design process was both creative and rigorous – both of these aspects necessary in order to push the envelope towards an exceptional outcome. Looking at the best orientation in terms of environmental response and best views determined the building form. A green courtyard was created to form the heart of the project.

The low-rise nature of the building gives the project a cosy feel, where the human scale is not dwarfed by the architecture. Facilities have been conceived as an integral part of “community building”, where the anonymity of modern urban living can be countered.

Units were designed from the inside out – looking at the best utilisation of space and layout to create homes that were compact, yet extremely spacious in feel





BYCULLA MILLS


STATUS // UNDER CONSTRUCTION
CLIENT // PRIVATE
LOCATION // MUMBAI, INDIA


Located in Byculla-Mumbai, on the site of the old Great Eastern Mills, in a historically significant part of Southern Mumbai, the site enjoys views to the Arabian Sea and Mahalaxmi Racourse on the West, the Harbor on the East and Jijamata Udyan which forms a prominent green lung to the south, within a densely populated neighbourhood.

The planning on this long and elongated parcel of land was driven by the desire to tap into these spectacular views from every single unit and living space in this premium development. The masterplan evolved into twin towers, both staggered and rotated, to overlook each other towards the views on all sides. The twisted geometries were superimposed on a complex program of public parking which forms the base of the project along with the general amenities and parking for the residents.

The inspiration for the form was to create a series of vertical ‘lanterns’ along the south western edge of the project, which breaks the edge into a series of cuboids interspaced by refuge floors required by code. These lanterns were treated in a curtain wall façade to ensure that even during the day, with the lights off, they distinguish their presence by reflecting the environment.

The building terminates at the top with a series of spectacular penthouses with private pools and double height spaces. Above which, is a crown with random vertical elements and lights which forms a beacon giving the building its distinct identity, over a far reaching distance, in a dense high rise city.

The units for these project where an exercise in creating luxury while ensuring that the sizes never ballooned up and took the units out of range for the buyer. The design of the spaces was always keeping in mind the relationship to the views the site enjoys, vastu and great interior layouts.
The amenities, which are located at multiple levels in the project, were carefully inserted to tap into the genius loci of the site. An old pond, from the days of the cotton mill, forms the backdrop for the community facilities on the ground and the entry to the project jogs its way around an old tree with a temple. On top of the podium are a set of beautiful designed pavilion structures around the pool. These house the multipurpose courts, fitness and wellness facilities and spaces for relaxation and socializing. Located on the top floors facing east are the sky-terraces with function decks and meeting areas.