Integral Office Building / Ronald Lu & Partners

Materials Selection
The constructing supplies chosen for any mission are a direct illustration of the tradition and know-how of the period. Steel and concrete are the primary constructing supplies in most fashionable development tasks, signifying in some methods the erosion of cultural range as a result of financial globalisation. As a end result, the homogeneity of supplies and types are a standard dilemma confronted by tasks seeking to revive conventional oriental structure and embrace genuine regional tradition. For this mission, the RLP design staff devoted themselves to the research of the native folks tradition of Guangxi Province. During their investigations, they found that blue bricks and gray tiles have been extensively used as constructing supplies for the homes within the space’s historical villages, with bamboo panels and strips generally showing of their every day lives. The architects these used these distinctive native blue bricks and recycled bamboo strips for the outer floor of the primary constructing. By doing so, they not solely paid tribute to conventional constructing methods, in addition they put sustainable improvement into apply and lowered the mission’s environmental influence by “turning trash into treasure.”

Function
Apart from the core textile workshop and craft centre, the mission additionally options botanical gardens, plantations, exhibition halls, workers eating places, studying centres and different services. Upon the completion of Integral’s second part, a retail business space and a efficiency centre will open, to additional enrich the experiences of workers and guests alike. Additionally, a big share of the craft centre’s roof is roofed with inexperienced vegetation, which not solely will increase the general greenery protection of the location, it additionally helps to insulate the constructing and maintain the indoor temperature steady. Some of those vegetation are additionally a part of a rooftop farm, which is able to present contemporary natural produce for the workers restaurant.

Façade
The architects added a semi-transparent bamboo curtain with a gradient to the façade of the craft centre’s blue brick wall, creating the impact of a window display screen overlaying the wall. The curtain easily merges with the encompassing timber and flowers and in addition softens and breaks up the lengthy exterior façade of the constructing, making the manufacturing facility seem extra humble and in concord with the pure surroundings.

Ventilation
The 5 major buildings of the primary part are positioned on the south aspect of the location, making the general structure as large as attainable and successfully facilitating the penetration of southern winds in the summertime. The semi-closed bamboo façades improve these breezes to create a extra comfy expertise within the warmth of summer time; whereas in winter, the restored hill slopes turn out to be a pure display screen that blocks the chilly northeast winds.

Green Axis
All workers and guests to the location cross by way of a leafy inexperienced walkway, an axis which runs by way of the whole web site. This was purposefully designed to lighten the temper of workers on the way in which to and from work, and to create a surprising and naturally lovely avenue for guests to take pleasure in.

Transparency
The architects skilabsolutely utilised a “transparent” design technique, utilizing glass partitions to strengthen daylight and enhance visible connectivity with the manufacturing facility flooring, show centre and worker restaurant. To additional obtain a visible connection impact, the borders between structure, courtyards and nature have been made intentionally obscure, blurring the definitions of indoor and outside areas.

Vision
At its coronary heart, Integral is a human-centred mission that has the utmost respect for nature. RLP firmly believes that the idea of sustainable constructing improvement ought to revere the pure world, and that sustainable structure ought to each co-exist with and be built-in into nature. This distinctive manufacturing facility was additionally designed for the workers, to create a perfect working surroundings the place they are often inventive and contribute to the corporate and society.

Through a thought-about design idea and exact methods, the design staff ensured that each element of the mission responded to the spirit of expertise championed by Esquel Textile Factory and their drive to create excellence. Every panorama plan was built-in with Guilin’s poetic, inspirational pure panorama; each modern apply mutually strengthened the ethos of “Intelligent Industry 4.0” superior by the Esquel Group. Together, RLP and Esquel are pursuing a company imaginative and prescient that integrates the consumer expertise, product high quality, constructing power effectivity, and environmental safety.