The design for the Axiom Town Headquarter Complex by MBAD Arquitectos + X Architects aims to have good urban quality, a young and smart-casual feel, an outstanding look, and an innovative solution to all functional and operational objectives. In order to achieve these desired workspace qualities, the concept includes integrating the landscape with the building and blurring the edge between the interior and the exterior. The architectural edge becomes an active edge not only between the immediate interior and exterior of the building, but also between the interior and the created exterior space within the building while also forming the program spaces. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The architectural edge establishes a relationship with all the different spaces in the building including work spaces and walkways. The size and height of the program spaces vary according to the functional requirements. All the spaces are developed in a way such that every occupant, whether public or private, is allowed to interact with the central exterior landscape. The site is located in Dubai Silicon Oasis, which is a 7.2 km.sq free zone in Dubai. It has a finished network of roads allowing quick access to Dubai’s major highways. Although the area is an arid, unbound area that is still developing, any new construction should relate to this context.
Axiom town, refers to the exploration of this urban architectural concept, trying to get into the complexity of the word, and solve an architectural project with urban character. The challenged is to propose a collective and perfect working place, just as a city, where several architectural programs mix and have their specificity; are separate but are part of a whole. Every part of the program is free and adopts the size, the shape and the height required for proper operation. All these activities are generated on the edge, in the limit, liberating the heart of the proposal as a free space, and this space gives the life to the proposal. To build the edge, the center is free, as a city, as a town.
The material is a single element that is key and distinctive in identifying the power of the brand. In selecting the material, it is important to consider the environment. Climate is an influential factor in the life expectancy of a building especially in this city. that is why it is very important to use a material that is able to resist and adapt to such climate and simultaneously represent the brand. With the passage of time, this material should age and enhance the appearance of the building, rather than degrade it. The color is a physical property of the material; define it and it will become a part of the essence. Weathering steel is used to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rust-like appearance if exposed to the weather for several years.
The public spaces are well separated from each other and are accessed from the main access. the semi-private zone, which includes the service facilities, has a strong connection to the main access and direct access to the vehicular route, parking and loading bay. This allows a balance in full motion with a light standard, schematic, ordered and repeat, all the core functions to meet this support, and to allow a proper and consistent performance in all areas and zones, public and private.
The circulation concept clearly distinguishes between the public and private pedestrian paths and proposes 2 walking and moving systems: the exterior public shaded walkways and the interior walkways. The outer envelope allows one to move around the perimeter of the building in an exterior shaded walkway. This walkway acts as a transition between the enclosed spaces and the arid exterior. This walkway also captures direct light and indirect light to make the lighting of the working space ideal. The interior circulation walkway decreases in width as it goes from public to private and so acts as a filter. This walkway wraps around the central exterior green space.
The main vehicular access to the site is located on the side of the plot to allow the best possible access to the highway. The general parking in on the opposite side of the plot and has access to both of the vehicular routes that border the site. There is also a vehicular parking for the warehouse, a vip parking for the managers next to their zone, and a drop off area on the site.
Architects: MBAD Arquitectos + X Architects Location: Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai, UAE Collaborators: Paolo Russi, Marcelo Benvenutto Program: Headquarter Complex Site Area: 410,000 sqf (38090 mts2) Project Area: 178,141 sqf (16257 mts2) Project Year: 2012
