Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Exterior Photography, FacadeBio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Exterior PhotographyBio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Exterior Photography, FacadeBio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Exterior Photography, ColumnBio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - More Images+ 20

  • Design Team: Paul Danna, FAIA, Design Partner. Keith Boswell, FAIA,Technical Partner. Mark Sarkisian, PE, SE, Structural Partner. Jose Palacios, AIA, Design Director. Eric Long, PE, SE,Structural Director. Marc Tanabe, Technical Designer. Brent Nishimoto, Designer. Lonny Israel, Graphics.
  • Local Architect: Gomez Sebastian Arquitectos S.C.
  • General Contractor: Copachisa Constructora
  • MEP: Arup
  • Landscape: TLS Landscape Architecture
  • Lighting: Luiz + Forma
  • City: Guadalajara
  • Country: Mexico
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Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Rafael Gamo

Text description provided by the architects. Bio-Esfera is a modern office complex and the first project completed within SOM’s Distrito La Perla Master Plan, which transforms an underutilized site in Guadalajara, Mexico, into a vibrant, mixed-use destination. The new sustainably-focused office complex provides flexible, highly collaborative, multi-tenant spaces designed specifically for the city’s thriving technology and creative industries.

Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Rafael Gamo
Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Image 25 of 25
Sectional Perspective
Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Image 21 of 25
Plan
Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Exterior Photography, Facade
© Rafael Gamo

Mindful of its location near Guadalajara’s historic center, Bio-Esfera comprises two building blocks organized around a central courtyard evocative of traditional public plazas. The complex incorporates a series of public open spaces—gardens, balconies, terraces, roof decks, and an outdoor amphitheater—that enhance the office experience and connect with the surrounding community.

Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Exterior Photography
© Rafael Gamo

One of the project’s most distinctive features are the façade’s concrete fins, which frame floor-to ceiling glass windows that provide unobstructed views of the landscape. The fins reduce energy consumption by filtering daylight that passively heats the space. Each fin was hand-constructed using local materials and techniques; a phased approach allowed them to be cast on-site, further reducing the project’s total energy usage and carbon footprint. 

Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Exterior Photography, Column
© Rafael Gamo

In consideration of Guadalajara’s abundant summer rainfall, ample roof gardens and terraces are designed to capture rainwater for reuse and to minimize stormwater discharge. A centralized utility plant facilitates water movement and ensures the efficient operation of building systems. Future development on the site will include potable water wells and a campus-wide wastewater treatment plant that will allow the building to operate independently of the city’s infrastructure.

Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Interior Photography, Stairs, Handrail
© Rafael Gamo

The Distrito La Perla Master Plan, once realized, will provide a sustainable, highly livable urban district rooted in Guadalajara’s culture. The phased redevelopment includes five principal land uses: office, medical, retail, hotel, and housing, which are organized within a network of well-designed streets, civic destinations, public institutions, and richly varied open spaces, creating a rewarding experience for the people who visit, work, or live there.

Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - Exterior Photography
© Rafael Gamo

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Project location

Address:Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Bio-Esfera Office Complex / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill" 10 Dec 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/953008/bio-esfera-office-complex-skidmore-owings-and-merrill> ISSN 0719-8884

© Rafael Gamo

Bio-Esfera综合办公园区 / SOM建筑事务所

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