BG Group Global Technology Centre
A glass cube is wrapped in a crisscrossing shading device made up of broad aluminum fins calculated to block the sun at every possible angle. The brise-soleil fins are made from perforated aluminum panels to lighten the load and allow wind to pass through. It is not a static Euclidean grid, however. The porous fins undulate in and out and intersect at a variety of angles, all according to computer analysis. The matrix of sun-and-shade data creates an irregular outer casing — an almost living, breathing contour, like the protective shell of an underwater crustacean.
Interior spaces are closely integrated, with flowing connections between the six floors, multiheight spaces, open planning, interlocking volumes, and a series of mezzanines designed to foster creative thinking, flexibility, and interactivity among the different offices and research laboratories. Floors were made from recycled material and sustainably harvested lumber from local forests.
A broad staircase leads to a communal roof terrace that features native plantings and a system of cisterns for collecting rainwater used to irrigate plants both inside and outside the building. The grounds are planted with native shade trees, flowering hedges, and exotic bromeliads. The surrounding pathways and parking areas are paved with pale grasscrete to diminish the effects of reflected heat.
