Asian Development Bank is a large, international organization promoting social and economic development. From their headquarters in Manila, ADB engaged our firm to design two a permanent field office in the Federated States of Micronesia.
Understanding the Geography and Cultural Context
To help us understand the local conditions of a new project we always visit the site prior to initiating our design work. Because our ADB client team was quite interested in narrative solutions that reflected the culture, values or history of the host government in a respectful manner– that tradition became particularly helpful.
The Atoll as a Natural Source of Inspiration
Upon arrival several things stood out during immediately…the geography of the Atoll first and foremost. A delicate, ring shaped, coral reef protecting a calm lagoon – which in turn protects an island formed by collapsed volcano – elevated the atoll geography as the natural source of inspiration.
Designing for Limited Local Construction Resources
A more technical challenge arose when we were confronted by the dearth of natural materials and a shortage of skilled craftsmen. The design solution not only had to be practical and beautiful – it also had to be buildable in a context with few construction resources.
A Diplomacy-Ready Space With Cultural Presence
The most important space within the facility would be the conference room where high level diplomatic and cultural meetings would regularly take place.
Prefabricated, Shippable, Atoll-Inspired Design
To that end we deployed the immediately recognizable atoll-inspiration for the plan. The entirety of the design was conceived in a way that would allow small, transportable sections to be rapidly and simply assembled on site. From the walls and ceilings to the lighting fixtures and conference table, we built the components in our own workshops, packed them into shipping containers – and assembled them rapidly and efficiently on the site with local labor. Win, Win.
