Ludwik Kaizerbrecht on the design approach, process and development of the YOFC headquarters in Wuhan.
It took 5 years from concept to realization of YOFC headquarter (38 000 sqm above ground) – time considered as very short for building of that kind of size and quality in many places of the world.
For me it was a very busy time, full of design studies and multiple design challenges but rewarded with experience of creating an icon. Here are some experiences I had while working at Gensler during this design process.
From five to one – defining the target
The design approach for this project and for headquarters in general differs from a standard design process. The target is to create a building fit for client company history and culture, but designed with aspirations for future development; a landmark that will stand out but also represent the thought behind the company. To meet those criteria the design has to be very customized, especially for the tenant and the location.
To achieve those aims we started by trying to understand the core principles of the company, their history and vision.
We have realized that the YOFC has a great tradition built from academic background (Wuhan has a well recognized Technical University) and development of the optic fiber. The company has grown to become a national leader – laying the foundation for Wuhan Optics Valley, and has been recognized internationally with multiple factories and technology centers around the world. All of those in less than 30 years.
We understood that the building needs to be built around the atrium that would represent the origins of the company and its pursuit to develop. The concept design started with several massing studies. All of them incorporated a central atrium – a semi private space available only for tenants. Due to the future location of the building surrounded with grid oriented buildings we intended to find a unique shape that would help the building to stand out. As a result of several tests, we decided to move forward with 5 massing strategies which represented strongest design logic.
The next step would be understanding how the building shape has affected the floor plate organization and what would be a benefit of each layout. We have looked throughout a lot of layout references, but I believe we progressed the most by drawing them ourselves. After understanding the client’s point of view we have narrowed down to two design strategies – central tower option and lower and wider direction. As it is very common for Chinese companies to locate their main headquarters in a tower type of office, we have studied the potential of creating a landmark with a 60 m tall tower (site height limit) and reached a conclusion to go with the more horizontal direction.
Meeting with the client and making them a part of the process was something new to me. This way of developing the project requires more effort from the design team, but also teaches how to express the ideas in a simple way, how to present to be understood and how to organize your own design thoughts. Looking back I am now able to see that the client accepted and believed in the design, hence the support and passion to make it realized.
From the inside out – behind the wings and courtyards
The big inspiration for shaping the massing came from the client’s core product – optic fiber. With five wings intersecting around an atrium, the unique building shape symbolizes the connection. That design logic works in two ways – on the inside space is designed around how people move, maximizing the opportunities to connect. The outside site is being divided into five courtyards. Spaces defined in that way get their identity. Each of the courtyard is different in size, function and gets sun exposure at different times of the day. All of the courtyards are centered around a seven-story atrium. Both wings and courtyards serve their purpose – the balance between the open and enclosed space creates a harmonious environment. The biggest from all the courtyards was given to the south facing arrival plaza – as it is a key element for a headquarter building. Second to its size is the entertainment courtyard located to the east. It is equipped with a wooden stage and a counter hill equipped with a set of steps facing the courtyard. Another courtyard facing west is actually sunken – stepping down to the basement level. By recessing this courtyard we were able to provide sunlight to the double floor canteen located in the basement and ground floor level. Remaining courtyards are smaller and were given the function of green park and sport activities. We took extra care when designing the geometry of the sunken plaza, counter hill with steps and other small architecture located within the courtyards. Objects such as covers for cooling towers , basement exhausts and ramps have to be carefully studied in early stages of the design – as later it might be too late for adjustments.
The design of the wings had to accommodate different programs, structure and several technical factors but visually look coherent. After multiple studies on the width, length and angle between the wings we learned that geometry cannot get symmetric or central oriented. We have combined a wider plan with the shorter and lower wings, while making bigger wings slimmer. To make the building more dynamic, wings step down towards the main street. In that way we could provide longer sun exposure to the arrival plaza and introduce roof terraces connected in the central atrium. This stage of the design process consisted of constantly making sure that the massing endured the character of the original concept while being aligned with new functional and technical requirements.
Understanding the company culture & well-being – from idea to layout
Central atrium is the core idea of the project embodying the company culture – connection. Atrium connects the office spaces by collaboration areas but also creates a healthy work environment and promotes wellness. The idea of connecting five wings by atrium – supposed to create a special zone of creative thinking – tailored for hi tech companies.
We had to make sure that the space we create around the atrium is convenient for collaboration but also where impromptu interactions can take place. The shaping of the atrium started from the idea of splitting the big vertical volume of the seven floor height atrium into a set of smaller, more human scaled spaces. By joining the slabs of the wings in different order on different floors we have created smaller – “pocket atriums“ connected to the main atrium. To enhance the vertical flow in the central space we had to come up with a circulation strategy.
We introduced a spiral staircase connecting all floors. The idea was to bring people up with a set of lifts located in each wing and facing the atrium and bring them down by stairs. To stimulate the journey effect we have placed a series of features on the way: open terraces on the 5th and 3rd floor, gym on ground floor and canteen in the open part of the basement level. Using the vertical connection layout is more efficient, decreasing the walking distances from person to person. The large enclosed spaces like the atrium required a special approach with heating and cooling design. We decided to develop a passive thermal control system. Top of the atrium locates ventilators that can help to optimize the temperature of the air and reduce the use of energy to cool it down. Skylight located on top of the atrium is equipped with shading louvers oriented to direction, length and angle to minimize the greenhouse effect.
It was a long design journey from the concept of the atrium represented by the heart in the early diagrams to the functioning layout. The process was full of adjustments as we were creating unique space tailored for special needs. Going forward from concept design to schematic design phase we had to be more aware of the consequences that each of the decisions brings. Aside from lots of quick renders we have used Virtual Reality to get a better feeling of distances and dimensions. To be able to execute the desired geometry we have been simultaneously working with structure, seismic and other consultants using BIM. Having an understanding of layout in both 3D and plan felt essential to me.
Connect to the future – heritage inspired smart façade
The origins of the facade idea is related to the main concept of connectivity and fiber cable logic. We have decided to elevate this concept by connecting a very high performance double skin facade with the heritage of the location. The lattice window appears in Chinese culture in multiple types of patterns but the logic behind them stays the same – to provide sunshade and remain foldable. The idea of a series of vertical perforated screens organized in layers with potential of movement became the design strategy. As the site is located in an area with high temperatures, sun exposure, and intense rains, double skin facade is very applicable.
Facade design consists of – base curtain wall facade, the rotating louvers and front layer of glass, which all combined has created a system that enables the building to optimize self-heating and self-cooling. The smart facade system enables the control of sunlight and heat coming through the façade with sensors and motors that control the louvers following the sun position. In that way we could provide higher standards to the workplace and long term energy savings. One of the initial concerns about the facade was the effect after being closed – providing a solid look from far but enough transparency from the inside. We have studied multiple types of finish of the louvers – perforated metal, mesh and even fabric. It was a process of trial and error where we ordered and tested dozens of different samples. Finally we have selected an expanded mesh due to its hi-tech looks and extra rigidity given due to the material structure. I have learned that it is crucial to test materials under real life conditions – exposed to natural sunlight. Being able to choose the proper color, reflection and transparency of glass takes a lot of experience but makes a significant difference to the outcome. Final decisions about material selections would be made on the site with 1:1 mock-up. The facade design development is a very particular stage – the precision has to come down to millimeters. That requires very precise modeling and self-discipline over delivered work.
Headquarter as landmark – arrival and visual identity
Headquarter design is inseparably part of the visual identity of the company. The image of the building has to stand out and be recognizable. To get the form simple yet iconic takes a lot of refining and consistency. Often the ideas that seem to work in the first place don’t match the final look. It took us a lot of time to simplify the design details of the facade, canopies and other details to make the big features stand out more.
Another aspect of the headquarters’ identity is the arrival experience. This applies especially strongly in Chinese culture. The position of the entrance to the street, size of the plaza and canopy is really significant for the overall building image. We have pushed to the limits and came out with a very grand 18 m deep cantilever at the entrance wing. The gesture of opening is completed with a strong highlight of the facade design by night illumination. I learned that whenever you make decisions about small elements, you always have to keep the big picture in mind.
Five years after the project began, the outcome is breathtaking. Being able to see the design completed, facade moving or atrium being filled with employees rewards all the efforts. Looking back I can identify the significance of each design stage. I feel it would not be possible to achieve that level of results without a certain design approach. I have gathered some of the key design guidelines that helped me throughout this project. Hope you find it helpful on your design journey as well.
- Use tools to help you not to distract you. Make the best use of software.
- Always test and try, never give up. By testing you analyze the problem. It is very likely that there is a better solution.
- See the big picture. Choose the battles. Don’t get lost with small details.
- Be aware of the technical conditions. Keep things organized and don’t leave anything to good luck.
- Have people around you that are willing to come up with creative solutions to the coming problems.
- Make the client part of the process. Understand what they are looking for – but don’t just follow. Provide solutions that could improve the project. You are working on that project for a reason.
- Get to know what is your desired design and execute it. Make sure it’s not lost in any of the stages.
LUDWIK KAIZERBRECHT – an architect, designer and photographer based in Shanghai. He was born and raised in Poland.
Ludwik has been the recipient of the professional Architectural License from Polish House of Architects, and several competition awards and recognitions. He received a Masters of Architecture from Silesian University of Technology with honors, where he was nominated to the Best Thesis of 2010 Prize.
His professional experience includes time as Senior Associate and Senior Designer at Gensler in Shanghai, working in concept, schematic and construction phases of several large scale projects including super-tall towers, office campuses and headquarter design. He has also practiced professionally in Beijing, Warsaw and Krakow. He was part of the design team for projects such as Cricoteca, Muzeum Historii Polski, High Five and more recent A1 Smart City in Shanghai or YOFC Headquarter in Wuhan.
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