LITERATURE CASE STUDY:

The competition: Bangkok I am fashion hub

Since the agreement to form an integrated ASEAN Economic Community
into a single market, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore. Indonesia and
Thailand have been attempting to position themselves as the ASEAN.
Fashion Capital. with no clear front-runner Thailand, arid in particular
Bangkok, have a real chance of claiming the title despite the fierce
competition.

Recent trends in both fashion and architecture have been to adopt a 1nore
Western or European design; traditional Thai architecture has been all but
abandoned since the t u r n of the century in all areas apart fro1n religiou s
building s and palaces. These buildings are almost always co1nposed of a
collection of buildin gs, shrines and monuments featuring intricate carvings
and brightly decorated features. Most notably the use of oma1nented multiples-
tired roofs which is reserved ju st for these important public building s.

Since the formation of the ASEAN Economic Co1nmunity there has been a
strong desire to preserve the vanishing Thai architectural style and identity,
which uniquely employs geon1etry and syn1bolism in the design and
construction of Thai architectural works.

The site
The proposed site for the Fashion Hub is a unit near the Phloen Chit BTS
station in the Pathum Wan District in central Bangkok. The location is ideally
situated in one of the busiest and most densely populated urban areas of the
city. Retail venues are all within close proximity as are luxury hotels.

The site is also well connected to the rest of Bangkok via the BTS Sky
train systen1, easy access to the freeway and plenty of pedestrian access to all
the nearby amenities.
The brief:
Competition participants are tasked with designing the region 's first Fashion
Hub as an instrument to bring the world to Bangkok. The Fashion Hub
complex would have to offer facilities in order to attract and host various
fashion and design related events, both local and international.
These events would educate and influence young designers in Bangkok,
either directly or indirectly, in order to help them grow and develop as
designers. The benefit to students in Bangkok of mentorships and
workshops from designers from Europe or even the US would be
tremendou s: providing them with more skills and experience and making
them more able to compete with other ASEAN market s.
HMMD asks designers to present a building complex that would inspire and
attract regional, and even international attention. The building should be a
proud landmark and a resource as well as a representation of Bangkok 's
emerging talent. The purpose of the Fashion Hub is to serve as a central
location with the facilities to provide education and experience to both
fashion students as well as up and coming local fashion designers. Will have
areas dedicated to workshops and skills labs and facilities to accommodate
guest speakers and exchange programs with students and designers from all
around the world.
The program

The building should host different functions and users; such as students of
fashion from Bangkok, exchange student from all around the world, young
and well know designers, locals and foreigners, conferences halls and
showrooms for tourist and locals, and for last offices.

competition concept

For the Final competition we decided to create a building that was a

landmark itself, not really taking care about the sustainability of the building
nor the urban relationship between this and the area.
The concept is inspired by the GARUDA, the emblem of Thailand. The main
lines of the shading elements are emerged from the abstraction of this figure.
Eventually louvers are added representing the feather lines of the Garuda
Wings. The movable louvers in turn have an environmental role. It offers
shading on the east and west facades, with a controlled variation in the
shading degree.

The shadingg on the west facade has been reduced due to the existence
of the residential building that alread y shades it. The louvers are controlled
in relation to the total irradiation on the facade, which helps reduce the solar
gains inside the spaces in the hot climate.

The fashion hub:

The building itself have 10 closed floors with co1nbining different functions
and users, that according to the brief we split into 3 main groups, workers,
in blue, students, in yellow and visitors and guest in red.
Use of building:
 1st to 3rd floors: public, open to all tourist and visitors, include spaces like
catwalks, showrooms, galleries, exhibition halls
 4th to 6th floors: privacy related to student of fashion designing which
include classroom, workshop, library.
 7th to 9th floors: private, related to people who will work on daily basis it
includes offices, meeting room, working space.

The plans are organized in a way that all the services and technical areas are
facing the north side, opposite to the main facade, gathering all the functions
on the main facade.
The next Figure shows the schematic design of the building with the
different functions, each floor has a different main function that is connected
with the rest of the.
Basement floor

Ground floor:
 Hall
 Plaza
 Services and
vertical
circulation
 bar
First floor Second floor
 hall  hall
 outside circulations  outside circulation
 services and vertical circulation  services and vertical
 conference room circulations
 runway
 dressing room
Third floor Fifth floor
 showroom  hall, library
 outside circulation  outside circulation
 services and vertical circulation  services and vertical circulation

Sixth floor
Fourth floor
 library
 classrooms
 workshop
 bar
 outdoor circulation
 outdoor circulation
 services and outdoor circulation
 services and outdoor circulation
Seventh floor Ninth floor
 hall, library  hall, library
 workshop, classroom  office
 outside circulation  outside circulation
 services and vertical circulation  services and vertical circulation

Tenth floor
Eighth floor
 library
 hall, library
 workshop
 offices
 outdoor circulation
 outdoor circulation
 services and outdoor circulation
 services and outdoor circulation
 Terrace
 green roof
 outside circulation
 services and vertical circulation

The ground floor, elevated 3 meters from level 0, acts like an island in the
middle of the city, a shelter from the chaotic and noisy Bangkok. Surrounded
by bamboo, the ground floor is an open space protected from sun and rain,
which is unpredictable in this area; invites users to relax and enjoy a quiet
space. In this space one notices a car and pedestrian traffic reduced , calm
and the microclimatic change the building has to offer. Bamboo naturally
regulate moisture and provides shadow, but also hinders a view to the
outside. Thus, the city is blinded out visua lly and all vistas being swallowed
by the bright green and red plants. The small forest plays the role of an
interface between city and hub.c
The space underneath the building adjacent to the entrance plaza can be
used for fashion shows or communication between the public visitors and
private production of the hub and like a settled but growing forest it depicts
the passing of time.
All of the floors are organized in a way that there is always a hall or common
space, to attract visitors or to explore the building and its virtues connected
by external ramps.
The entire building is organized ba sed on one main vertical circulation:
elevators. Located in the center lies of the void, and collecting each floor with
the relevant function by an external ramp, making the road from one function
to another a pleasant experience. Walking through a bamboo forest
surrounded by a Thai design that evokes fairy tales.

Lobby in the building

Ramp on the 8th floor
On the top floor there is a restaurant, where visitors can experience a unique
double-height space surrounded by fabric shades systems, creating a unique
space. In this open space we deny the views to the outside by the fact that
our building cannot compete in height with respect to the neighboring ones,
so the strategy is using an “outside in" approach. On the terrace. Accessible
by the last perimeter ramp. there is a bamboo forest where visitors can go
and walk among the plants as if they were in the middle of now here the
things to enjoy are inside the building itself.

This frontal view onto the building on a level below the railway allows
two sides to be visible. The building, although slender and 10 floors
high appears to the passerby as one smaller volume within a series of
large volu1nes. Its visible materials and form evoke different images in
the viewers mind, the strongest being that of a fabric covering a body.
 This breathing fabric is fixed on a structure, that will be explain in the
Chapter 7 Technological Design, connected to the ramp covering these
edges by a copper faceplate which runs along the diagonal ramps. Thus,
it gives the impression to be wrapped around the building and fixed by
belts.
The dynamic impression caused by the diagonally running ramps is a
trick to the eye. It almost see1ns as if the body behind the facade
cover is in 1noven1ent. This is however absolutely not decorative but
actually the functional de1nand for diagonal ramps; 1nakes for a dynamic
elevation.

The used fabric is an off-white toned and printed with a relatively sma ll-scale
pattern inspired by a Thai garb. This pattern becomes visible only later
when the visitor has accessed the buffer space behind this facade between
the bamboo s.
This veil as the very outside layer changes its propertie s of visibility not
only when changing the distance but also as matter of lighting and
daytime, like the interiors or the building, different functions and users are
combined and connected working in harmony.

The fabric panels at the top floor are not simply cut off straight, but in
steps following the logic of the woven fabric. As in the bottom. this
decision is actually based on another parameter. which is the function that
lies beyond.
Where the open entrance piazza shapes the fab1ic to become a roof. a1 the
cop floor it is the cultivation of bamboo, which demands for diffe1ing ceiling
heights to host bamboo of different ages and sizes. In this smaller the bamboo
shading is carefully controlled and inclined photovoltaic panels on top of the
roof structure can create additional energy.
The space created behind this fabric veil is ideal for bamboo cultivation, which is de-
centrally distributed over the buildings naturally lit facade space. It creates a
second layer behind the fabric, which mediates climatic changes from outside
to inside. The bamboo provides a cooling effect by shading from direct
sunlight and by regulating air humidity. Towards the exterior, it adds a layer
of natural shapes and dynamic shadows to the facade, as it might sway
already in weak winds but also as it is growing and being cut seasonally.
Like the growing of bamboo, people traveling along a ramp also provide
irregularity and slow but steady movement to the facade.
The plants real service life however only begins after it is cut and transpo1ted
to the fact01y where clothing fabric is produced from this raw material.
Bamboo, for further information about bamboo.

Furthermore, it can be mentioned about the full view onto the building that it
clearly faces the most important directions of access with a more
sophisticated facade, reacting to surrounding conditions accordingly. This
represents an idea about fashion, which is that of flaunting beauty to the
front while leaving the functional parts to a hidden backside. Who hasn't
admired a perfectly fitted suit in a shop window only to be disappointed
upon realizing the needles and clamps by which it is fixed to the fashion
doll's backside? Similarly, this building less prominent north facade houses
functions like bathrooms facilities ru1d fire escape staircases.

The proportions of the building are carefully orchestrated. It is high enough

to appear cut when seen from the main access route, as ceiling and floor
restrict the view onto the building. This leaves the actual heights open at first,
and it is not immediately recognized as one of the shortest buildings in the
surrounding. It is just high enough to house all necessary functions in a
generous manner as well as achieve slenderness beneficial for natural
lighting and ventilation. The visual trick applied to even increase this
sensation of slenderness is by splitting the facade into two parts of different
material qualities. One being the white fabric facade and the other being a
plaster finish.

The artificial lighting during night time enhances this effect. One part of the
building is darker and thus visually reduced in comparison to the front part
shining in a complimentary contrast of red and green bamboo. The
perception of the "whole at night is completely different that the one during
day time, the building is changing during the day.

Bamboo tray
Bamboo grown in beautiful decorative pots or containers can look quite
stunning. The blend of sizes, colors and shapes to go w i t h your pot or tray
is almost limitless. Growing in pots gives flexibility in the garden, patio or
balcony. Because the pot itself is a barrier, there is no need to be conce1ned of
bamboo taking over the garden. Because bamboo achieves tall heights in
small growing spaces, it is very ideal for those balconies/patios with tight spaces.
In our case the bamboo will be grown in pre-casted concrete trays. The trays
will contain around 50 cm gravel at the bottom layer and around the same,
50 cm soil on the top. Since the trays will be pre-casted a water proof ban1er
needs to be placed in the bottom of the trays before placing the gravel and
the soil to prevent water leakage where the trays are com1ected. A PVC
drainage pipe (0 30 cm) with holes on it will be bedded in the gravel layer
about 10 cm from the top.

This pipe will be continuously connected from the roof top until the storage
tanks in the basement supplying the bamboo with water. The pipe needs to
be wrapped around with a metal net to prevent the roots growing into the
pipe and also by a water permeable textile layer to prevent the soil penetrate
the drainage system causing congestion. On every floor the drainage pipe has
to have a cleaning pit where the sediment from the drainage can be collected
and later removed. This is ve1y important to prevent congestion in the system.