Architecture Meets Graffiti Art

New Administration Building (NAB)

In 2008, Asean Bintulu Fertiliser (ABF) approached the architects to design their New Administration Building (NAB) in Bintulu — they had outgrown their existing office building which was built in the 1980s. The ABF plant produces anhydrous ammonia and granular urea which is used in fertilisers, amongst other products. They are a key company in Bintulu, providing employment to over 1,000 local inhabitants. ABF is a joint venture between five Asean countries namely Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore.

Project Brief

Bintulu is a coastal town, some 650 kilometers from Kuching and a major industrial centre. It hosts the Petronas Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Complex — currently the world’s largest liquefied natural gas production facility on a single site.

The client’s brief called for office space for 200 staff members in a building that was energy efficient and flexible – the usual hallmarks of a modern and progressive work environment. What was un-expected and not ‘progressive’ was the client’s request for the demolition of the existing offices, and for the new building to sit on the cleared site.

Site

However, when the architects visited the site it became evident as to why the client would want to start with a ‘clean slate’ — the existing office building was a cluster of five blocks with steeply pitched pyramidal roofs and a Minangkabau roof as the entrance statement. The architecture of the entire complex was reminiscent of an 1980s resort hotel with its terracotta coloured roof tile façades. The existing buildings had problems with water leakages; the interiors were dim and claustrophobic because of the dark tinted windows and low ceilings. The existing site was cradled by low hills with mature trees — the site is relatively low-lying when compared to its surroundings.

Project Response

From the onset, the architects decided that the new offices would have to be roughly four-storeys high to accommodate the clients’ staff, a sub-basement car park directly under this building would cater for the car parking spaces required. The question that still remained in their minds was whether the existing buildings needed to be demolished to make way for this new building — as architects they were very much aware that these buildings were part of the site’s history. As a result, the designer's then decided to partially demolish the existing two buildings and to merge them — in appearance and functions — with the new 4-storey Administrative Building.

Planning

The new 4-storey building is designed to house all the departments within an open plan work environment with support facilities such as meeting rooms, rest areas and amenities while the existing 2-storey buildings will house communical facilities such as the medical centre, gym and library. With the demolition of a portion of the existing buildings, a space was opened up in the front of the buildings — this would serve as the forecourt to the NAB. This public space works in conjunction with the 2-storey entrance lobby to the east of the site to project a strong corporate identity for the client.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, this is an office building that performs very much like any other in this part of the world. Perhaps it deserves a second glance due to its location in Bintulu and that probably, is it. Unless one considers the effort to retain the past — to weave it with the present to create a more meaningful project. The NAB shows how existing structures on a project side can be incorporated into new designs without compromising both the new or old. In fact the inclusion of the existing structures meant that the NAB is located further from the entrance road, which gives it a sense of formality as one approaches the building. The forecourt created by the demolition of the two front blocks adds to this formality and place-making. Ultimately, the architects believe that existing structures on site should take precedence above all else as they represent material and emotional investments of the past.

Credits

Client: Asian Bintulu Fertiliser

Architect: Design Network Architects

Design Team: Leong Gian Wen , Wee Hii Min

Interior Designer : Design Network Architects

M&E Engineer: Perunding Dynatech

Contractor: Pembinaan Tajri

Built-up Area: 10,000 sq m