We are happy to announce that we recently placed the finishing touches on an exciting project: the construction of Cloister, a new 40,000-square metre headquarters for Qingdao Iron and Steel Group, located near their steelworks facility in Qingdao, China. The project consists of seven separate yet interconnected buildings, each with its own dedicated purpose: offices, research, sales, logistics, sports and security. This meant that the work posed a diverse range of challenges and considerations for our architectural team.
Our goal was to create contemplative spaces that allowed people to think and relax in the midst of a highly active, busy environment. We also wanted to make sure the development was sensitive to the climate of the region, which is highly variable and ranges from very hot and humid to extremely cold. We wanted to make sure that occupants could enjoy using the spaces at all times of the year, regardless of the weather conditions.
These factors informed the layout of our design, which comprises a series of north and south facing courtyards connected by a sheltered walkway or cloister which provides a path to all ground floor areas. Along the entire length of the third floor, there is an elevated, enclosed walkway which allows people to walk around the entire perimeter of the building without being exposed to the elements. Our design allows large numbers of visitors and workers to move around freely and enjoy using the spaces all year round, whatever the weather.
As with all our commercial architecture projects, environmental awareness was an essential aspect of the work. The properties are powered by waste heat from the steelworks, and the layout of the cloister allows this recovered energy to be distributed evenly and efficiently between each building along a glowing pathway, which adds an extra visual connection between the buildings. The development is located in a harsh industrial setting, so it was important to use tough, durable materials that could stand up to dirt, pollutants and environmental challenges. Coated brick and glass provided the ideal solution, giving the buildings the required clean and professional finish.
This was our largest project to date, and we look forward to working on many more large commercial architecture projects in the future. If you would like to read further details about the Cloister, the project is featured in this month’s edition of Architecture Today.