KBTG - KASIKORN Business-Technology Group Building
KASIKORN Business-Technology Group is undergoing a major transformation to support the arrival of the new “FinTech” digital banking era. With this industry-wide revolution, KASIKORN Business-Technology Group recognizes the urgency to change its way of working to suit the more modern and seamless culture that is native to its growing tech savvy community. The traditional big, bulky workstations were deemed inhibitive to communications and mobility across teams and disciplines.
To differentiate the project from other conventional financial establishments, the designer’s role encompasses materializing spatial program, functionalities, and aesthetic quality to best facilitate creative working experience for the organization’s manpower. Lessened private workspaces and increased communal areas intend to diversify the space’s functionality, which comprises of meeting rooms of various sizes and ‘Creative Box’ created to encourage users’ interactions. The K-café provides ideal atmosphere for casual meetings, matching the taste and behaviors of contemporary generation employees whereas K-Stadium located on the 11th floor is designed to accommodate large-scale meetings and presentations in the digital era. With high regard in users’ health and social responsibility, KBTG is Thailand’s first building to receive Platinum in the New Construction (NC) category from LEED.
Being a renovation project requires interior designer’s involvement in the early stage. Different methods are employed to help structural and interior details complement each other and accommodate the change in functionalities determined by the bank’s activities and demands, including its 24/7 operation hours.
With original structure’s low floor-to-slab range (3.00 meters) and the average story height of 2.50 meters caused by the existing large beams, the 4,800 sq. m. -space per floor and 120 meter-length can accommodate 700-850 users. The challenge lies in creating a spatial solution of great spaciousness, flexibility and comfort with lessened scale of space that stimulates employees’ collaborations. The choices of materials and construction techniques coincide with LEED standard for the building to best optimize users’ benefit and minimize impact on the environment and public well-being.
