Sustainability with Beauty 
{"autoplay":"true","autoplay_speed":"8000","speed":"1000","arrows":"true","dots":"false","loop":"true","nav_slide_column":5,"rtl":"false"}
{"autoplay":"true","autoplay_speed":"8000","speed":"1000","arrows":"true","dots":"false","loop":"true","nav_slide_column":5,"rtl":"false"}

DETAILS

LocationTaipei, Taiwan
ClientArtech Architects
Size10,152 square meters

This major Taiwanese electronics company chose the “Electronics Center” of Taipei overlooking the Gee Long River for their new headquarters. The overall concept is of a 25-story slender tower rising above a sloped landscape podium that covers much of the site. Below-grade parking slopes toward the river on one side, with the urban center on the other side. This configuration maximizes views from the tower and for users of the landscape gardens. The podium provides security, view gardens, and a green roof, while retaining stormwater for irrigation, and providing insulation for the public spaces below.

The podium at the rear of the site slopes one story to the street, where a major vehicular entry provides access into the recessed atrium court. The larger podium on the riverside slopes two stories down to the boulevard. A second vehicular drop off is on this podium at the front building face. As the garden slopes away from the tower, stepped water features create visual and aural interest. Halfway down the garden, a light well opens to a courtyard below that is viewed from the cafeteria at the lower level. Stepped fountains in the courtyard and a grove of Madagascar almond trees can be viewed from the cafeteria or from the pedestrian bridges on the podium above. Camphor and Golden Rain orchards serve as street trees.

The generous open space around the tower gives it distinction in a dense urban context, and plays a major role in accomplishing the vision of the owner: a total “green” development. Conceived before LEED accreditation, this was the first green roof envisioned and built by a private party in Taipei.

Related Projects

Poly Future City

As the first phase of a large development along a new subway line in Beijing, Poly Future City suggests what’s to come. A sleek sales center features an interactive landscape with water features punctuating its pavilions, which boast WiFi, heated seating, and power outlets, all solar-powered. For this temporary building and landscape, SWA took care to invest i...

Xingfa Cement Plant Renovation

Located next to a public rural quarry park, Xingfa Cement Plant is set to be transformed into a national advance science research facility, contributing to the establishment of Huairou Science City. The team of landscape architects and architects worked in close collaboration to preserve valuable cement factory buildings, production structures, existing trees,...

Shanghai Tower

China’s tallest building, Shanghai Tower, is located in the Lujiazui Financial Center Zone near the Shanghai World Financial Center and Jin-Mao tower. SWA’s landscape design establishes a “Tower Park” to complement the building’s iconic form and function, connect the mixed-use project with its urban neighborhood, and provide a variety of beautiful settin...

Tencent Dachanwan Netizen Campus

Tencent Dachanwan, in the Qianhai Bay area, will be a model of science and technology that leads the future. Our vision is to provide common ground for nurturing creativity, innovation, and performance by connecting people in non-work environments. Our approach combines indoor and outdoor experience into a stimulating and complementary whole.

Tencent is...

North Texas Corporate Campus

Facing arduous competition in the effort to attract and retain top employee talent, companies are seeking ways to distinguish themselves through the design of their workplaces.  Reimaging and reinvigorating an outdated campus into a stimulating and rewarding work environment with quality amenities was the goal. To undertake the challenge of this campus transfo...

Westlake Corporate Campus

Westlake Corporate Campus is a new 107-acre corporate training facility and retreat center for Deloitte LLP. Formerly, Deloitte had conducted new employee training, team building and continuing education workshops at various hotel sites across the United States. The project encompasses indoor/outdoor classroom facilities, recreation and many other retreat type...

Exxon Corporate Headquarters

Exxon’s Corporate Headquarters is situated on 200 acres of rolling mesquite woodland in Texas’ Las Colinas Development. The design captures the essence of a subtle Texas landscape by careful selection of native plants and preservation of existing woodland and wetland areas. The building itself is surrounded by a more “domestic” landscape within a forest ...

Symantec Chengdu

SWA provided landscape design for Symantec’s research and development complex. The site was previously inactive and banal until SWA’s design reinvigorated the area, linking the building program and connecting the site to the larger city. The landscape design produces a “brocade,” weaving together the building and site program, and offering an oasis amid the de...