pencil office: a simple factory building

'a simple factory building' by pencil office in singapore
all images courtesy pencil office


singaporean architecture practice pencil office has sent us images of 'a simple factory building',
a multi-storey structure in an industrial area of singapore. focusing on resolving site-specific obstacles
found in the tropical climate as well as the property's limited leasehold, the project is driven by
environmentally-conscious design and features a complex trellis screen that filters airborne pollutants
from the neighbourhood.



exterior views


conceived as a 4 double-story block, the design is visually defined by a lightweight dryvit and
galv metal skin that wraps around the front, top and rear facades of the building. the subtly shifting
density in the trellis pattern creates the illusion of a much taller structure, drawing eyes vertically
towards the sky. coated in photo calaytic titanium dioxide, the screen self-cleans and assists in
substantially reducing concentrations of airborne pollutants in the area. the facade composite,
aluminum window walls and reinforced concrete construction allows the building to be fully recyclable
at the end of the 33 year leasehold.



street view



wrap-around trellis system


functionally serving as a hoist space for lifting goods, the center of the interior has been hollowed out
to generate a volumetric subtraction at the core of the plans to facilitate natural ventilation as well as
to maximize on natural lighting. the multi-storey courtyard extends to an open-air roof level which is
partially covered in the continuous trellis system. in addition to lending a distinct visual identity to
the factory, the porous pattern allows outward views of the neighbourhood from the interior.
to counteract the strong presence of the western sun, a service core is situated along the length of
the building to act as a thermal mass. 



ground floor service space



(left) looking up at central void
(right) level above



roof level



(left) roof level
(right) view of site from roof



lit street facade



from street






(left) floor plan / level 0
(right) floor plan / level +1



(left) floor plan / level +2
(right) floor plan / level +3



elevation



sectional diagram of natural ventilation



solar studies


project info:

size: 990.0 m2
type of construction: concrete
principal designer: erik g. l'heureux
consulting team: ayra architects, HS engineering consultants, K L au engineering