STRIATED AFFILIATIONS | 流线型线性组织

Chinese culture dictates a vastly different business etiquette to that Westerners are used to, one with roots in Confucian values of society that have been present in East Asia for many centuries. Indeed these values are so ingrained in society that Chinese business culture never could have escaped them.

The fundamental aim of Confucianism is social harmony, with the relationship taking the central role. In China business contacts are generally driven by referrals, with a strong emphasis on personal relationships – no business talks will be made before social ties are established. These social ties run deep, with much ‘business’ conversation being about family or other areas outside work.

Eating, drinking, and socialising have always played a large part in Chinese (business) culture – acting as the key to building relations, and exchanging information. The value of ‘face’ means that most entertainment takes place in public spaces. Frequent meals are vital to maintaining strong business affiliations as deals are often made following the success of personal relationships.

On the outskirts of the financial district in Xicheng, Beijing, the contrast between the relatively wealthy and well developed financial buildings and the poorer Hutong area is striking. A limited interaction between residents and the influx of employees is one of the by products of commercialism. The urban strategy investigates the advantages of field conditions for organising site activities. Rooted in the dynamics of use, the project develops a more fluid, bottom up approach to architecture, creating a gentle transition of space and culture.

The project develops a new office typology, re-developing the western office model to respond to Chinese business culture. Incorporating intertwined dining and office space to facilitate a simpler process of ‘doing business’, whilst revolutionising the approach to the high-density developments required to satisfy China’s economic development and rising population.

Initial experiments involving fluid aggregate and fabric formwork developed an interest in displacement and field generation as a method to providing organisational strategies for functions operating within the proposal, favouring a horizontal approach to high density development.

Where conventional office floor plates are limited by optimum sizes for light distribution and ventilation, the new model provides an amalgamation of open and solid spaces allowing light to permeate through the proposal not only creating unique atmospheric effects but allowing a denser network of office and dining spaces.

Further investigation into the theories of field conditions allowed both formal and organisational strategies to emerge. Inherent qualities of this technique facilitated consideration for navigation and connectivity, whilst exploring how the thickening and thinning of spaces can not only assist flow but create different atmospherics by intensifying the user’s experience.

A physical construct identified the formal possibilities of striation by introducing twists into the striation to create volumetric enclosures. The formal proposal developed through this consideration for lighting and the quality of space and experience. Colour embodies an even richer culture in Chinese folk traditions, feeding the spirit and increasing the depth of the experience. This significance of colour is celebrated throughout the proposal with the use of lighting to create further atmospheric effects. This strategy is controlled by three parameters.

A. The height between the layers.

B. The intensity of the striation, which will not only affect quality of space and the atmospheric

qualities it holds, but the way in which the space is moved through.

C. The placement and proportion of ‘solid’ and ‘open’ spaces.

The plan developed as a progression from the organisational diagrams considering expandability and flexibility. Small pods are sized appropriately and clustered so they can accommodate either small teams within an organisation or small companies. Space around the pods provides informal meeting spaces. The staggered organisation promotes interaction between teams and organisations, strengthening affiliations.