KEN YEANG

Ken Yeang is a Malaysian Architect.He is well-known for his green design and planning

• Menara Mesiniaga was built in 1994 and located at Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

• Designed by Ken Yeang for IBM

• It is a 15-storey building with high tech visual appearance

• Incorporates office building with sensitivity towards environmental issues

CONTEXT

• To create an atmosphere suitable and comfortable for IBM employees

• Symbol for their high technological products• Future option of expansion

Figure Ground

Mesiniaga Tower

Grid pattern

Centralized pattern

Lake

Highway

• Lush vegetation around the building

• Some residential complexes and townhouses

• Mostly shop houses -> low rise building

• The form is quite organic-> mixture of pattern

Located at corner site with high visibility

Figure Ground

• Sloping landscape base -> connects surrounding land + verticality of building

• Vegetation planted at the surface -> extension of land

Ground Floor Plan• It has centralized organization

Circulation

• Approach to the building is oblique Aerial View

Circulation

Perspective view of entrance

• Each level of building can be accessed through elevators or stairs

Office Floor Plan

• Entrance to the building is recessed

Orientation (East and West)

East Elevation

• Service core located at ‘hot’ side -> act as heat sink

• Uses extensive passive heating • Windows located along elevator

lobbies -> made orientation easier & provide natural light + ventilation

• Emergency stairs -> exposed to exterior

Lift LobbiesEmergency Stairs

Orientation (North and South)

South West Elevation

2 types of sun shade :- Aluminum fins -> block shallow light

- Panel of aluminum louvers -> for direct & far-reaching light

• Feature : Window Walls -> Double glazed• Allow expansive views, permit greater

amount of daylight, expand space beyond physical boundaries

Orientation (North and South)

Overhang roof shade most of south façade from high angled afternoon sun

Overhang roof

Solid Voids & Internal External

• Subtraction of space -> create void at each office level

• Void = Recessed Balconies (Sky Court) in spiraling configuration

• Entrance almost facing t

Function :- Shade and ventilate building- Intro of vertical landscaping- Transitional space between

interior (office space) and exterior

- Provide visual relief for workers

Solid Voids & Internal External

• Sky court -> Feels organic and random-looking -> there’s order

• Provide visual contrast

• Façade -> strong structural expression

• ‘Sieve-like’ instead of ‘sealed skin’ -> allow building to breathe

• Formed in tri partite way : raised green base, spiraling planted body and crown

Raised Green Base/Sloped berm

Spiraling planted body

Crown/Steel Trellis

Solid Voids & Internal External

• Circle ½ the circumference of building -> insulate lowest 3 levels from sun

• Other open half -> shade entrance lobby & connect mezzanine level to surrounding land

• Berm -> sloped -> increase SA for planting -> channels & absorbs water

Programmatic Arrangement

Gymnasium and swimming pool

Balconies, skycourts, offices, auditorium, cafeteria

Main entrance, lobby, carpark

Center :- Full-height partitioned offices -> for upper management

Periphery :- Access to windows and views -> for general offices

Sky CourtElevator Lobby

Toilet

Spatial Hierarchy

• This arrangement is unusual -> normally space with view -> upper management

• Enclosed space at periphery -> blocking the sunlight

Spatial Hierarchy

From external view, the hierarchy seems to be the ‘crown’ and the sloped berm as it has unique shape

Conclusion

1. In conclusion, I think that Ken Yeang’s work focused on energy use and performance within tropical climate

2. Menara Mesiniaga is a building with urban environment integrated with its landscape

3. The orientation and placement of voids and shade is carefully thought out and this reduce long term maintenance costs by lowering energy use i.e. reduction of air conditioning use

4. The introduction of vertical landscaping enable plants to generate oxygen and cool down the building

5. The idea of integrating the building with the site by building artificial landscape is very innovative