Biomedical Hub
Seoul, South Korea
The new Seoul Biomedical Hub building stands as an icon for the entire institution within this rapidly developing part of town. It focuses in the optimization of environmental and economic resources.
Its ziggurat-like form combines the pragmatic vertical repetition of a versatile office floor plan, with a topographically-grounded volume. It connects all public uses both with the other buildings in the complex and with the city beyond.
The typical office plan offers a flexible modular layout that can be partitioned in multiple ways in order to host companies of all sizes. The interior distribution may also shift in time as resident companies change, grow or shrink. This versatile structure ensures the economic feasibility of the complex, while expanding the lifespan of the building and avoiding its obsolescence.
The lower floors grow and adapt to the topography, creating a series of terraces, ramps and differentiated entrances. They link the building with its surrounding open spaces, and with the other buildings on campus.
The Biomedical Hub also incorporates a series of passive climate-conditioning strategies that reduce energy consumption and optimizes environmental resources. These strategies include elements such as solar chimneys, an active facade that regulates sun incidence, or a central lightwell that also acts as a climatic buffer zone. Furthermore, the modular structure is built out of cross-laminated timber (CLT) elements that minimize its carbon footprint and allow for a quick and inexpensive construction process, as well as for a durable building.
