Tropical Hub: A Home for Collaboration

Our office space in Panama is a case study in employing environmentally responsive design and tropical modern methodologies.

author

KRISTIN MORALES, AIA, LEED BD+C
FOUNDER / PRINCIPAL DESIGNER

IVAN MORALES
FOUNDER / PRINCIPAL DESIGNER

The lessons learned at AMA Estancia deepened our architectural process and in 2011 we decided to establish our own firm so that we could continue down this path. The timing was serendipitous, as our clients had acquired an additional 900 acres adjacent to AMA Estancia, bringing us three new building projects and drastically expanding the scope of the environmental restoration and conservation projects we had begun with AMA Estancia.

We decided to expand our team and manage the construction ourselves. We hired Juan Herrera (contractor), Saul Cedeno (maintenance), Betsy Cerrud de Quintero and Zuleimy Bonilla (admin), Horacio ‘Kusy’ Peralta and Greg Ives (reforestation and the reserve). With this team, we were able to delegate responsibilities that had previously been ours. This allowed us to focus on strategic planning, design, and stewardship of the quickly growing Reserva Panamaes.

Saul Cedeno at work in the Tropical Hub office building

Saul quickly took charge of the buildings and grounds maintenance. It was a time of expansion and he made sure the generators worked properly, the pools were not green, and the plants stayed alive. His contribution to the place has been enormous and without him we could not have completed any of the next generation of projects. He had previously worked as a park ranger and was on the landscaping team of a neighboring project. He is a natural born leader that has stepped up to and gladly takes any responsibility that is given.

The management became more streamlined because we now had a more integrated, sustainable infrastructure and operation. This management strategy includes a lateral structure of our team, a structure where each team member is responsible, motivated, relies on others, knows when to delegate, and when to say no. To be a truly sustainable organization, we needed each team member to be invested, to be responsible, to care, and to not just look to the ‘jefe’ (boss) to tell them what to do.

We had the team but no place to centralize them amidst the projects. We wanted to build a refreshing workplace that was environmentally responsive, fostered a collaborative spirit, would serve as the heart of our operations, and a place that our team enjoyed working. This project became known as the Tropical Hub.

The building was made of concrete and wood, the most basic of materials. We wanted to keep it as simple as possible and use it as a building prototype following tropical design parameters.

The site for the office was a former cow pasture that only had seven palms when we arrived. We had a clear understanding of what our existing context was from the start, but we knew from previous experience what the context could be. To that end, we started site work and reforestation six years before breaking ground for a single structure on the site. As the design process developed, the trees grew, and animals returned to the site. By the time construction started we had a young forest around us which inspired us to design a building nestled within the environment.

The building is a case study employing environmental responsive design and tropical modern methodologies.

Passive cooling and natural light reduce the use of electricity. The core of the building is composed of two central corridors oriented in the prevailing wind axis. On top of the corridors, we have building-long skylights with ceiling fans that allows for hot air to escape and keep the building cool. This technique is especially effective during the rainy season. The workspaces along the corridors are lit by skylights.

The overhangs on the north and south facades and brise soleils on the east and west facades serve to protect the building from solar insolation. This effectively eliminated the need for mechanical cooling.

Sky light as seen from roof during construction

Concrete drying on finished building structure

The building is nestled within a planted forest that provides shade, protects it from the wind and attracts a variety of birds and butterflies and is high from the ground to avoid flooding and pests. All views from the work area overlook lush gardens, providing the staff an environment that enhances productivity and promotes mental health.

Indoor and outdoor spaces are of equal importance; these spaces coexist and support each other.

The siting of our buildings is the principal, central element in our design language. This is the first, most important and time-consuming step. We believe architecture does not need to fight or only be in harmony with nature but should be part of the ecosystem. The two are of equal importance, they coexist. We are particularly interested in engaging with the landscape to create exterior spaces, while leaving vast open spaces with structures, providing space for experience, for contemplation, for joy.

In our process, we often begin with the design of solid vs void – or exterior vs the building, with each defining the boundary of the other. This relationship creates a more interesting figure ground, an intentional relationship between the building and the ground. Exterior spaces are for experience and adventure while, interior spaces are for reflection. The uses of interior and exterior rooms are distinct but interconnected.

An outdoor space is more than just a place to put flowers. Green spaces absorb heat and water, lower the temperature, and create a pleasant environment for humans to inhabit, look at, and be inspired by. In addition, gardens can sustain animal life, promote biodiversity, and eventually link bio corridors. Gardens can also protect from the winds and provide shade that enhances your quality of life and mental health.

This project was formative to our design approach moving forward because we chose to employ as many the environmentally responsive design measures as applicable in its design. These measures have succeeded at reducing the use of air conditioning, improving natural lighting, reducing electricity usage, and having a positive impact on the inhabitants.

The resulting spaces highlight the beauty and simplicity of tropical modern design and provide the staff of Reserva Ecologica Panamaes with a positive sunlit work environment that is ideally suited for collaboration and teamwork.