The Construction Research Institute Malaysia (CREAM) wanted a new 10,000-square-foot workspace without the stuffy formal environment often associated with research institutes.

The result is a warm and welcoming space with ample daylight and city views.

The windows in this building are small compared to other city centre offices, but they open up to great views of the Kuala Lumpur skyline. Hence, the workspaces are arranged along the periphery of the existing central core and adjusted according to the wall opening positions.

The research office was designed and built on a very tight budget in a total of eight weeks, made possible by the modularity in design and materiality, which facilitated ease and speed of the production of custom-built items.

The use of natural materials, such as rubberwood, throughout this space helps create a cohesive and cosy ambience. Rubberwood is a more affordable and eco-friendlier source of timber compared with other hardwood, as rubber trees grow faster and are often ‘leftovers’ from plantations that have ceased producing rubber sap.

In the entrance lobby, rubberwood thin slats line the walls and ceiling, lending a sense of depth to the space that draws one in.

The workspace partitions are crafted from industrial polycarbonate sheets and acoustic fabric panels framed with laminated rubberwood. The semi-translucent polycarbonate panels provide researchers with privacy, without cutting off visual connection completely.

 

 

 

 

PROJECT DATA
Project Name: Construction Research Institute Malaysia (CREAM) Office
Location: Level 29, Sunway Putra Tower, 100, Jalan Putra, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Completion: March 2017
Gross Floor Area: 10,000 square foot
Client: Construction Research Institute Malaysia (CREAM)
Interior Designer: Eleena Jamil Architect
Principal Designer: Eleena Jamil
Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: RE Tech Consulting Engineers Sdn Bhd
Interior Fit-Out Contractor: Grand Teknik Bina Sdn Bhd
Images: Pixelaw