Architecture in the tropics is about negotiating the elements. Roofs play a vital role in the defense against these elements. Built to house a premier insurance company, the project needed to express the contemporary organization with the promise of solid commitment of purpose. Our attempt was to make a strong connection with its green surroundings and to create a humane working environment for a cross cultural staff structure. The evolution of the design started with three giant concrete cabinets holding archival storage systems and services, sitting on the green and forming the principle enclosure. A blade; thin canopy, it is a contemporary interpretation of the local Makuti (thatch) roof bandas on local homes, which over-sails unequally over the glazing, responding to solar incidence. It protects the entire perimeter single glazing, allowing it to receive glare-free sunlight and also reducing energy costs. The canopy levitates and reflects light onto the surrounding landscape like a beacon.
