Perkins+Will Awarded First Place at International Architecture Biennale

Perkins+Will’s Master Plan for SANY Beijing was selected as the first place winner in the “Conceptual Design” category at the 8th International Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. The judging committee based their award selection on four central themes of the exhibition: spatiality, connectivity, originality and sustainability.

The Perkins+Will submission featured the SANY Beijing Master Plan which consolidated existing plans into one. SANY, the largest heavy equipment manufacturer in China and one of the top 10 heavy equipment manufacturers in the world, wanted to achieve a higher degree of efficiency in their manufacturing process and create a memorable visitor experience. These elements along with a great degree of environmental efficiency were major guiding principles behind the design.

Perkins+Will’s solution came from a truly collaborative and interdisciplinary effort, led by the Urban Design group, Corporate + Commercial + Civic architecture group and the Shanghai office. They worked under one umbrella goal: the campuses should exist in harmony with nature. By following this concept the team achieved the following:

• Created and preserved wetlands
• Protected sensitive watersheds
• Buildings designed for optimal solar orientation and community interaction
• A distinctive brand image defined for SANY, while providing for exponential growth in their manufacturing base

The design also took local culture into consideration by emulating the Peng, a Chinese mythological bird.  Perkins+Will used the Peng as inspiration to unify the three main buildings for both design and operational functionality.

Images: Perkins+Will