Despite their main staple of commissions being private highrise condominiums, an overriding concern of MKPL Architects is to look for appropriate solutions to the question: what is tropical high-rise?
The solutions attempted and built are as varied as the expressions of those addressing the same concern. The projects shown here represent a bold yet grounded vision that transcends the current perception of tropical high-rise living, without turning the designs into an architectural fantasy.
The conviction is in the constant, physical delivery of the idea - not mere intellectual exercise in theories. The SkyPark demonstrated the feasibility of a bungalow in the sky, whereby the exit from the elevator to the entry to the apartment is through a garden in the sky. This garden which measures as large as the apartment allows outdoor living but with a panoramic view of the city. Planters and screens become the architectural envelope of this high rise condominium.
The Orchard Suites demonstrates a simple idea of cross-ventilation and the breathable skin. It is translated into a sensuous diaphanous shroud that is based on robust logic. Planning of the apartment constantly ensures through-ventilation, making the building truly breathable.
The Grange Road project takes another direction in this idea of a tropical high rise. Every floor plate is designed with a service core that allows a range of different layouts. What keeps the architectural language coherent is the external exo-skeletal frame that acts as structure and screen. Perimeter planter boxes and gardens will constantly shroud the building in greenery while allowing individual expression through the interior furnishings and layout of the apartments. Swimming pools and water gardens are possible amenities that come with each apartment.
