The structural frame for Porto Office Park’s two main buildings was completed in the New Year and work is now progressing on the building facades.
A new Porto office scheme with a state-of-the-art modular façade system is set for completion in 2019.
The two symmetrical 15,500sqm office buildings each have nine floors above ground with a terraced top floor, 590 basement parking spaces and all within an urban park which has been integrated into the internal spaces.
The scheme, which has been designed by Broadway Malyan for Grupos Violas Ferreira, also includes a smaller third building which will include a range of leisure facilities including a gym, restaurant and three paddleball courts.
The BREEAM ‘excellent’ buildings is being clad with a glass and aluminium modular façade that has been constructed off-site, a process that improves the build quality while also making the construction process more efficient according to Broadway Malyan associate Joao Monteiro.
He said: “There have been very few office schemes of this scale constructed in Portugal in recent years so Porto Office Park is one of the first to utilise this emerging modular technology, which has been adapted for this scheme.
“The advantages of this process are significant as not only does it offer a better quality finish but the system can be designed and tested simultaneously to the early construction phase, significantly reducing the overall build time.
“The design of the façade itself has been heavily influenced by the climate with vertical fins that not only provide an important shading function but also give the building a memorable silhouette.”
The façade has been constructed in modules of 8.4m lengths across two floors, creating a vertical pattern of dark textured fins that reflect the granite used to construct many of Porto’s early buildings while also creating a strong and identifiable presence within Porto’s main business district of Boavista.
Internally the floorplates have been designed for total flexibility to meet the demands of the modern occupier, added Joao.
He said: “The building has been designed to reflect the latest tendencies in office space with each floorplate set up on a 1.5m grid, which enables occupiers to completely tailor the space to their needs.
“The overall environment and wellbeing of the occupiers is also enhanced by the presence of the green walls in the reception areas and the stone and wood finishes which bring the ambience of the park inside the buildings.”
“The building has been designed to reflect the latest tendencies in office space”Joao Monteiro, Associate, Broadway Malyan