Having studied the super airports of the last few decades, Design Director Keane, challenged himself to conceive a next-generation design as an antithesis to the often beautiful, yet utilitarian, corporate, and ultimately hard spaces that prioritize unsustainable panel materials. By taking plant-based materials like reeds and rattan out of context, away from the boutique wellness retreats of Southeast Asia, for use in such an overtly urban and commercial environment, and at such a scale, Keane wished to make a bold statement regarding the possibility and necessity of tactility, sustainability, and biophilic design for the future.

EPA developed its signature design language and harnessed its unique handmade approach to create a series of curvaceous, sculptural rattan pods at an exponentially larger scale than previously imagined. The largest of the pods stands at nearly 8m high and the project overall used over 9km of rattan in replacement of mineral materials such as concrete and steel. The design itself incorporates 5 colossal pod structures and interconnecting walkways, all fabricated in biodegradable, natural rattan. Each section of the vast design was handwoven at EPA’s Bangkok factory in line with the practice’s bespoke logistics software for the most efficient, economical, and sustainable shipping solutions.

This merging of novel high-tech software and handmade craft, along with the prioritizing of natural materials defines the practice’s award-winning approach to innovation and sustainability.