ASA JOURNAL 12/2023

theme / review
TWO IN ONE
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The project’s main component is
the roof, which consists of two
sections: the green roof and the
climatic dome. The climatic dome
is a three-story- high glass atrium
whose roof is determined by the
separated functional programs.
The elements of the roof’s surface
structure converge towards
the center, creating a centralized
form.
The process of converting LNG gas back into
its gaseous form has been implemented instead
of releasing it into the sea, which would have
had harmful impacts on the environment. The
gas conversion process produces cool air at a
temperature of -162 degrees Celsius. This cool
air is utilized to evaporate water and create a cool
environment inside the glass house where winter
plants are cultivated. The gas conversion process
produces excess coldness, which has been used
to maintain the appropriate temperature inside
the architectural structure and the interior temperature
control of the area where winter plants
and flowers are being grown. While the company
has generated profits of two to three hundred
million Thai Baht per year through the export of
these winter flowers and plants, the center has
grown to become one of Rayong’s popular tourist
destinations.
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ภายในห้องประชุมใหญ่
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มุมมองจากทางเดิน
ยกระดับสู่อาคาร
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The project’s primary element is the roof, which
consists of two parts: the green roof and the
climatic dome. The climatic dome is a three-story
glass atrium. The divided functional programs
determine the shape of the roof. The interior of
the dome must maintain a temperature that is 10
degrees Celsius lower than the outside temperature,
which results in condensation. By directing
the elements of the surface structure towards the
center, the design achieves its ‘centralized’ form,
while a calculated assembly of various polygonal
shapes allows for the architecture’s fluidity to be
achieved. The roof structure, shaped like a diamond,
is divided into sections using vertically installed
steel pipes. By dividing the structure into two
triangles, it becomes more flexible and allows
for the construction of curving attributes to be
achieved. The Climatic Dome is a cylindrical dome
with a radius of 32 meters. In the absence of
columns, the load-bearing points of the structure
are located at the lower beams and the concrete
beams at the top, the latter of which span between
the steel roof and the green roof. The point where
the two roof structures meet has been intentionally
designed to serve as a vent for emergency ventilation
in the event of a fire.
The Climatic Dome was constructed using a prefabricated
truss structure that was installed on site.
The triangular openings were measured on-site after
the truss installation was completed. This was done
to ensure the most accurate measurements were
obtained for cutting the glass that would be used
as the building’s skin. The curved nature of threedimensional
surfaces requires the triangular glass
pieces to come in various sizes in order to deliver
the intended appearance. The structural details of
the dome’s design include parts that are developed
and utilized to fasten the protruding glasses onto
the circular steel member. The mechanism is responsible
for holding together the laminated glass
components that make up the outer layer of the
building. The free-end details provide sufficient
flexibility to accommodate the expansion and
shrinkage of the material. To maintain a consistent
interior temperature of 15 degrees Celsius within
the dome, the design team had to devise a solution
to prevent condensation resulting from the temperature
difference between the inside and outside of the
structure. To prevent such scenarios, extra attention
was paid to the details of the glass panels’ joineries
to ensure that materials with different temperatures
are not installed adjacent to each other.