Designed by Andrew Bromberg at Aedas, Sandcrawler in Singapore received the Honor Award under Open International category (outside of the USA) at 2017 American Institute of Architects (AIA) International Region Design Awards on 7 October in Prague, Czech Republic.

According to Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA, Chair of the jury, “The Sandcrawler project was a jury favorite, as it accomplishes many things at once through its design.  As a building, the structure’s unique form is a physical manifestation of the brand, image, and identity of the company.  At the same time, the exterior and interior spaces are intended to foster a strong corporate culture and promote enhanced team interactions.  The jury agreed that this working environment would be an exciting and fulfilling place to build a career.”

Sandcrawler is the new regional headquarters for Lucasfilm Singapore with office spaces to lease. This sleek, elevated office building is impressively streamlined. Its horseshoe form arose as a logical outcome of the masterplanning restrictions which dictated the roof height and slope as well as the amount of required elevation on each face. These requirements were overlaid with client’s needs, including large floorplates and lifting the building off of the ground to afford some privacy and security to the sensitive work being performed inside. The maximum depths of office space to natural light shaped the floors into a ‘V’ plan overlooking the lush courtyard enclosed and below.

The open courtyard landscaped in a natural, overgrown manner creates a great civic space and gives a strong civic dimension not normally associated with corporate offices. The taut external metallic façade allows for good solar protection and privacy on the more exposed faces while presenting an aerodynamic appearance. The courtyard facing façade is of highly transparent glass with inverted terraces overshadowing the lower levels for shading. Inside the building, there is an expressively contoured 100-seat theatre for screenings, performances and other events.

The AIA International Region Design Awards celebrate the best architectural designs available from AIA members around the world. These projects represent the finest standards in sustainability, innovation, building performance, and overall integration with client and surrounding community.