barone, design, group, shell, business, center, philippines

Barone Design Group completes Shell’s Business Operation Center in the Philippines

17 Jan 2005 | (News)

Barone Design Group, a solutions-driven architecture and interiors firm, announced today the completion of the Shell Shared Services Asia-BV business operations center in Makati City, Philippines. The 35,200 square foot facility was designed to support key internal business and customer service functions and will accommodate 288 workspaces. The facility is located on two floors in the RCBC Plaza, the largest and most modern office development in the Philippines.

Central to the project was creating a highly efficient floor plan based on Shell’s European workplace strategy in concert with regional Asian furniture and materials. Due to cultural influences, these environments tend to be more open with less physical work space than U.S. environments. The project also incorporated numerous green building materials, a rarely employed strategy in the region. Green elements included the use of carpet incorporating the U.S. Green Seal Standard for content and low-emitting materials, energy efficient lighting, and furniture components that were manufactured to be recycled. The unique space and floor plan design was developed as a template for other potential floors within the RCBC Building.

“This was the first project in the Philippines to be designed and constructed by our Houston Real Estate group. The project possessed many challenges, including establishing a process that met key deadlines, locating and engaging a qualified local design/build contractor and selecting the appropriate furniture vendor,” stated Alan Pringle – Real Estate Advisor with Shell Real Estate Services. “We have worked on similar projects in North and Latin America with Barone Design Group and engaged their expertise to help us develop new work environments that support new business initiatives. We are very pleased with the results to date and believe all of our objectives were met,” continued Pringle.

Many elements of the project, including furniture and fixtures, were imported from regional suppliers in China, Korea and Japan. Custom modular walls were constructed locally to serve as vertical electrical and communications cableways and incorporated bamboo stalks molded in eco-friendly resin panels. The use of red and yellow accent colors, which are predominant in the Asian culture, and also indirectly tied to Shell’s corporate branding image, were used to create a high-energy environment. Barone Design Group provided design-build bridge services and fully managed all elements of the project. The firm guides clients from inception to completion, managing every stage of the process to address both corporate and facilities needs. Shell’s business operations center was officially completed and occupied in the fall of 2004.

“We were very excited to bring the Philippines’ center together. This was a cornerstone project for our firm, and it enabled us to combine a number of our skill-sets,” stated Dean Barone, president, Barone Design Group. “It was a unique challenge to harmonize the cross-cultural elements in the project and to work together with the Houston and Philippine-based organizations to bring Shell’s vision to fruition.”

Related Content: