The New Original

Commercial

Pampanga's Best Main Plant 

Situated on the northern tip or the industrial center of San Fernando City in Pampanga is the main plant of Pampanga’s Best, the meat product company which founder invented the now famous pork dish tocino. The sprawling property houses all main operations of the plant, the center of now more than 50 yearlong operations. The design studio is tasked to envision a new architectural language for this institution.

The company allowed us to handle two specific areas: the entry gate and frontage of the site & their main lobby. These two spaces share a common denominator which is they are the entry points of every guest and employee thus, a strategic location to present improvements in making a more recognizable facility for the company.

The design concept focused on reinstating the company’s goal of “the importance of high quality” through a dignified and more formal character. This means the new face of the company departs from the character of the current facility but remains grounded on the principles and vision that persisted throughout their years in the business. 


Main Gate and Fence

The frontage of the property sits on a highly residential area and is advantageous in terms of the greenery that is present around it. But the entrance is rather flat and needs stimulation in terms of character to project the function of the property upfront and to have a recognizable “face” for wayfinding purposes. The solution is to develop the space in a more lively and prominent manner. 

Ample parking space for guests and a wide entrance driveway that can accommodate vehicles as large as 12-wheeler trucks are the main agenda of the horizontal development aspect. Lush landscaping and a water feature accounts for the shading and provide a park-like setting of the area respectively. The existing gate is reinforced with volumetric column forms and wall treatment providing a more robust and dignified character that commands the whole space. A “crowning” pronounced rooftops these forms on an extending manner, a symbol of the continuous but grounded development the company aspires. The newest and noticeable addition to the frontage is the extended covered path walk that provides shelter against the elements for the adjacent parking space for the employees across the road. 


Main Lobby

The second part of the project takes us further into the property into the main manufacturing building which holds the main lobby. This double-height all-white space welcomes all types of guests from product presenters to business partners. It has occasional furnishing and is in need of proper determination of space for efficiency in reception service. 

The interior treatment focused on presenting a warm and commemorative character. The cold white walls are faced with wooden panels. Wood is also employed in partitions for the new spaces such as offices, conference areas, and dressing rooms for guests entering the production area. Seating area placed in between for lounge and waiting functions. The commanding feature of the lobby is the high reception wall which features a tactile natural stone wall sided by two columns. These columns bear a lighting grill feature that is in pictographs narrating the story of the company. Every column in the lobby has the same treatment. New columns on the entry porch echo this symbolism.

Besides the atmosphere the materiality of the main lobby expresses, the corporate colors are manifested through the foliage of indoor plants, the furnishings, and the colors of metal works. 

The aim of the design program is to visually represent the ideals of the company, all the while maintaining functionality, aesthetics, and respect for its history. The classic character and robustness of the materials used should endure the test of time and will be carried as the company progresses. This project also is a case study on the role of architecture as an expression in carrying out vision, furthering its functional cause.

Status: Contract Document Phase

Year: 2019