Heart of Borneo Reception Centre

Formerly an empty pavilion, the HOB Reception Centre is an exhibition space for permanent display of the Sabah State Forestry Department’s Heart of Borneo initiative. The concept is to catch a glimpse of a forest and create an inviting square for staff to gather.

As a framework for design, we established that the space was effectively a city square, a focal gathering point in the mass of buildings that make up the Sabah Fforestry Department headquarters. We said that a successful square needed 3 key elements; a defined edge, a clear route, and an aggregator to give focus, direction and activity to the space.

Information panels define the edge or the space and the route through the space. A central, hanging sculpture acts as an aggregator. The new, translucent, top-hat roof naturally lights the sculpture from above; scattering a dispersal pattern of light and shadow on the floor below. At night, low energy LED bulb create a similar effect. Loose furniture allows visitor or staff to sit and enjoy the space.

High level perimeter screens protect the space from solar glare and rain, while also creating a playful pattern of light and shadow. The screens are delicate but at the same time it mimics the sense of light that reaches through the forest canopy, attempting to recreate the sense of fullness that someone gets when they are in the middle of the forest.

Overall, the exhibition is not just about the information material, but the building as an object itself.

Project Data

Client: Buildtech Enterprise (Design-Build contract with Sabah Forestry Department)

Status: Completed 2016

Design Team: Nur Filzah Jamjam, Ian Hall, Sarah Greenlees