Humanizing Government Complex

Ginormous concrete blocks, rigid symmetry, and overwhelming scale, civic buildings worldwide often follow a formula where it is designed to project authority, not inclusion. These cold, imposing structures stand in stark contrast to their intended purpose: to serve and engage the public.

For nearly two decades, Thailand’s Government Complex (TGC), the country’s largest administrative hub, has accommodated 29 agencies across 178 acres, welcoming nearly 40,000 users each day. Like many such campuses globally, it was designed around cars, resulting in chronic traffic, poor connectivity, and underutilised public spaces.

With a new skytrain station arriving in 2024, Dhanarak Asset Development recognised a rare opportunity: to reimagine TGC not just as infrastructure, but as a people-first civic ecosystem. LANDPROCESS was commissioned to lead the transformation, driven by low-carbon designs and nature-based solutions.

A new 200-meter elevated walkway links the incoming transit station to TGC’s central plaza, streamlining movement for over 37,000 daily users. An unused rooftop is now a public gathering space, featuring vertical gardens, rain chains, and porous materials that reduce heat in the area and manage stormwater.

The adjoining car park is now a multi-functional sustainability hub. It integrates rainwater harvesting, urban farming, rooftop solar that provides over half of the building’s energy, and a ground-level EV bus interchange that connects people to the whole complex. Once-inert spaces now act as active “third places” for rest, interaction, and collaboration for both the civic workers and also visitors.

Sustainability shaped every phase of the design. Over one-third of materials used are recycled; two-thirds are locally sourced. Passive strategies and solar energy reduced operational energy by nearly 90%. Roads were reimagined as cooling corridors, planted with shade trees and permeable pavements, prioritizing pedestrian movement.

With 3,500 new trees and 30 acres of restored green space, the complex now mitigates urban heat, flooding, and air pollution. TGC demonstrates how public infrastructure can evolve, from rigid bureaucracy to a regenerative civic model.

By harmonising ecology, equity, and governance, this project sets a new benchmark, one where government spaces are no longer static institutions, but dynamic environments that grow with their communities.