15/06/2026
PUNN Smart Workspace
PUNN (ปัน)
The rapid increase in urban density has significantly transformed the quality of our living, especially in the developing metropolitan context of Bangkok. Apart from the lack of parks and trees, open spaces in the inner city are rare, as they have been drastically replaced by dense private-sector development. The combination of skyscrapers, large traffic lanes, and narrow, dilapidated sidewalks is recognized as a stereotype of Bangkok’s cityscape. Everyday life is largely confined within buildings. Public spaces are treated as city remnants, neglected and underdeveloped. As the gap between private and public development has grown distinctly apart, this increasing disparity has led to the degradation of urban living quality and lifestyle, together with prolonged environmental problems. The crisis calls for alternative development approaches from both private and public sectors, reviving adequate outdoor public life for city dwellers.
Punn Smart Workspace, a private green office building located in the Rama IV district, an emerging CBD and future smart city of Bangkok, positions itself as a friendly neighbor to the community, sharing a privately owned public space (POPS) in front of the office building with the people of the district. The project challenges conventional development practices by balancing both density and diversity, forming a new development model with an alternative public space-making solution. The integration of private and public spaces forms an everyday urban pocket park, recreating a place that makes urban life more efficient, more attractive, and more comfortable, reconnecting people with the environment. The project proposes a comprehensive urban reformation strategy, shaping dense built environment of the metropolitan area through shared space, sustaining quality of life alongside the city’s growth.
Pursuing sustainability, livability and community resilience, the newly reformed public space adopts simple and human-centered urban design strategies, deepens understanding of successful public space fundamentals, and highlights four strategic design principles for a new inclusive pocket park.
• Relation with the urban context – The front pedestrian plaza seamlessly merges with the public sidewalk, supporting the flow of everyday users as a space for commuting and transit to public transportation. The newly reformed streetscape creates a strong visual and physical connection between private and public spaces, blurring the boundary and welcoming people from the surrounding area. Retail spaces are placed along the plaza as public amenities, encouraging longer stays and supporting office lifestyles.
• More benches … More edges - A variety of flexible seating elements are introduced to support diverse recreational uses, encouraging everyday outdoor activities. Long benches around the office lobby extend recreational activities from the limited interior space to the exterior park. Planter edges at the front plaza serve as public seating and are also used for transportation transit. The highlight amphitheater creates an enclosed multi-purpose space, promoting daily activities and events while strengthening relationships among people through shared space.
• Urban Oasis - An enclosed green courtyard creates an intimate yet breathable environment for outdoor activities. The all-day shaded space is set back from the chaotic street, protecting users from urban nuisances while improving the microclimate and providing ecological benefits for the neighborhood.
• Life on the street – Flow of activities – Insights into Bangkok’s everyday behaviors and unmet demands are translated into programs for urban recreational spaces. From individual use to group gatherings, the flexible space design supports diverse flows of outdoor activities, ranging from everyday routines to occasional public events throughout the day.
The addition of new public space creates a place of ease and comfort that supports meaningful interaction and connection with the surrounding urban environment. Through diverse flows of activities, the space becomes a natural extension of the public realm where movement, rest, and social encounters coexist. The pocket park has evolved into an urban recreational destination and an essential asset for the local community, supporting the rhythms and pleasures of everyday life. This shared model encourages change by setting a new development standard, inviting future developments in the district to become active neighbors and contribute their privately owned public spaces (POPS) for communal benefit, ultimately forming future urban green networks through collaboration between the private and public sectors.
Project : PUNN Smart Workspace PUNN
Client : L.P.N. Development PCL. LPN Connect
Nye Estate Company Limited Nye Estate
Architect : P.A.Design Company Limited P.A.Design Company Limited since 1979
Location : Bangkok, Thailand
Status : Completed 2024
