| Project | Central Asian Institute for Ecological Research |
| Location | Almaty, Kazakhstan |
| Size | 10.000 m2 |
| Programme | Grade A Office and Research Development |
| Status | Designed |
| Brief | ARROW defined what the success criterias for a new flagship laboratory in Almaty would be together with the client. The laboratory has two main missions: to research as well as to develop. ARROW added one more criteria to its design targets - to educate the people of Kazakhstan about ecological research. |
Heritage & Identity
The young nation of Kazakhstan is developing fast.
Like most nomadic cultures, there is little built heritage, but a strong relationship with the nature one lived on. This heritage persists today, less in the living conditions that have changed dramatically, and more so in the close relationship to nature; visible throughout Almaty, in particular its close proximity to lush green nature and the idea of it being a “Garden City”.
We believe that this tie between man and nature is an important identity to be used in the project, which is why it has guided us to create a building that integrates this heritage into its design.
We are seeking harmony with nature.
A building that explains the founders vision
ARROW was appointed to design a new state-of-the-art research centre called CAIER. Through close design development with the client, it was clear that CAIER had three missions from the get-go: to research, develop and support activities around its core mission.
The design for the CAIER headquarter adds one mission to those three, which is to communicate. Thus, it becomes a place that enables these activities to be experienced by the public in which the building is a platform where both the public’s curiosity and CAIER’s mission go hand in hand, merging together to become one.
Design, Sustainability & Feng Shui
The expressive design integrates the best of Scandinavian design principles into a more local context, particularly state-of-the-art sustainable technologies and the local heritage of Feng Shui. This results in a well-functioned and designed research centre, which can become a landmark of Almaty, symbolising awareness and a deeper respect for nature.