The building about 40 years old in the heart of the city and surrounded by open and green spaces. So we did not want to leave the space, but at the same time we were looking for functional and spaces office that could hold a larger staff. The concept was to create a space that is highly functional as well as minimalistic and contemporary through the exploration of raw and basic building materials like exposed concrete, IPS, recycled materials like scrap metal and natural materials like slate, kota, granite and wood.
The building structure was a load bearing and having structural wall which was creating rooms. We wanted more open spaces and needed to remove the walls. Also the slab was corroded, which was why we have taken the advice of a structural designer and broken the slab, plaster as well as walls.
In the casting of the new slab, we have raised the height by two feet. Also we wanted a garden on the terrace level so we made the design accordingly. One more critera was to avoid unnecessary false ceiling and also we wanted to use the exposed slab as a design element that would be the feature of the new office. Our entire team has worked towards the casting of the wordscape in the slab. To achieve the results and fineness we have used concrete of Lafarge, Germany, which is having self spreading properties. A high level of precision was needed and all the care has been taken to avoid water leakages. The lighting points have also been placed precisely, and special lighting fixtures have been designed to fulfill the lighting needs. A vertical cut out in the east direction has been designed to accommodate water body and to get natural daylight through the slab.
The concept was also to try to create a truly green office, which requires minimum energy consumption and with maximum efficiency of the space. There was also a deliberate step towards making this office more energy efficient and green by the use of cool coat paints, CFL lamps, reusing the flooring of the old office and using materials in their basic form.
- Use of direct exposed slab casting as a design element through which the use of false ceiling has been avoided. The use of basic materials has been emphasized so that major artificial treatments could be avoided. False ceiling is made only in 20% area to incorporate the A/C and lighting.
- Windows have been placed in such a way as to ensure sufficient day lighting while minimizing heat penetration from outside. A terrace garden has been incorporated to ensure that heat insulation is provided to the studio below. This in turn also minimizes A/C consumption.
- Use of UPVC windows with double-glazed reflective glasses, which is having 85% heat, UV and IR rays reflectivity.
- Recycled original flooring of the office.
- Use of reflective curtains with their reflective specifications.
- Minimum use of wood, no use of any veneer or laminate to avoid superficial look and to reduce the overall cost.
- Old granite work tops from the old office have been reused.
- Use of apple comps and all other flat screen which saves lots of energy.
- Use of CFL lights and electronic ballast to reduce energy consumption.
- Use of Diakin and Mitsubishi A/C as power efficient A/C’s
- Use of highly reflective white paints on exterior walls. These paints are having neon technology reflective of UV and IR rays.
- 14” thick exterior walls on south and west direction so as to achieve minimum heat transaction.
In the reception area, rough black slate has been used in the flooring. An IPS wall has been used as a back drop for a 12 ft. panel of black and white photographs of the office staff and associates- past and present. Adjacent to this, a full height mirror is framed with polished sleeper wood pattas that have shlokas painted on.
A narrow opening has been created which extends up to the slab and continues horizontally in the form of a slab cut out. The glass base of this cut out forms a water body. This water body when filled with water creates changing patterns of light in the space as it is reflected of the water. When this water body is filled with flowers it gives a warm pink glow to the space. A bronze sculpture has been placed at the base of this opening. The exposed slab has been cast with sheets of jute fabric so that a kind of chequered texture could be achieved.
The coffee table has also been designed by the firm. It has a top if river polished black granite. The base is of ply and is having strips of ply cut along its cross section so that its layers are exposed. A bench, designed by the firm has been created from M.S ‘I’ sections and logs of sleeper wood. This bench emphasizes the idea of using basic materials in innovative ways.
The main feature of the work space is the exposed concrete slab. The firms profile has been cast into it. This scripting runs through the entire length of the office studio. An exposed plaster wall with vertical lined texture also runs through the office. Both the slab and this wall ensure that there is a connectivity and continuity between the designer’s space and the conference room.
The 3 walls in conference space have three different textures that compliment one another. The flooring here is river polish kota that has the same texture as rough kota, but has a smoother feel to it. A custom made lamp with a frame of ‘I’ sections hangs over the discussion table. The conference table with a black granite top has the designer’s thumb print etched into it.
While the floor of workspace is of mirror polished kota. The challenge was to ensure that there was an even distribution of artificial light in spite of there being no false ceiling. A frame of ‘I’ sections weighing more than 260 kgs has been suspended from the slab. This is paneled with cement sheet from below. This central panel houses the cassette ac units as well as the lighting fixtures. The furniture in the work area consists of ply with color finish. In an effort to be true to the materials the edges of ply were kept exposed.
A special discussion table made from ply and having a black granite top is at the entry to the designer’s zone. A clock having face of white glass and stainless steel hands has been specially designed by the firm for this area.
Terrace is a space that the firm needed for its designers to unwind, or think in solitude as well as a space that can also be used to entertain a few of its select clients. Terrace consists of lawn and hard flooring. The flooring is mix combination of River polish green kota & multi colored river polish kota. The lawn forms a heat buffer for the work space below.
A water body separates two gazebos. An exposed concrete wall emerges from this water body. This free standing wall has Rabindranath Tagore’s profile cast into it. Kota steps are designed so as to appear like they float over the water. A swing which faces the water body is suspended from a pergola structure. The pergolas that are created by railway sleeper wood members are placed within a M.S ‘I’ section frame. Gazebos made from M.S fame structure having fabric stretched over it covers the sitting area.
Project Fact file
- Client’s Name – Mr. Dipen Gada
- Office Area – 1000 Sq. Ft approx
- Design Team – Dipen Gada, Yatin Kavaiya, Jiten Tosar
- Site Coordinator – Rahi Constructions
- Landscape Designer – Mr. Tulsibhai Narola
- Photography – Tejas Shah
- Text – Shalini Pereira